jpstewart-02578 I recently watched This Gun For Hire, also featuring Alan Ladd (great performance in that) and Veronica Lake. The Glass Key has little of the fabulous lighting of Gun for Hire, a more convoluted and in some of its essences unbelievable plot, and the performance of Ladd is overall fair, with little variation, though we do get from him an overall sense of a particular character. Take into account that Ladd's character is one who is essentially acting a part most of the time, and I'll let him away with it. The plot unbelievability element, like that of the movie Laura, hinges for me on the fact that people close to an apparent murder victim don't believably express grief.

seymourblack-1 "The Glass Key" was Dashiell Hammet's favourite of his own stories and this excellent adaptation of his 1931 novel is full of pace, twists and typically hardboiled dialogue. Its intricate plot features corruption, treachery, murder and romance but it's the various relationships that exist between the main characters that really provide its most intriguing ingredient. Predictably, as the action takes place in the world of big city politics, deceitfulness, deviousness and double-dealings are everywhere.Paul Madvig (Brian Donlevy) is the political boss from the wrong side of the tracks whose life becomes increasingly chaotic after he falls for Janet Henry (Veronica Lake) and stops thinking with his brain. His first decision is to transfer his support to Janet's father Ralph (Moroni Olsen) who's running for governor as the reform candidate and this brings him into conflict with local gangster Nick Varna (Joseph Calleia). Nick has enjoyed a longstanding arrangement with Paul which ensured that (for an appropriate payment) his gambling joints have been protected from any interference by the police. The continuation of this arrangement, however, becomes incompatible with Paul's new political allegiance and he instructs the police chief to shut down Nick's clubs immediately.Ed Beaumont (Alan Ladd) is Paul's right hand man and advises strongly against the course of action that Paul is taking. He's not convinced about Ralph Henry's sincerity and also firmly believes that Janet is simply using him to help achieve her father's ambitions. Ed's suspicions are confirmed one night at the Henrys' residence when Janet makes it clear that she doesn't think very highly of Paul. Ed is extremely loyal to Paul and gives her the brush-off.Ralph Henry's son Taylor (Richard Denning) drinks and gambles too much and is heavily in debt to Nick Varna. Paul's 18-year-old sister Opal (Bonita Granville) is involved in a relationship with Taylor which Paul strongly disapproves of and so, when Taylor is found dead and it looks like murder, Paul becomes the prime suspect and Ed sets out to clear his boss' name.Paul's refusal to accept Ed's advice leads to a rift between the two men and Ed's refusal to cooperate with Nick Varna in framing Paul, leads to him being beaten repeatedly by Nick's henchmen before the sequence of events that follow culminate in the identity of the real murderer being revealed.There are a few standout scenes in this movie such as when Ed and Janet meet for the first time and the magnetic attraction between them is palpable. Similarly, when Ed is viciously beaten by Nick Varna's thug called Jeff (William Bendix), what transpires is particularly unpleasant but also interesting to watch , as it's obvious that Jeff enjoys his work for reasons which go beyond simple sadism. The scene in which Ed falls from a building and smashes through a glass roof on his way to the ground is also notable as it's the movie's most expertly filmed piece of action.The presence of the Ladd and Lake partnership helped to make this movie a great box office success and their typically deadpan performances add to the intrigue as their motivations are not always immediately apparent. Brian Donlevy is great as the cheerfully corrupt Paul. who despite his background achieved considerable financial success but without ever managing to acquire any additional sophistication along the way. William Bendix provides the pick of the supporting performances as an extraordinary thug whose actions contribute significantly to the story's final outcome.

dougdoepke Good chance to catch Hollywood's greatest blond couple together in one of their best movies. My only question remains which of the two is prettier. Still, Lake wins out in the hair department, maybe for all time. The plot's pretty darn complicated but holds interest to the end, thanks to the expert casting.Those of us who remember Bill Bendix as the lovable Riley in radio & TV's Life of Riley boggle at his role here. As the sadistic thug Jeff, he's about as mean as they come. Actually, I'm surprised that the one particularly brutal beating passed the censors. In my book, it's the movie's most memorable scene. At the same time, it's good to know that Bendix and Ladd were such good friends off screen. Still, it's a rather shocking scene for the time.Sure, neither of the blonds was too good in the acting department. Yet each projected a strong, rather icy, presence that's hard to duplicate. Catch Ladd's mirthless grin more like a mask for his Beaumont character than an actual emotion. He's really very effective as a somewhat ruthless political operative. Then there's Lake who strikes effortlessly sultry poses, but with a cold heart underneath. The two are indeed a perfect match. The story's pretty convoluted, something about political influence entering into a murder mystery. Actually, it's a "buddy" picture as much as anything else, and one that sort of sneaks up on you. However, it's the characters, not the narrative that shines, including a dynamic Donlevy as the political boss and an oily Calleia as a mob kingpin. Together, they make life difficult for headliner Ladd. All in all, Paramount Pictures knew they had a winning two-some on screen, however difficult the screenplay.

Michael Neumann 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.