The Glass Key

Based on a novel by Dashiell Hammett, The Glass Key centres on Paul Madvig, a corrupt politician running for re-election. Seeking to leave his criminal ties behind and improve his public standing, he throws his support behind a respected reformer, Ralph Henry. The gangster Nick Varna, whom Madvig has dropped, does not accept the break quietly, and when Henry's son is found murdered, suspicion falls on Madvig himself. His loyal associate Ed Beaumont stands by him as the murder case and the gangster's maneuvers close in.

Stuart Heisler directed this 1942 Paramount production, the first entry in the chronological list of his features. Jonathan Latimer wrote the screenplay, and the cast includes Brian Donlevy as Madvig, Alan Ladd as Beaumont, Veronica Lake as Janet Henry, Bonita Granville as Madvig's sister, Richard Denning as Taylor Henry and Joseph Calleia as Varna, among sixty-two credited performers. The film runs 85 minutes.

On IMDb, The Glass Key holds a rating of 7 out of 10 from roughly 7,900 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.7 out of 10 from a much smaller base of 135 votes. A critics' rating of 6.9 out of 10 drawn from eight reviews places it close to the audience assessment, suggesting a broadly consistent reception rather than a sharp divide between reviewers and viewers.