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The third film version of the Raymond Chandler novel (after Murder My Sweet (1944) and The Falcon Takes Over (1942)) with Marlowe (Robert Mitchum) in search of the missing girlfriend of a brutish ex-con recently released from jail. The film pays homage to the noir thrillers of the 1940s with immaculately recreated settings and the casting of Mitchum who made his name as an actor in such classics. Mitchum takes on Marlowe’s world-weary persona with ease and while the pace of the film occasionally lags, strong performances, a moody colour palette full of dark browns and shadows, and labyrinthine plot turns keep it interesting.
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How to watch
Stream, rent or buy via
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
316486
Language
English
Audience classification
M (15+)
Subject categories
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers → Detective and mystery films
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers → Film noir
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers → Thrillers
Feature films → Feature films - United States
Literature → American literature - Film and video adaptations
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)