Der gläserne Schlüssel

The 1935 film adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's labyrinthian yarn The Glass Key has been overshadowed by the 1942 remake yet survives as the better, though more obscure, version. Helmed by director Frank Tuttle and populated by a stellar cast headlined by George Raft this version simplifies the book's intricate plot into a streamlined 77 minutes. It exists as a very early example of film noir with its complex narrative, tenacious hero, seedy backdrop, and effective use of darkness and shadows.

The story is set in some unnamed small city. Crooked political boss Paul Madvig (Edward Arnold) is backing honest reformer candidate for Senate John Henry (Charles Richman) in the hopes of winning the hand of his attractive daughter Janet (Claire Dodd). Madvig's lieutenant Ed Beaumont (George Raft) correctly believes Janet is only playing up to him so her father can use Madvig's influence to get re-elected. Complications ensue when Senator Henry's wastrel son Taylor (Ray Milland) clashes with Madvig over Taylor's romantic involvement with the older man's daughter Opal (Rosalind Culli). Taylor is also swimming in gambling debts owed to Madvig's nemesis Shad O'Rory (Robert Gleckler) who is desperate to burn Madvig and take over the town. Things come to a head when Taylor is found murdered in the street and suspicion falls on Madvig. It is up to Beaumont to figure out who committed the crime and keep his boss out of prison.

Dashiell Hammett's complex source novel is expertly pared down by screenwriters Kathryn Scola and Kubec Glasmon into a mildly confusing film. The narrative retains much of Hammett's flavor and lifts many biting lines of dialogue verbatim from the author. The solution to the mystery is simple but we are directed down many side roads and encounter a rich collection of colorful characters. Ed Beaumont is the vehicle that transports us through the convoluted plot and is the quintessential Hammett hero: clever, tough, and not entirely legit yet admirably incorruptible to his own ideals. Director Frank Tuttle orchestrates all of this masterfully as he alternates between barraging his audience with information and letting the film breathe to establish that unmistakable film noir milieu. Two of the standout scenes involve Raft, Robert Gleckler (Shad) and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams (Jeff): Beaumont's brutal beating at their hands in a seedy boarding house and Beaumont's subtle interrogation of Jeff in a sleazy bar side room that goes south when Shad shows up.

Delivering one of his best performances is the impossibly cool George Raft as Beaumont who is completely in his element. Few actors could convincingly portray underworld figures onscreen as Raft who lends a genuine air of authenticity to the character. Beaumont is a role conveying the actor's ideal persona: tough, faithful to his friends, disdainful of "dirty heavies", and good to his mother (although it is Madvig's mom this time). Tuttle draws a finely nuanced performance from Raft as he is most effective relaying emotions via his eyes and with minimal dialogue as he lets his opponents hang themselves. Beaumont is clearly the brains behind Madvig and this street smart intuition is exuded by Raft with remarkable clarity. A stellar job by a frequently maligned star.

The supporting cast is formidable and peppered with familiar faces for those familiar with Warner Brothers films from the era; in fact several would cross paths with Raft down the road in Burbank. Edward Arnold is solid as the crooked politician wanting to go straight to win the hand of a lady. In reality Paul Madvig is something of a pathetic, dopey character but Arnold is a good enough actor to make one overlook that. Claire Dodd is appropriately underhanded as the duplicitous Janet Henry while Rosalind Culli isn't given much to work with as the naive Opal. A young Ray Milland is likewise underused as the weakling Taylor Henry while Tammany Young provides the yucks as Madvig's bumbling errand boy Clarkie who continually fumbles his card tricks yet provides an invaluable service by the end. The aforementioned Warners flavor is provided by several other members of the cast. Robert Gleckler is most conniving as Shad O'Rory while Guinn "Big Boy" Williams expertly enacts his brutish henchman Jeff. Williams is particularly frightening as he merges his usual dumbbell pretense with a physically imposing and psychotic thug who is impossible to control when his dander is up. In small roles Charles C. Wilson shows up as the DA Farr, Frank McHugh's brother Matt appears as a henchman, and Ann Sheridan materializes in a cameo as Raft's nurse (Wilson and more famously Miss Sheridan would costar with Raft in They Drive By Night 5 years later). Rounding out the cast of familiar faces is George Raft's lifelong pal Mack Gray as Duke and, for fans of Universal horror, Michael Mark in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it walkthrough as a member of Madvig's crew.

The 1942 version of The Glass Key starring Brian Donlevy (Madvig), Veronica Lake (Janet Henry), and Alan Ladd (Beaumont) suffers in comparison with this one. The main areas where it falters are the Jerry-rigged script that clumsily allows for a Ladd-Lake romance and Ladd himself who pales in comparison to George Raft in enacting the underworld character of Ed Beaumont. Of course, fans of that version will dispute my assertions but I stand firm on those grounds. The 1935 film is a tough, gritty, and fascinating film conveying the essence of Hammett while providing an impressive early template for the future film noir genre. The phenomenal cast featuring several future star actors (Edward Arnold, Ray Milland, and Ann Sheridan) in early roles makes this a must-see for classic film fans while Mr. George Raft demonstrates the appeal that made him a huge box office draw for Paramount in the 1930s.

Original of the more famous remake starring Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, and Brian Donlevy in 1942. This 1935 film stars George Raft, Edward Arnold, Joseph Calleia, and William Bendix.

This "Glass Key" is the same Dashiell Hammett story, and much of the script was kept for the 1942 version, plus in the remake, there were scenes added.

The glass key refers to a key that breaks in a lock - Raft as Ed here is warning his boss (Edward Arnold) to watch out for people out to get him. Arnold is Paul Madvig, who controls a political machine and falls in love with the daughter (Claire Dodd) of a wealthy man, Ralph Henry, trying to get the benefit of Madvig's political influence. When Henry's no-good son Taylor (Ray Milland) is killed, Madvig falls under suspicion. Raft works to prove his innocence.

This Glass Key has none of the bite of the 1942 version except when it comes to the violence. You practically cry out in pain when Ed is beaten to a pulp. When Ed gets away, it's by throwing himself out a window - a stunning and exciting scene in both films.

Frankly, I liked the performances in the remake better, particularly Brian Donlevy as Madvig. Interestingly, in this version, there is a 'Ma' Medvig, Donlevy's mother. Raft always had a wonderful warmth when working with mother figures. Ladd's Ed was too busy making time with every female he met. In fact, in the remake, the newspaper publisher's wife is added as someone who makes a pass at Ladd.

Taylor is an early role for Ray Milland.

The ending is different in the original as well - neither ending follows the book which leaves the situation ambiguous.

All in all, both have good points and performances.

Stark cinematography, crisp story-telling and quirky humor make this a ground-breaking film, showing later film noir creators the basics.

The classic Dashiell Hammitt story gets a unique treatment. The still, anticipatory mood punctuated with abrupt, staccato dialogue is an inspired match for George Raft, playing perfectly to his strengths. Like Raft the film is stylish, watchful and reticent. He doesn't have to fake a thing. Edward Arnold is at his best as Paul Madvig in the center of the drama.

As for plot, the ne're-do-well son of a senator is found dead in the gutter, and all the "evidence" points to his girlfriend's father, Madvig, a political boss in town. Arch-enemy Shad O'Rory (Robert Gleckler) pulls out all the stops to bring him down while Madvig's right-hand man Ed Beaumont (Raft) goes through hell to prove his innocence.

In one torturous sequence, Raft never speaks a word while being abused (not to mention mocked), and that silence is visually compelling. There is a delicious use of stark shadows throughout. Instead of a bombastic soundtrack we get subtle use of organic sound. A key scene of violence is underscored marvelously by a swinging light fixture and a solo rendering of "Walkin' the Floor" echoing up the stairs.

Pig-eyed Guinn Williams is somehow both comic and brutal as Shad's hired thug. Charles Richman is everything a senator should be. Claire Dodd is the passionate sister of the murder victim, and Rosalind Culli makes a watery Miss Madvig.

It is entertaining to see a very young Ray Milland in the brief role as the murder victim. And then there's Ann Sheridan, memorable in only one scene as one tough nurse.

This does not have elements that became stereotypical in the more fully developed film noir - such as the femme fatale and overt lustiness, which were in the popular Alan Ladd remake of this story. This version does hedge on some violent elements and is a little too simplistic in others, leaving some plot points unclear at first. But the its consistent sense of its own style and sense of reality with the more believable cast let this first version stand on its own.

When the new Production Code came out in July, 1934, Hollywood was forced to clean up its act. Up until this time, although there was the Hays Office, the studios routinely ignored this censors board and films were occasionally shocking...even by today's standards. Nudity, extreme violence, cursing and all sorts of sexual behaviors of all types were in a lot of films...and the Production Code of 1934 was a reaction to all this family-unfriendly material. Sadly, the Code often went too far...and many of the great gangster films of the early 30s were no longer allowed to be shown in theaters without significant cuts. I mention all this because although the Code was in full force, "The Glass Key" managed to have a lot of content which seemed Pre-Code! No, there was no nudity or cursing...but wow, is this a brutal and violent movie. Now I am not complaining...I actually think it helped the story...and managed to be grittier than the more famous 1942 remake with Alan Ladd.

Paul Madvig (Edward Arnold) is a Boss Tweed sort of guy...a powerful man who pulls the strings of various politicians and to get elected, a politician would have to be someone Madvig liked. However, a political enemy is determined to destroy Madvig. The only hope Madvig has is his assistant, Ed Beaumont (George Raft)...and Beaumont is determined to help Madvig even if it means nearly getting beaten to death to do it.

When Beaumont is captured and held prisoner, he's beaten pretty vividly by a lunking sadist (Guinn Williams)...so much so that I am shocked the film was released without significant cuts to these scenes. Additionally, Beaumont later decks a woman. They cut away at the very last second so you don't see it connect, but clearly he knocked a woman out...and again, I am shocked this remained in the film and wasn't cut. But all this add to the grittiness of the film...a film which is very much an example of film noir even though supposedly this genre wasn't created until the 1940s! Well worth seeing and a bit better than it's remake.

In the unlikely event that the term "film noir" means anything, it must be the meeting of the US detective film and the sinister Germanic look.

The process can be seen well and truly evident in this rarely seen version of the Hammet story. This one has the down beat view of human nature, sinister nocturnal scenes, notably Raft's discovery of Ray Milland's body and the grim shadowed world of thug Williams in his best rôle.

Neglected in favour of the Alan Ladd version which borrows from it - disposing of the stroppy brother with a kick on the shins, the dog attack - this one plays better because it's easier to believe Arnold is running a city and for director Tuttle's use of comedy actors like Irving Bacon, in serious material. Raft as Ned Beaumont, the minder, fits right in here.

Notice the significant difference is the presence of the mother character in the space that the fiancée takes in the later film. The spectacular auto stunt opening gets things moving rapidly too. This one doesn't work up the intensity of the best of the forties thrillers - no erotic smolder and feelings of growing doom but it's still a good viewing that stands with the best crime films of its day.