Robert Mitchum
I think he was a wrong choise for the protagonist and compared with Humphrey Bogart in the original version he makes the film falter.
shareYour opinion is well taken. However, when British director Michael Winner set out to re-make "The Big Sleep," he wanted to pair up some of the great classic actors together...perhaps for the last time.
Sarah Miles...Richard Boone...Joan Collins...Edward Fox...John Mills...Oliver Reed...Richard Todd...James Donald...Harry Andrews.
Think about those two memorable scenes with Mitchum and Jimmy Stewart, acting the now-famous dialogue between General Sternwood and Philip Marlowe. Great stuff.
The character "Phillip Marlowe" has been played by several actors over the years besides Bogie. This rendition, with Robert Mitchum, is one of my favorites.
CmdrCody
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As usual, your observation is a sound one, my good friend.
Waiter, more nachos here and this time, put some extra hot jalapenos on for our eloquent accomplice, Squeeth!
CmdrCody
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Just watched this again...a little disappointing still. Part of it is the uninspired score and photography. The cinema verite opening & closing putting us "in the driver's seat" seemed silly and unimaginative...and the music scores stinks. None of the careful attention to detail of the earlier "Farewell My Lovely" at all. Nice to see those major stars all together (Joan Collins is particularly lovely, and James Stewart is good in one of his last roles. Some of his grimaces recall us back to his Scottie Ferguson). Might have more...
RSGRE
rsgre: Too bad you missed the point of the picture. "The Big Sleep" was already done to perfection by Bogie...nobody can top that. This remake movie was director/producer Michael Winner's attempt to bring together a slate of great stars which for many of them was their last performance....before the big sleep took them away forever.
If you sit back and simply enjoy the interplay between these great Hollywood actors, doing their lines to a great screenplay, you would enjoy the picture for what it is.
CmdrCody
Thanks for your comments CmdrCody, I did say:
"Nice to see those major stars all together (Joan Collins is particularly lovely, and James Stewart is good in one of his last roles. Some of his grimaces recall us back to his Scottie Ferguson)". Might have more...
That is the saving grace of this film, but it seems to be a lackluster production overall. Very cynical story line...but that's the author's usual style...
RSGRE
I think Mitchum was the right choice for Marlowe.
share"Too bad you missed the point of the picture/-/ This remake movie was director/producer Michael Winner`s attempt to bring together a slate of great stars".
Yeah, that`s such a great "point". Too bad he didn`t manage to bring them together in a more worthy movie instead of this production bearing a lot of the earmarks typical of a Michael Winner production - mainly, the crude, stilted cinematography and next to no narrative momentum. If the acting`s better than in his Bronson movies, it`s probably due to the amount of talent brought together (Candy Clark`s awful though).
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan
I liked the opening (putting us "in the driver's seat") because it reminded me of the opening of that great early Noir of Mitchum's, "Out of the Past", when Stefanos drives into Bridgeport. Perhaps it was meant as an homage.
shareMitchum is fine as Marlow, but in the then modern setting of London, it just felt quaint too quickly.
Its that man again!!
This film was my introduction to Robert Mitchum, Raymond Chandler & Philip Marlowe. It's STILL my favorite for all 3.
I saw this in a theatre, and was inspired to get the novel, which I also enjoyed. Some time later, I saw the Bogart version... and even though I knew the story, COULD NOT make any sense out of it. The Bogart film is something that must be enjoyed on its own merits, and trying to follow the plot is NOT one of them.
As for the production values, cast, script & locations, I've long thought a perfect double-feature would be this version of THE BIG SLEEP and DEATH ON THE NILE (which came out the same year!). They're 2 of my all-time favorite murder mysteries.
I think Mitchum did a fine job here, and the whole cast was a lot of fun. This film is really a muddled mess, though, but the performances are top-notch – and Mitchum wears the Marlowe crown quite well. Setting a noir character in the '70s is problematic, so this film is far from perfect. I just found it extremely confusing.
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