20 Things You Didn't Know About Miller's Crossing
17. The Film Was Loosely Inspired By Dashiell Hammett's The Glass Key
With the exception of a couple of titles (like No Country for Old Men, The Ladykillers and True Grit), the Coens mainly produce original content, with no adaptation in mind. However, like a lot of filmmakers, they did have a key text of inspiration, in the form of Dashiell Hammett’s classic novel, The Glass Key.
The novel centres on a bubbling potential gang war and a man that finds himself stuck in the middle of it. The latter of which then became the blueprint for Gabriel Byrne's lead character, Tom Reagan.
Another quick fact for you - Hammett's other novel, Red Harvest originated the phrase “blood simple”, which influenced the title of the Coens’ debut feature.