I love both Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd and their teaming in Frank Tuttle's 'This Gun For Hire'. But this film falls well short of expectations.
I found its only interesting aspects were Bonita Granville in a part that pits her against stereotype as a lovesick masochist, and an uncredited role by Dane Clark in a blink-and-you-miss-it snippet as a crook too 'practical' to accept an obviously suicidal assignment.
All the actors and the director did much better work in other films.
Not the "best movie EVAR" but I found it entertaining. Some characters were really fun (like Bendix).
Yes, Bendix was good.
Also, check out my reply to sergecess below.
Bendix's character Jeff was moronic and unrealistic. Even more perhaps than his role in "The Blue Daliah," another Ladd-Lake fail. Both movies have aspects which make them interesting and suspenseful but the director found a way to botch them up. I think I give "The Blue Daliah" the slight edge between these two because there didn't seem to be a whole lot at stake in "The Glass Key."
It's plot is simply ridiculous in many points: Lake courting Madvig while under the assumption he murdered her brother which Lake and Ladd have an apparent attraction to one another from their first meeting and, shocker! they end up getting married and living happily ever after. Not a good example of film-noir in my book.
One of the reviewers wrote that only on the third viewing he understood it.
I'm not an American, and I'm guessing that, because it was largely a political movie, I couldn't get it at all - so I don't think I'm going to give it another chance as there are too many other movies I'm waiting to watch.
I will mention the one thing I liked about it, however - the nurse, played by Frances Gifford, who I thought was much better looking than any of the other dolls in this movie. Pity her role was so small...
"Don't waste your time with this one" ??
I saw this film last night for the first time and absolutely loved it. So much for your ill-fated recommendation. Clearly not everyone is going to have the same opinion, people should check out things for themselves instead of relying on the word of complete strangers.
Yes, you're right. I suppose I did get a bit carried away. I like Frank Tuttle's films and was probably holding him to a higher standard than most.
I've edited the original post to treat the film more fairly. (Note that your quote was one of the parts I deleted.)
I agree it's not one of Tuttle's best, because he didn't direct it. Stuart Heisler did.
You're thinking of the original 'THE GLASS KEY' from 1935, which was directed by Tuttle, but starred George Raft and Claire Dodd.
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Oh dear! Thank you.
shareThe 1942 The Glass Key is certainly worthy and entertaining, but I did think it had problems, and was not quite up to This Gun for Hire or The Blue Dahlia,
*SPOILER--The climax and reveal made no sense to me. A strapping, about 6' and 170 lbs. or so young man has been killed in the street and the DA bursts into a Senator's house to accuse the dead man's 4' 11" and 90 lb. sister of having beaten him to death, apparently with her bare hands. All this on Ed Beaumont's say-so?
The climax of the 1935 film was much better and more plausible.
By the way, the sophisticated killer just confesses rather than calling a lawyer when the DA barges in.
The 1935 film departed from the novel in significant ways, but to me it worked better. Raft and Arnold really seemed like human beings rather than types in a tough crime novel. Despite his potentially sexy image, Raft is shown being so reticent that he has a crush on Opal but has never expressed himself. I found that human and appealing.
In contrast, every woman in the 1942 movie more or less falls for Ladd the moment he walks into the room. The part with the publisher's wife was to me both improbable and distasteful. Also the nurse in the 1935 film is just doing her job and jokes with Raft for being a troublesome patient about taking his sour tasting medicine. The 1942 nurse of course has a crush on Ladd.
So a good movie, but I recommend folks seek out the 1935 version.
**And I liked Guinn Williams as Jeff over William Bendix. More restrained.
Because of your previous comment, I tracked down and watched the 1935 version. All I can say is that I completely agree with you on this. The 1935 version contained none of the features that I found so annoying about the 1942 version. No silly femme-fatale stuff (or silly hats), no prolonged UST close-ups (so long, that I could virtually go and make a cup of tea and be back before Lake and Ladd stopped perving at each other), a more believable plot and more interesting - even sympathetic - villains.
And the Paul Madvig character played by Edward Arnold was much more credible and 3-dimensional - an intelligent man, with some dumb blind spots; not the innately dumb buffoon of the Donlevy character. Also, the friendship between him and Beaumont was a joy to behold (whereas I found the Ladd-Donlevy friendship truly irritating - especially Ladd's supercilious attitude). These two men were true friends - fully understanding of each other's strengths and forgiving of each other's weaknesses. Nothing like the macho friendships often portrayed by Hollywood films.
As for George Raft ... OMFG! I was only vaguely aware of his work from some of his supporting roles during his later career (e.g. Some Like It Hot). I hadn't seen any of his early leading-man roles until now. In every scene - however minor, his performance was riveting. During the prolonged torture-beating scene (and normally, I can't stand these sort of scenes), he never said a word, but portrayed his horrifying predicament entirely through his body language and facial expressions. He was just SO good. And, goodness gracious me, no oil painting, but oh what a sexy man.
The romantic relationship was also a very pleasant surprise ... as I was expecting the same overblown, 2-dimensional relationship of the 1942 version. This was much more subtle and slow to unfold - by the time it became a relationship, you could really understand why these two people were meant for each other.
If you haven't realised by now ... I rather enjoyed the 1935 version. And Frank Tuttle still remains one of my favourite directors
If you think Raft was good in the 1935 version of The Glass Key, you should watch him in The House Across the Bay. (1940) He plays a crook who marries Joan Bennett and is crazy in love with her. She's loyal to him after his 'buddy' gets him sent to Alcatraz. Raft's part isn't large, but it makes a huge impact.
I haven't seen the 1935 version of The Glass Key, but I'll try to find it.
Im not sure how its "overrated", its not very highly rated at all. Its rarely mentioned and Im not sure Ive ever heard it praised. Its underrated if anything. There are many fantastic scenes in the movie. The dialogue is straight pulp-fiction, I loved it. The scene where he escapes from the thugs is totally spectacular, I cant believe people dont talk about it all the time. Yes, things got a little sloppy at the end. I think that keeps it from being truly great in any way but I think its defintely a notable and super entertaining film noir. I enjoyed it way more than Blue Dahlia. I am interested in checking out the earlier version now though.
shareNever a fan of the term 'overrated' - I don't believe there is any such thing, only individual opinions.
That it 'falls well short of expectations'... perhaps you expected too much? Best way would be to see films with no expectations at all, but hey, easier said than done.
That said, I haven't seen The Glass Key. I wanted to read the book first, but I found the style impenetrable.
Never defend crap with 'It's just a movie'
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It's not perfect but I certainly enjoyed it
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