Boothe powers through ‘Philip Marlowe, Private Eye’ (1983, 1986)
Sleuthing Sunday (TV review): The quality drops between the two seasons of HBO’s first original dramatic series.
Film Noir
Boothe powers through ‘Philip Marlowe, Private Eye’ (1983, 1986)
Marlowe finds love in ‘Brasher Doubloon’s’ (1947) lighter take on ‘High Window’
Sleuthing Sunday (Movie review): George Montgomery makes Chandler’s P.I. into more of an ole softie than we’re accustomed to.
‘Lady in the Lake’s’ (1947) direct-POV experiment is all wet
Sleuthing Sunday (Movie review): Unfortunately, the mystery of Chandler’s strong fourth novel gets lost in a quest for a new style.
Marlowe properly comes to screen in ‘Murder, My Sweet’ (1944)
Sleuthing Sunday (Movie review): The screenplay reassembles elements of “Farewell, My Lovely” in an intriguing way, and Dick Powell is a pleasing Marlowe.
Mitchum ably fills Marlowe’s gumshoes in ‘Farewell, My Lovely’ (1975), ‘Big Sleep’ (1978)
Sleuthing Sunday (Movie reviews): The first is a stylish, purist classic. The second makes odd choices and never has a chance of competing with Bogart’s version.
‘Long Goodbye’ (1973) brings a skewed Marlowe into a scary L.A.
Sleuthing Sunday (Movie review): Don’t look to Altman’s adaptation for faithfulness toward the 1953 novel. But it’s a prime illustration of the flexibility of Chandler’s sleuth.
‘Darker Than Amber’ (1966, 1970) is first McGee novel to darken screens
Sleuthing Sunday (Book and movie reviews): The plot’s relative simplicity makes it a good choice, and the casting is solid. But MacDonald’s introspection can’t be mimicked.
Hardboiled Hackman successfully works on his ‘Night Moves’ (1975)
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): Hackman meets neo-noir in this grimy gem about a missing teenager that came out in the wake of “Chinatown.”
So much of the afterglow: ‘Fedora’ (1978) returns to ‘Sunset Boulevard’
Wilder Wednesday (Movie review): The writer-director still has a lot to say about the price of Hollywood stardom before he bows out.
‘The Big Sleep’ (1946) goes from elite novel to respectable film
Sleuthing Sunday (Movie review): Though it won’t cause narcolepsy, Hawks’ film is too hampered by censorial limitations to totally capture Chandler’s vibe.