The Glass Key

There are those who will argue that "Shane" is the crowning achievement of Alan Ladd's career but I beg to differ. Although "Shane" is a better film by far, I find Ladd's performance (or imitation of a performance) here about the best that he would ever give. He certainly was no actor but he had a certain detached manner that was appealing and served him well in this film. Ladd and Veronica Lake (who wasn't much of an actor either) were the coldest couple in film history and it was an inspired bit of casting. That was evident after their first pairing in "This Gun For Hire".

The story by Dashiel Hammett is a convoluted tale of dirty politics and nasty characters. Everybody is in it to win but few end up on the winning side. William Bendix is a psychotic bully who beats the stuffing out of Ladd, Brian Donlevey is the mug with his eye on the political prize and the wonderful Joseph Calleia is the oily crime boss. The aforementioned beating of Ladd by Bendix is extremely brutal and the enjoyment that Bendix exhibits while pummeling Ladd half to death makes it even harder to watch.

The film may not be the best noir in the oeuvre, maybe not even close but there is something about the performances of the major players (not to mention Veronica Lake's clothes and strange head wear) that makes it one for your "must see" list.