The Glass Key

Vice, corruption, betrayal, murder, and a skeleton in every closet: it's business as usual in big city politics. What many consider to be the definitive screen adaptation of a Dashiell Hammett crime thriller is more or less typical of its kind, with hard-boiled heroes in anonymous trench coats and tough, beautiful blondes squeezing terse, cynical dialogue at each other out of the side of their mouths. As usual the convoluted plot tends to frustrate any attempt at a quick description; suffice to say the heroes and villains run true to form, with the weakest link, oddly enough, being the two stars: Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, a pair of the squarest jaws in Hollywood at the time. Their minimal emoting in the lead roles is completely overshadowed by the livelier performances in the supporting cast, notably Brian Donleavy as Ladd's earthy political kingpin boss, and William Bendix as his rival's cheerfully sadistic henchman.

When Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake and William Bendix appeared in a film, you knew it was going to be a great film, but I never realized this film would become a great Classic B&W screen gem! Brian Donlevy(Paul Madwig),"Kiss of Death",47, played a great role as the King Pin Mob boss who is a very good friend of Alan Ladd(Ed Beaumont),"Two Years Before the Mast",'40, Ed Beaumont has some moral values in life and gets involved with Janet Henry(Veronica Lake),"Flesh Feast",'70, who is Paul Madwig's girl friend. Sexy Janet Henry falls in love with Ed Beaumont and her sexy hair over one eye seems to captivate every scene they are in. However, William Bendix(Jeff) does not like Ed Beaumont's face and beats the heck out of "Pretty Boy's Face" every chance he gets, I really thought he would need a face Job after the many beatings Ed Beaumont received. This film will be enjoyed by many and many future generations to come! This is a film to take you down memory lane in the early 40's!!!

I actually saw The Blue Dahlia, another film noir starring Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, and William Bendix, before I saw The Glass Key. While both films are memorable, especially for a fan of the genre like myself, I actually prefer this earlier collaboration. In The Glass Key, Ladd seems more engaged as does Lake. Ladd makes a great protagonist here; he is tough, smart, and determined, essentially the very essence of a self-made man. Lake is the perfect feminine companion for him! An engrossing plot, sharp dialogue, just the right dose of action, perfectly matched heroes and villains, and of course the chemistry between the leads make The Glass Key a classic film noir. See it today!