& Murder, My Sweet
Where Dashiell Hammett had "The Maltese Falcon" as the book that would surpass the title "Hardboiled Detective Novel" and become "Literature," for Raymond Chandler the book would be "The Big Sleep." Both books would be filmed more than once and become well respected worldwide.
Hammett did a Sam Spade-less follow up by creating the team of Nick and Nora Charles in The Thin Man, which became one of the most popular film series of all time.
Chandler continued with his character of Philip Marlowe and explored the idea of the emptiness of solving crime. There is an entropy and fatalism that has never been coalesced better than in "Farewell, My Lovely," and that may be the draw for film makers, who, in the battle to get films done, may have a better window on that world view than most people.
The first adaptation featured boy singer Dick Powell, known for paper thin plotted musicals. How could he bring the gritty world of L.A. crime into perspective? He did, and, for its time the film redefined not only his career, but just how noir a big studio film could be without Bogart, Cagney or Edward G. Robinson could bet. There is not a weak moment in him or in the production. The novel is done proud by the boy singer.
Then came the 1970's and the darkness of wars and politicians being revealed to be anything but statesmen, and the world was ready to rediscover that this dark world was not new. Robert Mitchum played Chandler for the second time, something nobody, in film, had ever done. This time he was, if anything, even more committed to bringing the detective's hero in spite of himself and the world around him to life. It is, I always hate to use this world, but this time it fits, a bravura performance.
I also need to mention Moose Malloy. This is the brainless love sick monster that the story revolves around. It is played in both films by men who are cast just because they are large. Neither of them is known to ever have given a brilliant performance anywhere else, not that they were ever given any chance to do much more. But here, Mike Mazurki (in the first film) and Jack O'Hallaran are used so well it doesn't matter that they can't act. You feel for them. In the entire film, they are the only films you actually feel sorry for, and that may come as a surprise for you. You care about Marlowe, but he is in this situation because it is what he does. But Moose, criminal leg breaker that he is, is destroyed by love of Velma. You also may feel something for Jessie Florian, the picture of a woman used and thrown away by the world, and given up on by herself.
Here is some of the cast for "Murder My Sweet":
Dick Powell . . . Philip Marlowe
Claire Trevor . . . Mrs.Helen Grayle
Mike Mazurki ... Moose Malloy
Donald Douglas . . . Lieutenant Randall
Esther Howard . . . Jessie Florian
Here is some of the cast for "Farewell My Lovely":
Robert Mitchum . . . Philip Marlowe
Charlotte Rampling . . . Mrs.Helen Grayle
Jack O'Halloran . . . Moose Malloy
John Ireland . . . Det. Lt. Nulty
Sylvia Miles . . . Jessie Florian
Anthony Zerbe . . . Laird Brunette
Harry Dean Stanton . . . Det. Billy Rolfe
Sylvester Stallone . . . Jonnie
First, it's important to note that Stallone is around just long enough to be naked and shot at. Then I have to tell you each of these films an excellent representation of its time. The story is filtered through that aspect, and still remains a powerful statement about what it takes to remain a hero even when good sense tells a man to walk away. I cannot recommend either one to highly, they are magnificent. BTW: So is the book.
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