The Glass Key

Paul Madvig runs politics in the city; he gathers votes, places his men and uses force when needed. This time he decides to back a clean candidate and wants to marry the senator's daughter. The choice angers his old partners; the gang running the gambling withdraws its support. Then the senator's son is found dead. Everyone points at Madvig. Ed Beaumont is his closest man; he tries to settle it and in doing so comes up against the gang, the police and his own boss. Stuart Heisler directs. Alan Ladd plays Ed, Brian Donlevy plays Madvig and Veronica Lake the senator's daughter. The source is Dashiell Hammett's novel. The novel had been adapted for cinema once before; this version became better known. Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake made several films together in this period and the studio pushed the pairing. The matter the narrative builds is loyalty; Ed protects his boss and what he gets in return is never stated. Its most cited section is the beating; the violence is long and direct for films of the period. Hammett's text erases the difference between politics and crime, and the film keeps that stance. Its limit is the plot; the intrigue is tangled and some connections are passed over quickly. Who it is for: viewers who like classic noir and Hammett adaptations. Who it is not for: the plot is hard to follow, the characters cold, and the ending hurried.