In the second of seven screen pairings together, Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake have great chemistry together in The Glass Key. They have to admire each other from afar, since Alan's best friend Brian Donlevy has his eye on Veronica. Poor Brian! This is the type of role most people associate him with (bad guy gangster the girl doesn't want), instead of his dramatic meaty roles. He's very handsome and has a great screen presence, so I don't know why he was put in those parts.
And while no one ever accused Alan Ladd or Veronica Lake of being good actors, there's very little the supporting cast can do to make up for it. This is a one-dimensional film noir. The thugs, William Bendix and Joseph Calleia, are just that. Bonita Granville just runs around crying about her dead boyfriend. Richard Denning isn't on the screen long enough to do anything. If you like Lake and Ladd pairings, this is a classic. I'm not really, but I was entertained by the slugfests, and at Ladd's face makeup after a particularly bad beating.
And while no one ever accused Alan Ladd or Veronica Lake of being good actors, there's very little the supporting cast can do to make up for it. This is a one-dimensional film noir. The thugs, William Bendix and Joseph Calleia, are just that. Bonita Granville just runs around crying about her dead boyfriend. Richard Denning isn't on the screen long enough to do anything. If you like Lake and Ladd pairings, this is a classic. I'm not really, but I was entertained by the slugfests, and at Ladd's face makeup after a particularly bad beating.