The 1935 film adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's labyrinthian yarn The Glass Key has been overshadowed by the 1942 remake yet survives as the better, though more obscure, version. Helmed by director Frank Tuttle and populated by a stellar cast headlined by George Raft this version simplifies the book's intricate plot into a streamlined 77 minutes. It exists as a very early example of film noir with its complex narrative, tenacious hero, seedy backdrop, and effective use of darkness and shadows.
The story is set in some unnamed small city. Crooked political boss Paul Madvig (Edward Arnold) is backing honest reformer candidate for Senate John Henry (Charles Richman) in the hopes of winning the hand of his attractive daughter Janet (Claire Dodd). Madvig's lieutenant Ed Beaumont (George Raft) correctly believes Janet is only playing up to him so her father can use Madvig's influence to get re-elected. Complications ensue when Senator Henry's wastrel son Taylor (Ray Milland) clashes with Madvig over Taylor's romantic involvement with the older man's daughter Opal (Rosalind Culli). Taylor is also swimming in gambling debts owed to Madvig's nemesis Shad O'Rory (Robert Gleckler) who is desperate to burn Madvig and take over the town. Things come to a head when Taylor is found murdered in the street and suspicion falls on Madvig. It is up to Beaumont to figure out who committed the crime and keep his boss out of prison.
Dashiell Hammett's complex source novel is expertly pared down by screenwriters Kathryn Scola and Kubec Glasmon into a mildly confusing film. The narrative retains much of Hammett's flavor and lifts many biting lines of dialogue verbatim from the author. The solution to the mystery is simple but we are directed down many side roads and encounter a rich collection of colorful characters. Ed Beaumont is the vehicle that transports us through the convoluted plot and is the quintessential Hammett hero: clever, tough, and not entirely legit yet admirably incorruptible to his own ideals. Director Frank Tuttle orchestrates all of this masterfully as he alternates between barraging his audience with information and letting the film breathe to establish that unmistakable film noir milieu. Two of the standout scenes involve Raft, Robert Gleckler (Shad) and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams (Jeff): Beaumont's brutal beating at their hands in a seedy boarding house and Beaumont's subtle interrogation of Jeff in a sleazy bar side room that goes south when Shad shows up.
Delivering one of his best performances is the impossibly cool George Raft as Beaumont who is completely in his element. Few actors could convincingly portray underworld figures onscreen as Raft who lends a genuine air of authenticity to the character. Beaumont is a role conveying the actor's ideal persona: tough, faithful to his friends, disdainful of "dirty heavies", and good to his mother (although it is Madvig's mom this time). Tuttle draws a finely nuanced performance from Raft as he is most effective relaying emotions via his eyes and with minimal dialogue as he lets his opponents hang themselves. Beaumont is clearly the brains behind Madvig and this street smart intuition is exuded by Raft with remarkable clarity. A stellar job by a frequently maligned star.
The supporting cast is formidable and peppered with familiar faces for those familiar with Warner Brothers films from the era; in fact several would cross paths with Raft down the road in Burbank. Edward Arnold is solid as the crooked politician wanting to go straight to win the hand of a lady. In reality Paul Madvig is something of a pathetic, dopey character but Arnold is a good enough actor to make one overlook that. Claire Dodd is appropriately underhanded as the duplicitous Janet Henry while Rosalind Culli isn't given much to work with as the naive Opal. A young Ray Milland is likewise underused as the weakling Taylor Henry while Tammany Young provides the yucks as Madvig's bumbling errand boy Clarkie who continually fumbles his card tricks yet provides an invaluable service by the end. The aforementioned Warners flavor is provided by several other members of the cast. Robert Gleckler is most conniving as Shad O'Rory while Guinn "Big Boy" Williams expertly enacts his brutish henchman Jeff. Williams is particularly frightening as he merges his usual dumbbell pretense with a physically imposing and psychotic thug who is impossible to control when his dander is up. In small roles Charles C. Wilson shows up as the DA Farr, Frank McHugh's brother Matt appears as a henchman, and Ann Sheridan materializes in a cameo as Raft's nurse (Wilson and more famously Miss Sheridan would costar with Raft in They Drive By Night 5 years later). Rounding out the cast of familiar faces is George Raft's lifelong pal Mack Gray as Duke and, for fans of Universal horror, Michael Mark in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it walkthrough as a member of Madvig's crew.
The 1942 version of The Glass Key starring Brian Donlevy (Madvig), Veronica Lake (Janet Henry), and Alan Ladd (Beaumont) suffers in comparison with this one. The main areas where it falters are the Jerry-rigged script that clumsily allows for a Ladd-Lake romance and Ladd himself who pales in comparison to George Raft in enacting the underworld character of Ed Beaumont. Of course, fans of that version will dispute my assertions but I stand firm on those grounds. The 1935 film is a tough, gritty, and fascinating film conveying the essence of Hammett while providing an impressive early template for the future film noir genre. The phenomenal cast featuring several future star actors (Edward Arnold, Ray Milland, and Ann Sheridan) in early roles makes this a must-see for classic film fans while Mr. George Raft demonstrates the appeal that made him a huge box office draw for Paramount in the 1930s.
