Joaquim da Silva Fontes, Significação e Estabilidade do Género no ...

institutions and their corrupting influence that mark The Glass Key out as a noir film. The
savage and unrelenting beating handed out to Beaumont is uncomfortable to watch (fig. 3).
Ed’s behaviour is highly ambivalent, suggesting a latent homosexuality, or at very least a
masochistic attachment, which is also emphasised in his relationship with Jeff, who enjoys
beating him nearly to death.
Figure 3. The Glass Key
In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories have had on film in
general, and film noir in particular, Dashiell Hammett is still regarded today as being the
founding father of the hard-boiled school and one of the greatest American crime writers of
his time. His success was applauded both in America and in France. In fact, Nino Frank
opened his review of the film in L’ Écran Français (August 7, 1946) in this way: “I will
not insult my reader by telling him who Dashiell Hammett is: a private detective become
writer. The few books (novels or stories) that he had published before Hollywood made
use of his services were enough to establish his mastery” (in Luhr 1995:130).
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