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4.0 out of 5 stars A fine Forties noir with Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake and Brian Donlevy, and a startling performance by William Bendix, January 17, 2008

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C. O. DeRiemer (San Antonio, Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Glass Key (VHS Tape)

Maybe not a great noir, but The Glass Key, based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett, is one of the most satisfying crime movies to come out of the Forties. I've watched it several times and undoubtedly will again. Why does it work so well? First, there's a death tied to a whodunit and the solution is well disguised until the very end. Second, there's the milieu...big city crime and politics, corruption and violence. Third, a startlingly unhinged performance by William Bendix. And fourth, and most importantly, there is the relationship between two strong men, both slightly amoral but which is based on friendship and trust.

We're talking about Paul Madvig (Brian Donlevy), a big-time gambler and enforcer who has moved into big-time politics, and Ed Beaumont (Alan Ladd), his right-hand man. This bond of trust and friendship between the two is one of the movie's major themes. It's the engine that drives the movie. Madvig is a tough, cheerful guy who can use his fists or a threat or use a pay-off to get his way. Surprisingly, he's backing a reform candidate for governor. He's gone so far as to shut down illegal gambling operations, which has made a dangerous enemy of gambler Nick Varna (Joseph Calliea). Even more surprisingly, Madvig has fallen for his candidate's daughter, Janet Henry (Veronica Lake).

Beaumont, on the other hand, is a taciturn hard case. He's no one's fool. He's smarter, or at least shrewder, than Madvig. His loyalty to Madvig is complete but he never hesitates to try to talk sense to Madvig. At one point Madvig is bragging about his entry into high society and respectable politics with his association with the candidate he's backing. "I'm going to society, " he says to Beaumont. "He's practically given me the key to his house." Says Beaumont, "Yeah, a glass key. Be sure it doesn't break in your hand." Beaumont sees Janet Henry and her family as wealthy, condescending snobs. Why do you stay with Madvig, she asks him with a coy little condescending smile. "I get along very well with Paul because he's on the dead up-and-up. Why don't you try it sometime?" he says and walks out.

Before long Janet's brother, the wastrel son of Madvig's candidate, is found dead and Madvig is the prime suspect. Beaumont doesn't believe this for a minute. He's sure Nick Varna had something to do with it. Soon Beaumont is being used as a punching bag by Jeff (William Bendix), one of Varna's goons. It doesn't take much time, either, for Beaumont and Janet Henry, who has said she'd marry Madvig, to realize there's a strong attraction between them that's starting to show. Beaumont, however, is determined to respect Madvig's feelings. By the time we reach the end of the movie, there have been plenty of beatings, deaths and corruption. The person responsible for the brother's death has been discovered. It's a clever surprise. Of course, in an Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake movie, there's also a happy ending.

William Bendix was a big, beefy actor who more often than not played good guys. When he played a bad guy, he was something to see. Jeff is just this short of a psycho, but short on the other side of the line. "Meet the swellest guy I ever skinned a knuckle on," he says, draping an arm across Beaumont's shoulder. He enjoys dishing out beatings. The most startling scenes in the movie center on Jeff. In the first, Ed Beaumont is being held captive. He's going to be beaten until he gives the low-down on all of Madvig's less savory activities. He won't talk, so Jeff beats him within an inch of his life. It's an almost sadomasochistic scene. Ladd's face, with some realistic make-up, looks like hamburger...and Jeff isn't through. The other scene has Jeff losing control when a major character gives him one too many orders. "Now you see what we gotta do," Jeff says, "we gotta give him the works." As Beaumont leans against the door in the background and watches, we see the sweating, shaking face of Jeff as he strangles the guy. We don't see the victim, only the victim's kicking legs. Which is worse, Jeff killing the man or Beaumont watching with a slight smile?

This was Alan Ladd's follow-up film to This Gun for Hire. He was never a great actor; he said so himself. But he had whatever it takes to be a star and this movie secured his star status. Veronica Lake leaves me with mixed feelings. In The Glass Key she is so carefully coifed, dressed and made-up that, with her tiny stature, she looks like a kind of odd porcelain doll. Although Ladd and Lake never much cared for each other, they made an intriguing couple on the screen. And what of Brian Donlevy? Sure, he was a stolid actor, very straight forward. Yet, for me, he always combined a kind of honest, nice-guy quality with a streak of solid bad-guy potential. "Reliable," I guess is what people would call him, yet I can't think of anyone who could have done a better job as Sergeant Markoff in Beau Geste. Donlevy had top billing for The Glass Key.

For those who like old songs as well as old movies, there's a nice instrumental version of "I Remember You," music by Victor Schertzinger and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, used as background in a scene. "I Don't Want to Walk Without You, Baby," with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Frank Loesser, is sung by an uncredited Lillian Randolph in a dive while Jeff glowers and downs a couple of scotches.

Who knows why this fine film isn't out on a worthy Region 1 DVD edition; perhaps one of these days.

5.0 out of 5 stars William 'Billy' Benedict a bad guy? Never, well maybe, October 21, 2007

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bernie "xyzzy" (Arlington, Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Glass Key (VHS Tape)

They mention "the glass Key" at the beginning of the film as the key to a position. A warning says, "It is a glass key, be sure it does not break off in your hand."

This movie was supposed to be the one that made it for both Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd. They are also together in the film "This Gun for Hire." I did not read the book but Dash-it-all Hammett is usually a lot darker and his characters are usually a lot sleazier. The only really dark scene was probably the encounter between Ed Beaumont and Jeff. The mystery was good. The who-done-it and why lasted up to the end.

What ever happened to William Bendix the bartender in "Boys' Night Out" (1962) and "Life of Riley (1953)"? I always thought of him as a good guy. Boy, this shatters my image of him.


I Married a Witch ~ Veronica Lake

5.0 out of 5 stars Glossy Ladd--Lake Crime Noir, October 17, 2007

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Bobby Underwood "starlighthotel" (Manly NSW, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Glass Key (VHS Tape)

"Why are you Paul's friend?" - Veronica Lake
"Because he's on the dead up-and-up. Why don't you try it sometime?" - Alan Ladd

Dashiell Hammett's story of crime and politics got a second filming with this glossy Paramount production starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. Ladd had exploded into stardom opposite Lake in "This Gun for Hire" but set the tone for the type of character he would play in the majority of his films with this one.

A good screenplay by Jonathan Latimer and some fine photography from Theodor Sparkuhl complement Stuart Heisler's crisp direction. Oddly enough, Victor Young, known more for his romantic scores, was picked for this project and does a nice job. Lake, whose cool blonde beauty was a perfit fit for Ladd's quietly tough screen persona, is also a perfect fit in every creation of Edith Head.

Brian Donlevy has a good role as the political boss, Paul Madvig. Ladd is his right hand man, Ed Beaumont. Paul is all brawn and not a lot of brains, but Ed is loyal because he is genuine. When Madvig falls for Janet Henry (Veronica Lake), the daughter of the reform candidate, he swings his political machine his way and angers the crooks he's been protecting.

Joseph Calleia is one of the crooks unhappy with Paul and not quiet about it. William Bendix is excellent as his off-kilter muscle, Jeff. When Janet's wayward brother, Taylor (Richard Denning), who was secretly seeing Paul's little sister, Opal (Bonita Granville), winds up dead, Nick (Calleia) will use the newspaper he has in his pocket to implicate Paul in the muder.

Ed knows Paul didn't do it but also knows he's hiding something. He creates a public rift with Paul in order to discover what's at the bottom of it all and gets much more than he bargained for. But Ed can't distance himself enough from the growing attraction between he and Janet. Even when she tries to enlist his help he is leary of her, and tells her: "You're slumming and I don't go for slummers. You think you're too good for me. Well sister, it just so happens I think I'm too good for you!"

Frances Gifford shines in a small role as the nurse taking care of Ed after a beating from Jeff. It is Bonita Granville who steals every scene she's in, however, in a rare adult (sort of) role. Ladd calls her Snip throughout the film, sort of reminding her she isn't all grown yet. While it is too glossy to have the bite it should have, it is very entertaining and has a great cast. The ending is terrific and just what the viewer had hoped for. Ladd and Lake fans will love this one.