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The Big Sleep
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The Big Sleep (1946) More at IMDbPro »

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The Big Sleep (1946) -- Private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a rich family. Before the complex case is over, he's seen murder, blackmail, and what might be love.
The Big Sleep (1946) -- Private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a rich family. Before the complex case is over, he's seen murder, blackmail, and what might be love.
The Big Sleep (1946) -- AllTrailers.net - Trailer (Flash)
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Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Howard Hawks
Writers:
William Faulkner (screenplay) &
Leigh Brackett (screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Big Sleep on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
31 August 1946 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller more
Tagline:
The type of man she hated . . . was the type she wanted ! more
Plot:
Private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a rich family. Before the complex case is over, he's seen murder, blackmail, and what might be love. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 win more
NewsDesk:
(19 articles)
Lauren Bacall, Maria Bello, Alec Baldwin: Governors Awards 2009
 (From Alternative Film Guide. 15 November 2009, 5:04 PM, PST)
Lauren Bacall, Annette Bening, Jeff Bridges: Governors Awards 2009
 (From Alternative Film Guide. 15 November 2009, 4:13 PM, PST)
User Comments:
Interesting DVD Release of the Proto-Noir Classic more (168 total)
US TV Schedule:
Tue. Nov. 242:00 PMTCM   

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Humphrey Bogart ... Philip Marlowe

Lauren Bacall ... Vivian Rutledge
John Ridgely ... Eddie Mars
Martha Vickers ... Carmen Sternwood
Dorothy Malone ... Acme Bookstore Proprietress
Peggy Knudsen ... Mona Mars
Regis Toomey ... Chief Inspector Bernie Ohls
Charles Waldron ... General Sternwood
Charles D. Brown ... Norris the Butler
Bob Steele ... Lash Canino
Elisha Cook Jr. ... Harry Jones
Louis Jean Heydt ... Joe Brody
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pat Clark ... Mona Mars (scenes deleted)
James Flavin ... Capt. Cronjager (scenes deleted)
Thomas E. Jackson ... District Attorney White (scenes deleted)
Trevor Bardette ... Art Huck (uncredited)

Joy Barlow ... Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Max Barwyn ... Max - Head Waiter (uncredited)
Deannie Best ... Waitress (uncredited)
Tanis Chandler ... Waitress (uncredited)
Jack Chefe ... Croupier (uncredited)
Joseph Crehan ... Medical Examiner (uncredited)
Sonia Darrin ... Agnes Lowzier (uncredited)
Carole Douglas ... Librarian (uncredited)
Jay Eaton ... Man in Casino (uncredited)
Tom Fadden ... Sidney (uncredited)
Bess Flowers ... Woman with Bumped Man (uncredited)
Shep Houghton ... Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Pete Kooy ... Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)
Lorraine Miller ... Hatcheck Girl (uncredited)
Forbes Murray ... Furtive Man (uncredited)
Shelby Payne ... Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
Jack Perry ... Silent Thug Beating Marlowe (uncredited)
Tommy Rafferty ... Carol Lundgren (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan ... Ed - Deputy Sheriff (uncredited)
Theodore von Eltz ... Arthur Gwynn Geiger (uncredited)
Wally Walker ... Mars' Thug (uncredited)
Dan Wallace ... Owen Taylor (uncredited)
Paul Weber ... Mars' Thug (uncredited)
Ben Welden ... Pete (uncredited)
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Directed by
Howard Hawks 
 
Writing credits
William Faulkner (screenplay) &
Leigh Brackett (screenplay) &
Jules Furthman (screenplay)

Raymond Chandler (novel "The Big Sleep")

Produced by
Jack L. Warner .... executive producer
Howard Hawks .... producer (uncredited)
 
Original Music by
Max Steiner 
 
Cinematography by
Sidney Hickox  (as Sid Hickox)
 
Film Editing by
Christian Nyby 
 
Art Direction by
Carl Jules Weyl 
Max Parker (supervising art director) (uncredited)
 
Set Decoration by
Fred M. MacLean 
 
Makeup Department
Perc Westmore .... makeup artist
 
Production Management
Eric Stacey .... production manager (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chuck Hansen .... assistant director (uncredited)
Robert Vreeland .... assistant director (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Robert B. Lee .... sound
Gerald W. Alexander .... sound effects mixer (uncredited)
Gerald W. Alexander .... sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Robert G. Wayne .... sound effects mixer (uncredited)
Robert G. Wayne .... sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Roy Davidson .... special effects director (as E. Roy Davidson)
Warren Lynch .... special effects (as Warren E. Lynch)
Robert Burks .... special effects (uncredited)
William C. McGann .... special effects (uncredited)
Willard Van Enger .... special effects (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Michael P. Joyce .... second camera operator (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Leah Rhodes .... wardrobe
 
Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein .... musical director
Simon Bucharoff .... orchestrator (uncredited)
Charles David Forrest .... music mixer (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
114 min | 116 min (pre-release version)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
Portugal:M/12 | New Zealand:PG | Sweden:(Banned) (original rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Australia:PG (alternate rating) | Canada:14A (video rating) | Chile:18 | Finland:(Banned) (1947-1949) | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 (re-rating) (1961) | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #10625) | Iceland:12
Filming Locations:
Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
Company:
Warner Bros. Pictures more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Mars' henchman are named Sidney and Pete, a tribute to Bogie's frequent costars Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre. more
Goofs:
Continuity: The guns hidden in Marlowe's car: first he chooses the one on the left and later when he shoots Canino he picks the same gun, but the other is missing. more
Quotes:
Philip Marlowe: I collect blondes and bottles. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Big Goodbye (#1.11)" (1988) more
Soundtrack:
And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine more

FAQ

How closely does the movie follow the novel?
Is "The Big Sleep" based on a novel?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
more

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
37 out of 43 people found the following comment useful.
Interesting DVD Release of the Proto-Noir Classic, 24 April 2005
Author: gftbiloxi (gftbiloxi@yahoo.com) from Biloxi, Mississippi

THE BIG SLEEP has a reputation for being a film that gets lost in its own complexity and which fails to clearly identify all the perpetrators of all the murders that litter its scenes. There is a certain truth to this: like the Raymond Chandler novel on which it is based, the plot is extremely complicated, and it requires the viewer to mentally track an unexpected number of characters--including two characters that never appear on screen, a pivotal character who doesn't actually have any lines, and a character who is frequently mentioned but doesn't appear until near the film's conclusion. There is not, however, as much truth to the accusation that the film never exposes all the killers: only one killer is not specifically identified, but even so his identity is very clearly implied.

All this having been said, THE BIG SLEEP is one helluva movie. In general, the story concerns the wealthy Sternwood family, which consists of an aging father and two "pretty and pretty wild" daughters--one of whom, Carmen, is being victimized by a blackmailer. P.I. Philip Marlowe is hired to get rid of the blackmailer, but an unexpected murder complicates matters... and touches off a series of killings by a number of parties who have covert interests in the Sternwood family.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about the film is that you don't actually have to pick apart the complicated story in order to enjoy it. The script is famous for its witty lines and sleek sexual innuendo--much of it lifted directly from Chandler's novel--and the cast is a dream come true. Philip Marlowe would be played by a great many actors, but none of them ever bested Humphrey Bogart, who splendidly captures the feel of Chandler's original creation; with the role of Vivien Sternwood Lauren Bacall gives what might be the finest performance of her screen career; and the chemistry between the two is everything you've ever heard. The supporting cast is superlative, all the way from Martha Vickers' neurotic turn as Carmen Sternwood to Bob Steele's purring hit-man Canino. There's simply not a false note to be found any where. Although the film really pre-dates the film noir movement the entire look of THE BIG SLEEP anticipates noir to a remarkable degree--it would be tremendously influential--and director Hawks gives everything a sharp edge from start to finish.

Two versions of THE BIG SLEEP are included on the DVD: the film as it was originally shot and the film as it was released to theatres in 1946. The actual differences between the two are fairly slight, but they prove significant. Although the original version is somewhat easier to follow in terms of story, it lacks the flash that makes the theatrical version such a memorable experience; it is easy to see why Hawks elected to rescript and reshoot several key scenes as well as add new ones, and both newcomers and old fans will have fun comparing the two. The DVD also includes an enjoyable documentary on the differences between the films and the motivations behind them.

I don't usually comment on picture quality unless there is a glaring issue, but several reviewers have noted portions of this print have a flicker or seem a bit washed out. I noticed these problems, but I can't say that they in any way distracted from my enjoyment of the film, and they certainly don't prevent me from recommending it--be it on the big screen, television, video or this DVD. And I recommend it very, very strongly indeed.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

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