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The movie, of course, was called Murder, My Sweet, but Tower Books retained the original title for this movie edition. Murder, My Sweet was actually the second of three film adaptations. The first was very freely adapted for the George Sanders Falcon franchise, as The Falcon Takes Over (1942). Dick Powell is a good Marlowe, but as a deadly dame, Claire Trevor pales alongside Audrey Totter (see yesterday's Lady in the Lake).
I would love to get my hands on a first edition of that book.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see a movie today promoted with the three lines: Two-fisted! Hardboiled! Terrific!
ReplyDeleteI heartily agree with you both!
ReplyDeleteAnd the funny thing is how on earth did Dick Powell convince them to let him play the hardboiled Philip Marlowe. Because prior to this movie, he had played in musicals and was often the fresh faced good guy who looked like a young kid.
ReplyDeleteBut this film changed his career for the better.
That helps explain the change in title, and the "Two-fisted! Hardboiled! Terrific!" lines on the title card. But I've always been surprised they made the 1-sheet so romantic. The only romance in this one is Moose's devotion to his Velma.
ReplyDeleteGreat movie!
ReplyDeleteI love these great old hard-boiled movies - there ain't nothing like 'em.
ReplyDeleteDrew?? Drew who? Don't me it's that Jazz Explosion guy!
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite Chandler book and movie. Gotta disagree about Claire Trevor, though. I think she was a terrific actress.
ReplyDeleteAh, but can Claire Trevor cool a drink without ice cubes?
ReplyDeleteSeeing this post makes me want to watch the movie again! I pop it in every year or so so I'm due for another viewing.
ReplyDeletePowell was no problem for me as Marlowe because my only prior exposure to his work was his PI radio shows (Richard Diamond and Rogue's Gallery). I've always seen Marlowe as a small man fighting a big machine. Powell seemed to embody that. Bogart was too tall.
And Bogart knew it. In the book, Marlowe was Doghouse Reilly, the Man who Grew Too Tall. In the movie, both Bogart and Carmen Sternwood make remarks about him not being very tall.
ReplyDeletePowell is probably my favorite Marlowe, though the Bogart version is great and those films are probably the best. As I commented in the LADY IN THE LAKE post, Robert Montgomery is my least favorite.
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