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The Glass Key (VHS) [1942] Alan Ladd Veronica Lake

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The Glass Key (1942)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034798/


The Glass Key is the second and better known film noir adaptation of the classic suspense novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett, released a mere seven years after the first. It features Brian Donlevy, Veronica Lake, and Alan Ladd, who replaces George Raft from the original 1935 version in the lead.

Brian Donlevy ... Paul Madvig
Veronica Lake ... Janet Henry
Alan Ladd ... Ed Beaumont
Bonita Granville ... Opal Snip Madvig
Richard Denning ... Taylor Henry
Joseph Calleia ... Nick Varna
William Bendix ... Jeff
Frances Gifford ... Nurse
Donald MacBride ... Farr
Margaret Hayes ... Eloise Matthews
Moroni Olsen ... Ralph Henry
Eddie Marr ... Rusty
Arthur Loft ... Clyde Matthews
George Meader ... Claude Tuttle

The Glass Key (1942), a complicated tale of political corruption and murder, centers on a nonchalant political boss from the wrong side of the tracks, Paul Madvig (Brian Donlevy), who backs a reform candidate for Governor, partly because he is in love with the candidates daughter (Veronica Lake). He closes down a local gangsters casino, infuriating the gangster and his henchmen. When the candidates carousing son turns up dead, Donlevy is the obvious suspect, and his right hand man, Ed Beaumont (Alan Ladd), must try to figure out the truth - all the while falling for Lake himself.

Full of tough talk, brutal violence, and a dash of romance, this 1942 version of Dashiell Hammetts novel is quite faithful to the book, and its generally considered superior to the 1935 film version starring George Raft. Perhaps the main difference between the two, aside from the remakes shadowy noir look and bigger budget, is that the character of Ed Beaumont as played by Ladd is much less concerned with behaving morally than George Raft was in the original. Beaumont is loyal to his boss Madvig, but he has no problem with standing by during a murder, stealing and destroying a will, and basically causing a character to commit suicide. Of course, for the film noir style that was just getting underway in 1942, such antiheroic qualities were perfect.

The Glass Key started production before the release of This Gun for Hire (1942), the first Lake/Ladd pairing which would soon ignite screens across the country. And interestingly enough, Lake wasnt originally cast in the new film. Patricia Morison shot a few scenes before it was decided that she was too tall. Lake was then brought in to replace her mainly because she looked good standing with Ladd (he was 55, she was barely 5 feet). Little did the studio executives know how lucky a choice they had made, for like This Gun for Hire, The Glass Key would become a huge hit thanks to the publics excitement over the red-hot team. (Two more Ladd/Lake films were to follow: The Blue Dahlia, 1946 and Saigon, 1948.)

Ironically, top billing went to Brian Donlevy - who delivers a superbly charismatic performance - and the picture was practically stolen by William Bendix. Has there ever been a more lovable pathological screen heavy? He gives Ladd one of the cinemas most memorable beatings, calling him baby in the process. He spits contemptuously at the floor before leaving a room, and he has the films best, funniest lines. Im just a big good-natured slob, he says after strangling a character to death. At a funeral, he suggests to his boss that they knock off [Donlevy] right here - that way they wont have to take him far to bury him.

During the films memorable beating scene, Bendix accidentally slugged Ladd in the jaw for real, knocking him out. (The take survives in the finished film.) Bendix felt awful and he burst into tears. When Ladd woke up, he was so touched by Bendixs reaction that he became friends with the actor and requested him for many of his future films, helping him with his career as best he could.

But that wasnt the only accidental real-life beating on the set. In the opening scene, Lakes character was called upon to sock Donlevy in the jaw. Lake disliked Donlevy. They had worked together on I Wanted Wings (1941) and she knew he didnt think much of her acting ability so she took this opportunity to actually hit him, and as he wasnt prepared for a punch of any real force, she almost knocked him out. Id learned in my Brooklyn youth to lead with the hip when you throw a punch, Lake wrote in her autobiography. Every pound I owned was behind it when it caught his jaw. Seething, Donlevy asked her why she had connected, and she admitted she didnt know how to pull her punches. Ill give you until the next take to learn, he said and walked away.

Though Ladd and Lake were by all accounts never more than cordial with one another (studio publicity to the contrary), Lake, like Ladd, hit it off with William Bendix, and they too became close friends. I came to adore the guy, she later wrote. It was a platonic adoration for a marvelous human being.

Variety magazine gave the film a favorable review, writing, Parading a murder mystery amidst background of politics, gambling czars, romance and lusty action, this revised version of Dashiell Hammetts novel - originally made in 1935 - is a good picture of its type...Mixed well, the result is an entertaining whodunit with sufficient political and racketeer angles to make it good entertainment for general audiences. Donlevy makes the most of his role of the political leader who fought his way up from the other side of the tracks.

Critic Dennis Schwartz wrote, The film is mostly done for entertainment purposes, as it lightly skips over the corrupt political process as merely background for the unlikely love story developing between the engaging Lake and the deadpan Ladd. The film had many undeveloped film noir themes used by other films. Howard Hawkss much superior The Big Sleep borrowed freely from The Glass Key.

Critic Hal Erickson wrote, Dashiel Hammetts The Glass Key, a tale of big-city political corruption, was first filmed in 1935, with Edward Arnold as a duplicitous political boss and George Raft as his loyal lieutenant. This 1942 remake improves on the original, especially in replacing the stolid Raft with the charismatic Alan Ladd...Far less complex than the Dashiel Hammett original (and far less damning of the American political system), The Glass Key further increased the box-office pull of Paramounts new team of Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake.

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