The Glass Key (1942 film)
The Glass Key is the second and better known film noir adaptation of the classic suspense novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett, released a mere seven years after the first. It features Brian Donlevy, Veronica Lake, and Alan Ladd, who replaces George Raft from the original 1935 version in the lead.
Crooked political boss Paul Madvig (Brian Donlevy) is determined to back reform candidate Ralph Henry (Moroni Olsen) for governor after falling in love with Henry's daughter, Janet (Veronica Lake). Madvig's right hand man, Ed Beaumont (Alan Ladd), believes the move is a big mistake and rightly distrusts Janet's motives. She is only playing along for her father's sake; she is put off by Madvig's crudity and becomes very attracted to much more sophisticated Beaumont. He fends off her advances out of strong loyalty to his friend. The deluded Madvig boasts that Henry has practically given him the key to his house; Beamont warns him that it is liable to be a glass key, one that can break at any moment.
Cast
- Brian Donlevy as Paul Madvig
- Veronica Lake as Janet Henry
- Alan Ladd as Ed Beaumont
- Richard Denning as Taylor Henry
- Bonita Granville as Opal "Snip" Madvig
- Joseph Calleia as Nick Varna
- William Bendix as Jeff
- Frances Gifford as Nurse
- Donald MacBride as District Attorney Farr
- Margaret Hayes as Eloise Matthews, wife of Clyde Matthews
- Moroni Olsen as Ralph Henry
- Eddie Marr as Rusty, another Varna henchman
- Arthur Loft as Clyde Matthews, a newspaper owner under Varna's control
- George Meader as Claude Tuttle
I Wake Up Screaming (1941) is a black-and-white suspense film starring Betty Grable, Victor Mature, and Carole Landis. The film is an early example of the film noir style. It is based on the novel with the same title by Steve Fisher, with a screenplay by Fisher and Dwight Taylor. It was one of the few times Betty Grable had a straight dramatic role in a picture.
A young promoter, Frankie Christopher (Mature), is accused of the murder of Vicky Lynn (Landis), a young actress he "discovered" as a waitress while out with ex-actor Robin Ray and gossip columnist Larry Evans.
Frankie hides out with Vicky's sister Jill (Grable), with whom he is falling in love, but is eventually captured and interrogated by the cops. An obsessive police officer, Cornell, knows that Frankie is innocent but because the evidence is completely incriminating, he tries to put the suspect behind bars anyway. Frankie escapes and eventually finds the murderer's true identity.
Cast
- Victor Mature as Frankie
- Betty Grable as Jill
- Carole Landis as Vicky
- Laird Cregar as Ed Cornell
- Alan Mowbray as Robin Ray
- Allyn Joslyn as Larry Evans
- Elisha Cook, Jr. as Harry Williams
Summary:
In the 1940s thriller films were getting better but had not much improved since the 1930s and was still being filmed in black and white.
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