MURDER MY SWEET (1944) (RKO RADIO) If someone asked you to explain what exactly "film noir" is, this would be the film, that I would have them watch, to answer their question. This landmark film is arguably the quintessential film noir.
Los Angeles is the setting for this fantastic tale of stolen jade, marital misconduct, a search for a lost love and of course....murder!
Raymond Chandler's world weary Private Eye Philip Marlowe was first brought to the screen in this adaptation of his novel "Farwell, My Lovely". Dick Powell's casting as Marlowe, must have seemed crazy, at the time. But Powell made the amazing transformation from amiable song & dance man to hard boiled private dick & set the standard for all of those who came later. As much as I loved "The Big Sleep" & Humphrey Bogart, Powell's performance as Marlowe stands alone.
RKO assembled an excellent cast in support of Powell. Claire Trevor, as the "femme fatale" Helen Grayle strikes the right balance of greed, tawdriness, sex appeal & cattiness, to match up with Marlowe. Anne Shirley, as the good girl Ann Grayle (Helen's step daughter) provides a fresh faced softness to counteract against her stepmother's hardness. Her character brings out the humanity in Marlowe. Powell's chemistry with both ladies is evident. Otto Kruger is at his slimiest as Jules Amthor, the con artist bad guy. Don Douglas as LAPD Detective Lt. Randall, convinced that Marlowe is the murderer he is after. Esther Howard, in a small role as boozy widow Jessie Florian, in a scene where Powell's gives one his best (of many) voice overs:"She was a charming middle-aged lady with a face like a bucket of mud. I gave her a drink. She was a gal that would take a drink, if she had to knock you down to get the bottle". Last but certainly not least is Mike Mazurki as the lovestruck punch drunk brute Moose Malloy. The former pro wrestler nearly steals every scene he's in.
Edward Dmytryk's taut direction & keen pacing keeps you on the edge of you seat through out the entire film. Groundbreaking use of special effects by Vernon Walker & fantastic lighting & camera work & angles by Harry Wild make this film feel very realistic when it needed to be & unrealistic (the black pool montage) when it needed to. John Paxton's adaptation of Chandler's novel brought the characters to life with cracking dialog & narrative to keep this complex tale of murder & deceit moving along until the climatic ending.
Rating 10 stars.
Los Angeles is the setting for this fantastic tale of stolen jade, marital misconduct, a search for a lost love and of course....murder!
Raymond Chandler's world weary Private Eye Philip Marlowe was first brought to the screen in this adaptation of his novel "Farwell, My Lovely". Dick Powell's casting as Marlowe, must have seemed crazy, at the time. But Powell made the amazing transformation from amiable song & dance man to hard boiled private dick & set the standard for all of those who came later. As much as I loved "The Big Sleep" & Humphrey Bogart, Powell's performance as Marlowe stands alone.
RKO assembled an excellent cast in support of Powell. Claire Trevor, as the "femme fatale" Helen Grayle strikes the right balance of greed, tawdriness, sex appeal & cattiness, to match up with Marlowe. Anne Shirley, as the good girl Ann Grayle (Helen's step daughter) provides a fresh faced softness to counteract against her stepmother's hardness. Her character brings out the humanity in Marlowe. Powell's chemistry with both ladies is evident. Otto Kruger is at his slimiest as Jules Amthor, the con artist bad guy. Don Douglas as LAPD Detective Lt. Randall, convinced that Marlowe is the murderer he is after. Esther Howard, in a small role as boozy widow Jessie Florian, in a scene where Powell's gives one his best (of many) voice overs:"She was a charming middle-aged lady with a face like a bucket of mud. I gave her a drink. She was a gal that would take a drink, if she had to knock you down to get the bottle". Last but certainly not least is Mike Mazurki as the lovestruck punch drunk brute Moose Malloy. The former pro wrestler nearly steals every scene he's in.
Edward Dmytryk's taut direction & keen pacing keeps you on the edge of you seat through out the entire film. Groundbreaking use of special effects by Vernon Walker & fantastic lighting & camera work & angles by Harry Wild make this film feel very realistic when it needed to be & unrealistic (the black pool montage) when it needed to. John Paxton's adaptation of Chandler's novel brought the characters to life with cracking dialog & narrative to keep this complex tale of murder & deceit moving along until the climatic ending.
Rating 10 stars.