A Dash of Film Noir: Murder, My Sweet

Alright you cats and kittens wrap your peepers around this; to Day 4 of A Dash of Film Noir Week.  Seems our favorite flatfoot Philip Marlowe has got himself mixed up in a tawdry tale of lies, larceny, a bit of theft and of course a dishy femme fatale.  Will he come out on top or will he be left holding the bag and taking the rap?  If you want the low down I suggest you be packing some heat, watch who you get pally with and don’t end up the patsy.  This is Murder, My Sweet.

 

Call the zoo. There's a gorilla on the loose.

Phillip Marlowe: I caught the blackjack right behind my ear. A black pool opened up at my feet. I dived in.  It had no spoiler.  I felt pretty good- like an amputated leg.

Our talking picture opens up in a sweat box, lamp full on in Marlowe’s mug and three buzzers working him over to get to what they think is the truth.  Feeling like a duck in a shootin’ gallery Marlowe (Dick Powell of Too Busy to Work, 42^nd Street, Twenty Million Sweethearts, Hard to Get, Right Cross and The Band and the Beautiful) has been informed his involvement about the events up to a couple of murders.  Flimsy as the evidence is the department is fixing Marlowe for a rope under the neck so Marlowe makes like a canary and sings his sad song.

A tasty but dangerous dish to be had.

Chasing down a lost husband for a tomato Marlowe was getting nowhere with it when in walks a 6’5” beast of a man named Moose Malloy (Mike Mazurki of Nightmare Alley, Dark City, Some Like It Hot, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Mob Boss), claims he is missing his bird after a seven year stretch in the joint.  Says the looker ain’t been around to chat with him in six years and he wants her found.  With arms the length of a football field our dapper fellow seems determined to find Velma (Claire Trevor of Texas, Street of Chance, The Woman of the Town, Born to Kill and Key Largo). Marlowe reluctantly takes the case so as to not upset King Kong and starts pounding the pavement on the lookout for this missing lady.   No sooner does he make a little headway, a fancy dan in a daisy suit shows up in his office needing to buy back some stolen swag on the QT so Marlowe plays tag along and that’s when things get a bit blurry.

Director Edward Dmytryk (Golden Gloves, The Blonde from Singapore, Seven Miles from Alcatraz, Behind the Rising Sun, The Caine Mutiny and The End of the Affair) was deemed Hollywood’s golden boy when it came to the pictures.  People loved or hated him for his anal retention but he was a director that could get the film in on time, under budget and still wow the viewing public.  Writer John Paxton (My Pal Wolf, Cornered, Crack-Up, Rope of Sand, The Wild One and Pickup Alley) managed to adapt Raymond Chandler’s novel bringing it to the black & white in the a nice steady stride with the right amount of suspense and thrills. 

Dick Powell’s portrayal of Marlowe was so eerie that Raymond Chandler himself felt he had the right stuff for the character. Not a overtly tall fellow but a short and scrappy guy who was quick witted, sassy and packed a decent right cross.

Look Mr. Bogart, don't get steamed if they called me first.