Rent The Glass Key (1942)

3.5 of 5 from 80 ratings
1h 21min
Rent The Glass Key Online DVD & Blu-ray Rental
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Synopsis:
The Glass Key is based on the popular Dashiell Hammett novel. The Glass Key follows the story of Paul Madvig - a cone-corrupt politician who's decided to give up his past and join forces with Ralph Henry, a respectable candidate in an upcoming election. However, Madvig's crooked history is hard to forget when he finds himself at the centre of a murder plot. In this early collaboration between Donlevy, Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, unforgettable performances and masterful directing by Stuart Heislen make this a truly classic film noir.
Actors:
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Directors:
Producers:
Fred Kohlmar
Writers:
Jonathan Latimer, Dashiell Hammett
Studio:
Universal Pictures
Genres:
Classics, Drama, Thrillers
Collections:
All the Twos: 1902-62, Cinema Paradiso's 2022 Centenary Club, Romantic Film Pairings for Valentine's Day
BBFC:
Release Date:
12/02/2007
Run Time:
81 minutes
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Subtitles:
English Hard of Hearing
DVD Regions:
Region 2
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
Colour:
B & W
BBFC:
Release Date:
19/09/2016
Run Time:
86 minutes
Languages:
English LPCM Mono
Subtitles:
English Hard of Hearing
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen 1.37:1
Colour:
B & W
BLU-RAY Regions:
B
Bonus:
  • Audio commentary by crime fiction and film expert Barry Forshaw
  • New visual essay on the film by Alastair Phillips, co-author of 100Film Noirs
  • Rare 1946 half-hour radio dramatization of 'The Glass Key' by The Screen Guild Theater, starring Alan Ladd, Marjorie Reynolds and Ward Bond
  • Original Theatrical Trailer
  • Image Gallery

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Reviews (2) of The Glass Key

a smack of gangsterism - The Glass Key review by Cato

Spoiler Alert
30/07/2018

Not as good as I expected, in that I was hoping for a little more in the way of acting from Alan Ladd, or perhaps the character he was playing. The part was of a bodyguard to Brian Donleavy, but the reasons for that set up were not really spelt out enough for non political types like me. It all smacked of gangsterism, although I suppose times were rougher then. Anyway, for all the beatings up from the great William Bendix in this his first film, it wasn't a hit for me.

0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.

Good Film Noir - The Glass Key review by LE

Spoiler Alert
24/11/2021

You can see why Kurosawa said it was an influence for Yojimbo. A man playing off two criminal factions against each other - although for a different motivation. There are also very similar plot points to the Japanese film. Can't quite work out what the 'Glass Key' is referring to as a title but I like that sort of ambiguity. Ladd is such a strange leading man, but that strangeness gives the film a distinctive quality. Lots of homoerotic undertones. I'd never heard of Stuart Heisler but he has created a pleasingly strange genre picture here. Worth seeing. Unfortunately the commentary by Barry Forshaw is comically poor. He makes a few factual errors which is bad enough but doesn't even attempt to refer to what's happening on screen at all. After 30 years you'd think people would now know what the purpose of a dvd commentary is and not just use it for a rambling monologue. Commentate on the film we're watching. The production company shouldn't really have let it go out tbh. Fortunately there is a brilliant video essay by Alastair Phillips to make up for it. Very interesting perspective which enhanced my appreciation of the film.

0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.

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