Murder, My Sweet (1944)

Director:

Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

John Paxton (screenplay)
Raymond Chandler (novel)

Release Date:

9 December 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

An Original Philip Marlowe Mystery

Plot:

This adaptation of the Raymond Chandler novel 'Farewell, My Lovely', renamed for the American market...

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Private Eye | Cynicism | Unconsciousness | Doctor

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Dick Powell	...	Philip Marlowe
Claire Trevor	...	Mrs.Helen Grayle aka Velma Valento
Anne Shirley	...	Ann Grayle
Otto Kruger	...	Jules Amthor
Mike Mazurki	...	Moose Malloy
Miles Mander	...	Mr. Grayle
Douglas Walton	...	Lindsay Marriott
Donald Douglas	...	Police Lieutenant Randall (as Don Douglas)
Ralf Harolde	...	Dr. Sonderborg
Esther Howard	...	Jessie Florian
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ernie Adams	...	Bartender at 'Florian's' (uncredited)
Bernice Ahi	...	Dancer at the 'Cocoanut Beach Club' (uncredited)
George Anderson	...	Detective (uncredited)
Jack Carr	...	Dr. Sonderborg's Assistant (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Detective (uncredited)
Sam Finn	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Fred Graham	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Bill Hamilton	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Paul Hilton	...	Boy Getting laundry (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Anthor's Chauffeur (uncredited)
Daun Kennedy	...	Girl in Bar (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Paul Phillips	...	Detective Nulty (uncredited)
Dewey Robinson	...	New Boss at 'Florian's' (uncredited)
Shimen Ruskin	...	Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Larry Wheat	...	Grayle's Butler (uncredited)

Directed by
Edward Dmytryk

Writing credits
John Paxton		(screenplay)
Raymond Chandler		(novel)

Produced by
Sid Rogell	....	executive producer
Adrian Scott	....	producer

Original Music by
Roy Webb

Cinematography by
Harry J. Wild		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Joseph Noriega

Art Direction by
Carroll Clark
Albert S. D'Agostino

Set Decoration by
Michael Ohrenbach
Darrell Silvera

Costume Design by
Edward Stevenson		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Dorfman	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Bailey Fesler	....	sound recordist
James G. Stewart	....	sound re-recordist

Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Landon Arnett	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Douglas Travers	....	montage

Music Department
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	musical director

Other crew
Leslie Urbach	....	dialogue director
Jimmy Evans	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Hugh Lucky	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Les Raymaster	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Wanda Rickerts	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Leslie Saville	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Carol Sawyer	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Jordan Shelley	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Tim Wallace	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1944) (USA) (theatrical) (as An RKO Radio Picture)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1946) (France) (theatrical)
• Manga Films (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Pan Vision Publishing Video (200?) (Finland) (DVD)
• Turner Pictures (I) (video)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Éditions Montparnasse (2003) (France) (DVD) (collection RKO)

Other Companies

• Bavaria Film Synchron  German dubbing: 1972

Also Known As:

Farewell My Lovely (UK)

Runtime:

95 min | Germany:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #10158) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-15 (new rating: 2001) | Finland:K-16 (until 2001) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Argyle Hotel - 8358 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

RKO was on the verge of bankruptcy when it signed up aging matinée idol Dick Powell to make a series of musicals. Powell only signed under the proviso that he could play a straight dramatic role first, so he was cast as Philip Marlowe. Attached director Edward Dmytryk was initially horrified at this casting decision.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Marlowe is interrogated by the police, the view through the window would have the building in the middle of the street blocking the street.

Quotes:

Lindsay Marriott: How would you like a swift punch on the nose?
Philip Marlowe: I tremble at the thought of such violence.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Pulp Fiction (1994)

One of the most entertaining Detective thrillers ever made.

'Murder, My Sweet' is based on Raymond Chandler's classic detective novel 'Farewell, My Lovely'. The book was later filmed in the 1970s under its original title starring Robert Mitchum. The Mitchum version is actually more faithful, but for some reason nowhere near as entertaining. 'Murder, My Sweet' tones down some of the racial and sexual aspects of the original story (which are included in the 1970s remake), and I'm might be mistaken (it's been a while since I read it), but the Anne Shirley character appears to have been created as a potential love interest for Dick Powell. She seems to have been inspired by a similar character in 'Double Indemnity' (written by James M. Cain and filmed the same year with the help of Chandler). Dick Powell was originally a crooner and casting him as Philip Marlowe was a very strange choice at the time, but it certainly works. Personally I would have preferred to see Robert Mitchum playing Marlowe in this version, but by the 1970s he was too old for the part, and comparing the two versions Powell definitely wins. Claire Trevor is also excellent as one of the definitive noir femme fatales, and her scenes with Powell are compelling. The drug sequence is also very memorable. 'Murder, My Sweet' is one of the most entertaining detective thrillers ever made, and along with 'Double Indemnity' and 'Out Of The Past' one of the very best crime movies of the 1940s.