When the IMDB had message boards, each film could have its own threads. The ones on "THE BIG SLEEP" were amazing, as some fans decades after-the-fact were still trying to make sense of some scenes.
I thought it was wild how the Robert Mitchum film made PERFECT sense, as did the novel, but the Bogart film I couldn't make heads or tails of (after knowing the story inside and out twice). Took me 6 times before I could follow it!
I think "THE BIG SLEEP" at least is worth sitting thru; it's fun, even where it makes no sense.
It's damn near all the others that are really frustrating. "MURDER MY SWEET" is arguably one of the better ones (multiple reviewers at the IMDB seem to think Powell is the "definitive" Marlowe-- I sure as hell don't). But even after repeated viewings, knowing in advance certain things, being able to finally follow it to a degree... when they get to the beach house scene, and go into hyper-drive speculating about who did what why... suddenly it just becomes IMPOSSIBLE. And this is after more viewings than I can count.
The only bit in that scene that stands out, is when Marlowe holds the paper with his name on it, against the note pad, and realizes that it came from that pad. Which means, Jessie Florian called Marriot. And THAT's the moment-- it has to be-- when he realizes, Helen IS Velma. But they never say so. If you're not paying attention, or overwhelmed with all the more "important" stuff they're discussing... you'll have no idea how he figured it out, or why he then tells Moose he's found her.
Miles Mander (who nobody at the IMDB even mentions) was a LOT better in about a half-dozen Basil Rathbone HOLMES films. One of them I found very curious. In "THE PEARL OF DEATH", Mander plays a classy crook with a woman assistant, who also has a huge hulking murderous THUG (Rondo Hatton as The Creeper), who's in love with his girlfriend. The parallel with "SWEET" is inexcapable. But it was made at least 6 months EARLIER. It seems to me, somebody involved with that HOLMES film, had read "Farewell My Lovely". And Mander's casting in "SWEET" may have been typecasting! Isn't that wild?
I keep hearing people say Chandler was more interested in "mood" and "character" than logical plots. But "THE BIG SLEEP" (1978) is my favorite Marlowe film, and it has both. People who diss the film are fans of the Bogart film, and have probably never read the novel, and have no idea just what a BASTARDIZATION that Howard Hawks film really was. I wanna see the original cut, before it was tampered with. (They have both on a DVD.)
I've recently heard all of Ed Bishop's MARLOWE radio shows from the BBC. As far as I can tell, they're all DEAD-accurate to the novels. His version of "Farewell My Lovely" explained to my why the 3 film versions are so different. Each one focuses on different things and completely leaves out other things. My favorite is "THE FALCON TAKES OVER". Go figure. Among other things, it's the only one where Jules Amthor is actually shown to be a "swami", which is how Chandler wrote it. GO FIGURE.
It took me ages to notice this, but the plot about someone pumping clients for info to steal from them later, was later swiped by Mickey Spillane for "I, The Jury". But it's like he combined Helen Grail and Jules Amthor into one person. I love the 1953 film with Biff Elliot, Margaret Sheridan & Preston Foster. Even if it is IMPOSSIBLE to follow! Somehow, Hammer made sense of it. I never did. (I had to read an article about the novel before the film finally made any sense at all.) For years, it was my favorite version of HAMMER... until last year when I finally got my hands on the Darren McGavin TV show! WOW!!!!!! I couldn't stop watching it. Shame it only lasted 2 years. Even in first-run syndication, censors attacked it and ran it off the air. It's WAY more fun to watch than "THE UNTOUCHABLES".
