A crooked politician finds himself being accused of murder by a gangster from whom he refused help during a re-election campaign.

The Glass Key poster

The Glass Key (1942)

The Tougher They Are—The Harder They Fall

★ 6.7/10 September 8, 1942 85 min

CrimeMysteryThriller

Director: Stuart Heisler  ·  Writer: Jonathan Latimer

A crooked politician finds himself being accused of murder by a gangster from whom he refused help during a re-election campaign.

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Trailer

Director

Stuart Heisler Stuart Heisler

Cast

Brian Donlevy Brian Donlevy Paul Madvig Veronica Lake Veronica Lake Janet Henry Alan Ladd Alan Ladd Ed Beaumont Bonita Granville Bonita Granville Opal 'Snip' Madvig Richard Denning Richard Denning Taylor Henry Joseph Calleia Joseph Calleia Nick Varna William Bendix William Bendix Jeff Frances Gifford Frances Gifford Nurse Donald MacBride Donald MacBride Farr Margaret Hayes Margaret Hayes Eloise Matthews Moroni Olsen Moroni Olsen Ralph Henry Eddie Marr Eddie Marr Rusty

User Reviews (1)

John Chard
John Chard July 1, 2019
★ 7/10

Hey, Rusty, Little Rubber Ball is back. I told you he liked the way we bounced him around. The Glass Key is directed by Stuart Heisler and adapted by Jonathan Latimer from a story written by Dashiell Hammett. It stars Brian Donlevy, Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, Joseph Calleia, William Bendix & Bonita Granville. It's re-election time and tough guy politician Paul Madvig (Donlevy) falls for reform candidate Ralph Henry's (Moroni Olsen) daughter, Janet (Lake). Subsequently he throws his weighty support behind Ralph Henry's campaign and irks the underworld gangsters, notably Nick Varna (Calleia). When Ralph's son, Taylor Henry (Richard Denning), is murdered, it opens up a world of corruption, violence, romantic passions and shifty shenanigans. A world that puts Madvig's right hand man, Ed Beaumont (Ladd) firmly in the middle. Hammett's tale had already been filmed in 1935 with Frank Tu…