Year: 1942
Director: Stuart Heisler
Country: US
Language: English
Many film buffs do not know that Akira Kurosawa borrowed plot elements from The Glass Key for his 1961 action flick Yojimbo. That film inspired Sergio Leone for his 1964 spaghetti western A Fistful of Dollars, which then inspired George Lucas for his 1977 science fiction blockbuster Star Wars and so on. Essentially without this picture you might not have many of your favorite films & Hollywood might be drastically different.
In this film, a crooked politician (Brian Donlevy) finds himself being accused of murder by a gangster from whom he refused help during a re-election campaign.
The Glass Key is a pre-noir picture that was allowed to stay fairly faithful to its seedy source material despite being under the strict Motion Picture Production Code. The film was the second pairing of Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, who made quite an impression in This Gun For Fire. Neither were necessarily great actors, but they made a great duo who could improve the right (noir) kind of film. Their chemistry here is undeniable.
This adaptation is toned down significantly from the original source material, yet still manages to be gritty. The director had some pretty great challenges in getting some material onscreen and I'm surprised some scenes (particularly a scene which involves a pretty nasty fight) got approved. Considered at the time as a B-movie, the incredible black and white photography and a cold, dark and brutal atmosphere prove that if it wasn't given a lavish budget, it was still made with great detail.
The Glass Key is a great under-appreciated crime drama from Classic Hollywood. While it doesn't have the ideal noir ending, overall it's a satisfying picture that boasts a superior performance by Veronica Lake.
No comments:
Post a Comment