The Glass Key (1942) on Netflix
Passed19421h 25mCrimeDramaFilm-Noir
Paul Madvig, a political boss, backs Ralph Henry for governor and turns down gangster Nick Varna's help. Ed Beaumont, Paul's right-hand man, distrusts Janet Henry and her father.
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- Netflix4.0/5
- IMDb7.0/107,960 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes88%
Trailer
Plot summary
Paul Madvig, a political boss, falls for Janet Henry and decides to help her father, the reform candidate Ralph Henry, get elected. Ed Beaumont, Paul's right-hand man, is suspicious of Janet and Ralph, thinking they are using Paul until the election is over. Janet agrees to marry Paul but finds his manners rough, and she is drawn instead to the smoother Ed, who keeps his distance out of loyalty to Paul. Paul says Ralph has handed him the key to his house, and Ed answers that such a key could be glass and snap. When Paul tells the gangster Nick Varna that the city is being cleaned up and Varna will no longer have police protection, Ed grows more worried. Ralph's son Taylor owes Varna gambling money, and Paul's sister Opal loves Taylor, whom Paul has told her to avoid.
Cast
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Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Glass Key (1942)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Alan Ladd played the lead in The Glass Key but was billed third, behind Brian Donlevy and Veronica Lake, because his career as a leading man had only just begun.
- Paulette Goddard was originally cast as the female lead in The Glass Key but dropped out due to another commitment; Patricia Morison replaced her, and then Veronica Lake replaced Morison after Paramount saw Lake and Ladd together in This Gun for Hire.
- Veronica Lake was set to make I Married a Witch, but that film was postponed when Joel McCrea turned down the lead role, freeing her for The Glass Key; the picture was eventually filmed with Fredric March and Lake.
