Lady in the Lake (film) Review

Lady in the Lake  

Director/Studio/Author: Robert Montgomery/Warner Brothers/Steve Fisher

Original release date: 1946

Format, Genre and length: DVD/Film Noir/103 minutes

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: NR

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★

Private detective Phillip Marlowe (Robert Montgomery) decides to try his hand at writing, in order to supplement the living he ekes out as a shamus, so he pens a story he calls If I Should Die Before I Live. He submits it to a publisher, Kingsby Publishing, and receives a letter from an A. Fromsett, requesting his presence. When he duly presents himself, he discovers that A stands for Adrienne (Audrey Totter) and the lady has something else on her mind besides his story.

Synopsis:

It sees that Ms. Fromsett is more interested in Marlowe’s detective skills than in his ability to wield the literary pen. It seems that her boss, Derace Kingsley (Leon Ames) has a wife that has been missing for a month. A telegram received from El Paso claims that she’s run off to get a Mexican divorce and intends to marry Chris Lavery. Fromsett says she wants to find Chrystal Kingsby for her boss’s sake, but Marlowe quickly figures out she has her own agenda.

She sweetens the pot by adding $300 to the $200 she was going to pay for his story, the additional monies to cover his fees for his services. Kingsby learns of her interfering and lets her know in no uncertain terms that his wife is free to do as she wishes, and that he has no romantic interest in Fromsett.

Taking the case, Marlowe goes to Bay City and visits Lavery (Dick Simmons), a southern boy with a smooth way of talking and a way with the ladies. He doesn’t take kindly to Marlowe’s questions and clocks him. Being a stubborn sort of guy, Marlowe continues to follow the trail and ends up on the wrong side of the Bay City police, especially one Detective Degarmot (Lloyd Nolan).

In trying to figure out who’s who and what’s what, Marlowe has to contend with unfriendly police, a dead lady in a lake, a corpse, a landlady, being set up and jailed, and fighting off feelings for Adrienne. Makes him wonder if perhaps writing isn’t a safer career.

Commentary:

First, I have to say if you’ve read the book and enjoyed it, just pretend you haven’t or you might be confused and/or dismayed at the film translation. Yes, the basic facts are there, more or less. But there are some significant, as well as minor changes. I understand the constraints of film, but if I hadn’t read the book, I think I wouldn’t have had a full appreciation for the film. Which isn’t to say you have to read the book to enjoy the movie, but it helps.

Second, the film employs a technique that was new in its day and I don’t believe ever really caught on, although if you watch the film trailer in the extras on the DVD, you’ll see it was touted at the time as quite the breakthrough. The camera shows the film from the perspective of Phillip Marlowe, a subjective view. You and Marlowe together view everything. What he sees, you see. When he gets knocked out, your world goes dark too. I guess in theory it sounded better than it was. Or perhaps the director didn’t utilize the technique very well. Ironically, Robert Montgomery directed as well as starred in this. But it didn’t work for me, and I actually found it annoying, and felt it slowed down the action. I can see why it didn’t catch on.

Montgomery is the third actor I’ve seen portray Marlowe, the first two being Bogart and Dick Powell. I rank him third in my list of who did the best job, with Powell at the top. That doesn’t make him bad, just not great. Besides, he doesn’t spend as much time onscreen, because of the filming technique. Maybe that’s a good thing.

There are minor changes with names and spelling. In the book, there is no Kingsby Publishing Company, and Marlowe deals with Mr. Kingsley, rather than his subordinate, A. Fromsett.  You may remember the actor who plays Kingsby as the father in Meet Me in St. Louis. Jayne Meadows appears as Mildred Haveland; she was married for many years to comedian Steve Allen. Lloyd Nolan plays the prickly Lieutenant Degarmot. He’s done many things over the years. I think of him first as the kindly doctor in the TV series Julia.

On the whole, I enjoyed the film, but I think it could be done better. They really missed the boat in not even going up to the lake where the lady in the title is discovered, and we don’t meet Bill Chess at all. Those could have been interesting scenes, especially the discovery of the body. Plus it’s in the title—Lady in the Lake—but we never see the lake. I think the book could have been adapted better. But, taken as it is, it’s a solid watch, although flawed, and if you enjoy Marlowe and want to experience it all, book and film, then it’s worthwhile watching.

Farewell, My Lovely Review

Farewell, My Lovely  

Author: Raymond Chandler

Publisher: Vintage

American release date: July 12, 1988 (rerelease)

Format/Genre/Length: Novel/Crime/292 pages

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: not rated

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

While working a job that never pans out, PI Philip Marlowe is drawn against his will into a bar called Florian’s by a very huge man. Moose Malloy has just spent eight years doing time, and he’s looking for his girl Velma. Well, it has been eight years, and the bar’s changed hands since then. The new owners and employees know nothing of any Velma, but Moose gets mad and someone gets dead, and Marlowe finds himself in the middle of something he never bargained for.

Synopsis:

Being a good PI, Marlowe calls the police, and the case goes to a fellow named Nulty, who tries to inveigle Marlowe into helping him solve it. Marlowe says he’ll let him know if he thinks of anything, then decides to follow up on the Velma angle. He goes into a hotel near the bar, asking about the previous owner, and learns where the man’s widow still resides. So Marlowe decides to pay her a visit.

Mrs. Florian is a house-bound soul with a fondness for alcohol. It isn’t hard to pry information out of her, armed with a bottle and a willingness to suffer being her drinking companion in order to get her to talk. The widow plays coy, but when she learns Moose is on the loose, she grows pale. Velma is dead, she says, so no use looking for her. Marlowe informs Nulty and goes back to his office.

There he receives a phone call about a job, although the caller is being very vague and mysterious about what he’s to be doing for his money. Money is money, so Marlowe gets the address and agrees to meet the client that night.  His name is Lindsay Marriott and he lives in the better part of time. He wants Marlowe to go with him while he does something, but he isn’t to be seen or do anything. Marlowe doesn’t like that and makes no bones about it, and then he lays down his rules. It seems that Marriott is paying to retrieve some stolen jewelry—very valuable jade, to be exact. It was taken from a lady, and the thieves are holding it for ransom.

Marlowe agrees to the job, for a hundred dollars, and instructions are received, along with directions. However, nothing is simple, and Marlowe gets sapped. By the time he wakes up, there’s a strange girl there by the name of Anne Riordan, and Lindsay Marriott is deceased. Marlowe checks the man’s pockets and finds something interesting—marihuana cigarettes in a cheap case. However, by the time the police arrive, those are no longer there.

Turns out Anne’s father was once police chief of Bay City, so she can’t help but be nosy about what she’s stumbled across. Marlowe finds her attractive in a more than pretty face kind of way. She returns the cigarettes she stole to him, and he makes an interesting discovery—hidden inside are the business cards of a local psychic, Jules Amthor. So Marlowe sets off to investigate.

A dead man, an escaped convict, a missing girl, graft in high polices, a crooked doctor, gambling—all these things and more lie in wait for Philip Marlowe. The question is, has he bitten off more than he can chew, and are there people who are determined that he not find out the truth, no matter how they have to silence him?

Commentary:

Farewell, My Lovely is the sequel to The Big Sleep. It’s another great read from Raymond Chandler. I’m really enjoying Marlowe’s adventures. He’s not a super hero, he’s just an ordinary guy, doing his job, and as such he’s not beyond getting hurt—and he does, because he keeps sticking his nose where it isn’t wanted.

One thing to keep in mind when you read this is that it’s a product of its times, much as Huckleberry Finn. Some of the terms used would be considered racist now, but they weren’t then, so you have to realize that and either not be offended, or not read the book. Those don’t detract from the enjoyment of the story.

Chandler has a definite way with words that I enjoy. For example, in talking about Marlowe’s first sight of Moose Malloy: “He was looking up at the dusty windows with a sort of ecstatic fixity of expression, like a hunky immigrant catching his first sight of the Statue of Liberty.”   His description of scenery is also unique, pure Marlowe:  “I got down to Montemar Vista as the light began to fade, but there was still a fine sparkle on the water and the surf was breaking far out in long smooth curves.”

This story has a lot of twists and turns, and I didn’t see the ending coming until it was on top of me. Raymond Chandler set the bar for detective stories, and he set it pretty damn high. I recommend this to anyone who loves mysteries and detectives, and to those who haven’t put your toe in the water, try it, you’ll like it.

The Big Sleep (film) Review

 The Big Sleep   

Director/Studio/Author: Howard Hawks/Warner Home Video/William Faulkner

American release date: July 25, 2006 (original theatrical release 1946)

Format, Genre and length: DVD/Film Noir/114 minutes

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: NR

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Philip Marlowe’s been around. You see, he’s a private detective, so he pretty well knows the score. But you can’t always be choosy about your clients, even when they live on the right side of the tracks. After receiving a referral from an acquaintance at the DA’s office, Philip (Humphrey Bogart) goes to the home of the wealthy Sternwoods. The General is an elderly infirm man with a stoically discreet butler, and two daughters who were born later in life and who lead him a merry chase. Carmen (Martha Vickers) is wild and flirtatious, and Vivian (Lauren Bacall) is commanding and self-assured. Marlowe discovers how wild Carmen is when she playfully attempts to seduce him in the foyer.

Synopsis:

The General likes to spend his time in the hothouse where he grows orchids—not because he likes flowers, but the warmth feels good. He’s received a threat of blackmail in the mail and he wants Marlowe to look into it. Some guy named Geiger, holding some gambling notes allegedly signed by Carmen. Marlowe agrees to look into it, but as he is leaving, the butler informs him that Mrs. Rutledge (Vivian) wishes to see him. She is curious about why Marlowe is there, but he isn’t exactly forthcoming with details, seeing as she’s not his client. And why is she concerned about a guy named Regan?

It turns out Geiger has a bookstore, so Marlowe does a little homework at the library. He then dons a foppish disguise and makes some inquiries as to certain first editions of the girl who mans the store. Her lack of basic knowledge raises his suspicions, along with the entrance of a guy with a suspicious package in a plain wrapper that she buzzes into the backroom. He tries to talk to the owner, Geiger, but he’s not available.

Going across the street to a rival bookstore, Marlowe charms a description of Geiger out of the more knowledgeable girl there (look for a young Dorothy Malone here0, and afterward settles down to wait. When a man matching that description exits the shop, with his driver, Philip follows them and again watches and waits. During the evening, he sees a flash, hears two shots, and as he approaches the house, he sees two cars flee the scene. Inside he discovers a rather stoned Carmen Sternwood, and a rather dead Arthur Geiger.

Marlowe returns Carmen to the bosom of her family, and then returns to the scene of the crime to discover that the corpse is gone. He notifies the police, while still pursuing his own investigation, which leads to, among other places, a high stakes gambling joint, and low class hoods. Marlowe has to figure out what’s what and who’s who, and hopefully not lose his life in the process.

Commentary:

Just before watching The Big Sleep, I read the novel by Raymond Chandler, so I was probably pre-disposed to catch discrepancies. Some made sense to me, some not so much. For example, in the book Vivian Sternwood is Mrs. Rusty Regan, but that was changed and I don’t know why, because it changes the General’s interest in Regan and his whereabouts. In the book, Marlowe finds Carmen in Geiger’s house, stark naked and sitting on a throne, but I realize that would never have flown back then. Same for when she talks her way into Marlowe’s apartment and is waiting naked in his bed. Censors would have had a cow, I’m sure.

Other than that, it’s fairly faithful to the book. Well, excluding the part where you never do find out the significance of the book/books and the list (Geiger has a lending library of pornography, and the coded list is of his clients). Also, the man who avenged Geiger’s death, without giving away any movie spoilers, is Geiger’s lover, so that was totally glossed over.

Bogart is magnificent as Marlowe, I couldn’t imagine anyone else in the role. Martha Vickers is competent as Carmen, but I didn’t see Lauren Bacall as Vivian. In fact, I think she’d have made a better Carmen, but it’s a no-brainer why that casting occurred, since she and Bogie were either married at that point, or at least together. In fact, a romantic aspect was added that didn’t really exist in the book, basically because of that. To me, that’s on a par with something they did in the film Evita, where a song that didn’t even belong to Evita was taken from another character and given to her, basically because Madonna played her.

Other than all that, though, it’s a very enjoyable film, well written and well directed and pretty well acted. True film noir and a classic. I don’t think anyone but Bogie could have carried it off that well, though. A definite keeper for your collection, worth revisiting on a regular basis. And don’t forget to look for Elisha Cook Jr. doing what he does best in a secondary role.

The Big Sleep Review

The Big Sleep  

Author: Raymond Chandler

Publisher: Vintage

American release date: July 12, 1988

Format/Genre/Length: Novel/Crime/139 pages

Publisher/Industry Age Rating: not rated

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

A referral from an associate in the DA’s office garners private investigator Philip Marlowe a job with the very wealthy General Sternwood. The General is elderly and infirm, living in a huge house with a discreet butler and two daughters—both born late in his life, and both rather wild girls. Where Carmen is ditzy and prone to flirtatiousness, Vivian is more self-assured and wears an air of self-possession, despite the fact that her husband, Rusty Regan, has disappeared without a word. However, that is not why the General has summoned Marlowe. There seems to be a small matter of blackmail…

Synopsis:

General Sternwood has received some promissory notes purporting to have been signed by Carmen; a card with the name Arthur Geiger, purveyor of rare books, is enclosed. Marlowe suspects it’s an attempt to claim blackmail money, especially after he learns that the general was hit up for hush money a few months previously by a guy named Joe Brody, who wanted it in order to stop seeing Carmen. Since the General won’t ask Carmen directly, Marlowe agrees to check things out. Before he can even get out of the house, Vivian Regan requests his presence in her room, and attempts to grill him over what he’s doing for her father. But Marlowe is keeping a tight lip; he’s not one to spill the beans about his clients, even if she is the client’s daughter.

Affecting a cover as a man knowledgeable about rare books, Marlowe goes to Geiger’s book store but apparently the worthy gentleman is not on the premises, and the gal he’s hired to take care of things doesn’t know as much about rare books as perhaps she should. When she hands a wrapped parcel to a mysterious visitor in exchange for an unspecified amount of cash, Marlowe suspects there is more here than meets the eye. So he takes his leave and follows the man, giving him a distinct case of the heebie-jeebies. The nervous Nate ditches the package, and Marlowe retrieves it.

Having gotten a description of Geiger from a girl in a bookstore across the street, Marlowe cases Geiger’s place until he appears, and tails him to his house on Laverne Terrace. Night slips in as Marlowe bides his time. A sudden flash from Geiger’s home, followed by a scream and three shots, draws him in, where he discovers a naked Carmen Sternwood, and a dead Arthur Geiger. Being a discreet kind of guy, he returns the stoned heiress—properly dressed—to the bosom of her loving family, and returns to the scene of the crime, only to discover that the body is gone!

A dead chauffeur, a lending library of pornography, gambling debts, scandal and more strew Marlowe’s path as he seeks the answers to questions which only lead to more questions. Why does everyone think he’s searching for Rusty Regan? Marlowe will stop at nothing to get at the truth, including putting his own life in peril.

Commentary:

This is my first Raymond Chandler novel, his first Philip Marlowe, and it’s a great introduction to the PI, as well as a wonderful addition to the genre. Although written a long time ago, it definitely withstands the test of time, and is just as fascinating for modern readers as any contemporary novel. Chandler has a definite way with descriptions that give you instant pictures of what he’s talking about. For example, this description of the Sternwood home:

Over the entrance doors, which would have let in a troop of Indian elephants, there was a broad stained-glass panel showing a knight in dark armor rescuing a lady who was tied to a tree and didn’t have any clothes on but some very long and convenient hair.

Marlowe is a cynical observer of the human condition, and he isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. Or to take a chance, even if it means putting his life on the line or getting physical. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to reading the next one, Farewell My Lovely. I recently watched the film, The Big Sleep, which I shall review separately, and compare the book to the movie.