Classic film noir with Bogart as Los Angeles private eye Philip Marlowe, who is hired by General Sternwood (Waldron) to deal with several problems involving his family. Mainly blackmail toward the younger daughter Carmen (a terrific Martha Vickers). But this is just the beginning as Marlowe is dragged deeper and deeper into a sordid world of criminals and murder. Along the way Marlowe finds himself falling for the eldest daughter Vivian (played by Lauren Bacall). The Big Sleep is a very complicated movie that is still very entertaining. Featuring crisp dialogue and crackerjack performances. Bogart is cool as Marlowe in what I think is his best role. Bacall exudes enough sex appeal for 100 women. Vickers is delightfully seductive and droll in her child-like performance. And Dorothy Malone shines in her brief scene as a shapely bookstore clerk who flirts with Marlowe. An outstanding film and one of my all time favorites.
A+
Just you and me kid..
Hiya doll...
Marlowe in a bit of a jam
Say what did you take?
Probably the best bookstore seduction scene ever...why can't all bookstore clerks be more
like Dorothy?
I also love this film and all the witty lines. The cast is wonderful: Humphrey Bogart was perfect in his part and Lauren Bacall gives what might be her finest performance of her screen career and the chemistry between the two, is everything you could ever dream of.
ReplyDeleteHard as it is to believe, this is one of those films where you and I part ways. This would be one of my 2-star films. It is easily my least favorite of the Bogey/Bacall flicks. (Favorite, by far, is Dark Passage.)
ReplyDeleteOne thing I did like about this film, though, is one of the lines. Bacall asks, "Is he as cute as you?" Bogey responds, "Nobody is." For some reason, that just tickled me to no end.
And my son jokes about going in to a bookstore and asking for a "Ben-Hur 1860...no no no, the third, the third."
Or there's the line that goes, "He said that...that's what the man said...he said that." That always strikes me as funny.
So even if The Big Sleep is not a movie I like, many of its lines remain ingrained in my mind.
I love this film! My favorite Bacall Bogie match up!
ReplyDeleteI love that you mentioned the bookstore scene. As much as I love the film overall (and Bogey and Bacall's unmatchable chemistry), that scene with Dorothy Malone is my favorite. She makes such an impression in such a short bit of screen time!
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