MovieChat Forums > The Long Goodbye (1973) Discussion > Has Anyone Watched LG and Chinatown Back...

Has Anyone Watched LG and Chinatown Back-to-Back?

posted 18 years ago by gnolti
16 replies | jump to latest

They came out within a year of each other. Both are thought to be "revisionist" noir -- yet you couldn't have two more different films. An even deeper irony is that whereas Altman's film was based on an actual Chandler novel (plus a screenplay by Big Sleep veteran Leigh Brackett), it feels the least traditional; Chinatown was an original screenplay by 70s hipster Robert Towne, yet feels the most traditional.

The parallels/contrasts are probably endless...

1.) The Lord loves a working man.
2.) Don't trust whitey.

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[–] Studman_Productions 17 years ago

i haven't, have you?

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[–] gnolti 17 years ago

I will concede that LG has one of the greatest endings in film. The irony is that Polanski fought hard for his ending of Chinatown, against Bob Towne's wishes.

I am in a blissful state, so don't bug me.

[–] c7c7c7r 14 years ago

(spoilers) Members of the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals would love it to see Jim Bouton take a bullet and go into the drink. He pitched great in that Series.
Altman had it in his contract that that ending could not be changed. The DVD has a good interview with him. The '70s were really into unhappy endings, as a response to almost everything previous.

[–] PatrickCurren 17 years ago

They were together on a double bill at what I think was called the Sherman Theatre in Sherman Oaks, California, in 1981. That might be where Connelly saw them.

I don't think it's necessary to deride one film to promote the other. They're both exceptional, and it was a terrific double feature: the two great L.A. noirs of the 70s.

[–] bevcinema 14 years ago

Michael Connelly talks about seeing Chinatown and the Long Goodbye on a double bill at the old Vagabond Theater on Wilshire Boulevard, near MacArthur Park in the mid/late 80's. Connelly had just moved to LA from Florida to work at the LA Times as a police beat reporter. I believe Connelly actually rented the Marlowe apt on High Tower for a while in the 1990's and used it as an office

The Vagabond is now a playhouse called the Hayworth. It was a great old theater as was the Sherman. I miss those theaters....

[–] CaptMal 17 years ago

The Long Goodbye has its moments, but Chinatown is way better in my opinion.

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[–] lubin-freddy 14 years ago

I show them to my film students one week after the other, and compare both to The Maltese Falcon, which they'd seen earlier.

You know you should surrender
But you can't let it go...

[–] writermancali 14 years ago

I miss watching great movies in those old repertory/revival movie houses. I love my DVD's and my big screen TV, but nothing replaces seeing a classic movie shown in 35 mm in a beautiful theater with an audience...

[–] lubin-freddy 14 years ago

nothing replaces seeing a classic movie shown in 35 mm in a beautiful theater with an audience...

Amen.

The wheel is turning
and you can't slow down
You can't let go
and you can't hold on

[–] buckrogers1 13 years ago

Completely by chance. The Chinatown DVD from Netflix arrived one day, and the very next day I picked The Long Goodbye (TLG) from my instant queue. I can't remember why I had put TLG in the queue. Now I'm surprised to read here about the connection to Chinatown, The Big Sleep and the Big Lebowski.