Murder, My Sweet is a Philip Marlowe detective thriller starring Dick Powell. Powell was a controversial choice at the time because he was known as a musical/light comic actor. I have no idea what else he was in. So seeing Powell as Raymond Chandler's most famous private dick suits me just fine. The only thing that may not jive for some noir fans is his light, confidant manner. Some may want Bogie (or one of the many square-jawed actors who played him since) doing his down-in-the-dumps lovable loser character. I admit that's what I was expecting. However, about ten minutes in, Powell makes the part his own. In fact, he fits the Chandler books more than Bogart ever did.
The story is told in flashback and is confusing as the day is long. (Hell, I'm still trying to figure out The Big Sleep!) It's a noir world of double crosses and beautiful dames. The dialog and plot is pure Chandler. The end isn't the movies payoff; it's the wild ride to get there. The drug induced dream sequence is fantastic, rivaling only Salvador Dali's dream scene in Spellbound.
There are so many good lines in this film.
here's just a sample from the witty screenplay:
MARLOWE: It was a nice little front yard. Cozy, okay for the average family. Only you'd need a compass to go to the mailbox. The house was alright, too, but it wasn't as big as Buckingham Palace.
Or:
MARLOWE: She was a charming middle-aged lady with a face like a bucket of mud. I gave her a drink. She was a gal who'd take a drink, if she had to knock you down to get the bottle.
Cinematographer Harry J. Wild, who did The Magnificent Ambersons two years before, is no slouch. His work on this movie is top notch. Apparently many of the RKO crew also worked on Citizen Kane and it's no surprise the movie is a black and white visual treasure. The lights and shadows are usually coming from the side - threatening to eat up the cast. The sets are top notch too. This does not look like most noir B movies using darkness to hide poor sets and backgrounds.
The story is told in flashback and is confusing as the day is long. (Hell, I'm still trying to figure out The Big Sleep!) It's a noir world of double crosses and beautiful dames. The dialog and plot is pure Chandler. The end isn't the movies payoff; it's the wild ride to get there. The drug induced dream sequence is fantastic, rivaling only Salvador Dali's dream scene in Spellbound.
There are so many good lines in this film.
here's just a sample from the witty screenplay:
MARLOWE: It was a nice little front yard. Cozy, okay for the average family. Only you'd need a compass to go to the mailbox. The house was alright, too, but it wasn't as big as Buckingham Palace.
Or:
MARLOWE: She was a charming middle-aged lady with a face like a bucket of mud. I gave her a drink. She was a gal who'd take a drink, if she had to knock you down to get the bottle.
Cinematographer Harry J. Wild, who did The Magnificent Ambersons two years before, is no slouch. His work on this movie is top notch. Apparently many of the RKO crew also worked on Citizen Kane and it's no surprise the movie is a black and white visual treasure. The lights and shadows are usually coming from the side - threatening to eat up the cast. The sets are top notch too. This does not look like most noir B movies using darkness to hide poor sets and backgrounds.