Dashiell Hammett, author of “The Glass Key,” might be considered the father of modern crime fiction. However, few of his novels (with the exception of “The Thin Man” series) have made it into film. Compare that to Raymond Chandler, to whom Hammett often has been compared, and whose many novels were adapted to the silver screen. Chandler also became a renowned screenwriter whereas Hammett had few connections to Hollywood, having lived in Baltimore, San Francisco and finally Pleasantville, NY, with his paramour Lillian Hellman (although he wrote the screenplay for her story “Watch On the Rhine,” nominated for Best Picture in 1943). In the end, Hammett wrote five novels but more than 80 short stories. In his personal life, he was embroiled in left-wing politics and spent time in a federal penitentiary for failing to name names during the communist witch hunts of the late 1940s and ‘50s.
The 1942 Alan Ladd/ Veronica Lake version of “The Glass Key” (an earlier version starring George Raft was made in 1935) followed on the heels of John Huston’s “The Maltese Falcon” starring Humphrey Bogart (in a third remake). Although “The Glass Key” novel was written as a hardboiled crime saga, this adaptation displays a film noir pedigree and its influence is reflected in many future noir works and most immediately in Howard Hawks’ adaptation of Chandler’s “The Big Sleep” (made two years later but not released until 1946). The chemistry and relationship between Bogart and Bacall mirrors that of Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake in “The Big Sleep.”
The similarities between those two movies are notable, but what may be more compelling is a comparison between “The Glass Key” and the Coen Brothers’ more recent “Miller’s Crossing,” a movie that combines elements of both “The Glass Key” and Hammett’s “Red Harvest.” I watched both movies side by side recently in 20-minute increments and enjoyed the parallels and differences. Many of the Coens’ scenes and many bits of dialogue are taken right out of the 1942 movie. And whereas “The Glass Key” was stripped of many complications found in both novels, “Miller’s Crossing” happily adds them back. As an example, the characters in “The Glass Key” are emotionless and self-assured to a fault, whereas the other movie shows us the doubt and emotional wrangling behind the tough talk. It is the convolutions of relationships and events that make Hammett’s story so enjoyable and intriguing.
All in all, “The Glass Key” settles into film history as a transitional piece between the more straightforward, hardboiled crime sagas of the 1930s and the more cynical, ambiguous and existential loner sagas of the later 1940s and ‘50s noir ouvre. The director imbues his scenes with hefty doses of expressionistic light and shadow, foreshadowing later noir film techniques. Also, for a movie of its era, it isn’t afraid to show us a heightened level of realistic violence. As a further twist to tradition, every character in this movie is ultimately a crook or con artist to some degree or another, again not typical of movies from this era that give us clear division between good guys and bad guys. The plot also gives us a backdrop of political corruption, which is fairly unique among plot devices of that era. And its focus on themes of loyalty, betrayal and code of conduct (honor among thieves) provides a unique perspective as compared to earlier crime dramas.
Among the elements that I particularly enjoyed is the exquisite tailoring displayed by the characters. They don’t make clothes like they used to. I also particularly appreciate William Bendix’s portrayal of the psychopath Jeff. For me, he foreshadows recent characters such as Anton Chigurh from another Coen Brothers movie, “No Country for Old Men,” and is perhaps the most riveting character in the movie.
All in all, this movie resonates in many ways and is a worthy representation of Hammett’s work as well as a significant stepping stone within the crime genre.
“The Glass Key” (85 minutes) will screen Tuesday, Nov. 18, at Woodmere, 9201 Germantown Ave., Chestnut Hill, as part of the Chestnut Hill Film Group’s Tuesday Night at the Movies series. Light refreshments will be served prior to the screening. Admission is free but donations at the door are greatly appreciated. For more information, call 215-247-0476, visit woodmereartmuseum.org, or see the Chestnut Hill Film Group on social media.
