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The Long Goodbye
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The Long Goodbye (1973) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   5,522 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 14% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Robert Altman
Writers:
Raymond Chandler (novel)
Leigh Brackett (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Long Goodbye on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
7 March 1973 (USA) more
Tagline:
Nothing says goodbye like a bullet. more
Plot:
Detective Philip Marlowe tries to help a friend who is accused of murdering his wife. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 win more
User Comments:
Altman tells a story in a rhythm more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Elliott Gould ... Philip Marlowe
Nina Van Pallandt ... Eileen Wade (as Nina van Pallandt)
Sterling Hayden ... Roger Wade aka Billy Joe Smith
Mark Rydell ... Marty Augustine
Henry Gibson ... Dr. Verringer
David Arkin ... Harry
Jim Bouton ... Terry Lennox
Warren Berlinger ... Morgan
Jo Ann Brody ... Jo Ann Eggenweiler
Stephen Coit ... Det. Farmer (as Steve Coit)
Jack Knight ... Mabel
Pepe Callahan ... Pepe
Vincent Palmieri ... Vince (as Vince Palmieri)
Pancho Córdova ... Doctor (as Pancho Cordoba)
Enrique Lucero ... Jefe
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Additional Details

Runtime:
112 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
When the police are responding to the suicide of Roger Wade, Phillip Marlowe (Elliott Gould) becomes irate that they don't believe that Roger Wade could have murdered Terry Lennox' wife. He yells that he's going to call Ronald Reagan (then the governor) to protest their inaction. In the very next scene, Marlowe is brought to Marty Augustine's office for a shakedown. One of Augustine's bodyguards is an uncredited Arnold Schwarzenegger, later elected Governor of California. Thus Marlowe, in a way, gets to meet the governor. more
Goofs:
Continuity: At the beginning of the film, Philip Marlowe opens the refrigerator to get food for his cat. There are two rows of eggs on the fridge's door, with one egg missing on the lower row. After a cut away scene, Philip reaches for some eggs, but now there are several eggs missing on the lower row. more
Quotes:
Colony guard: Oh. Hi, Mr. Lennox. Say, you're up kinda late.
Terry Lennox: Come on, lay it on me.
Colony guard: Okay. Let's see, I didn't - Barbara Stanwyck, I've been working on Barbara Stanwyck.
[as Barbara Stanwyck]
Colony guard: 'I don't understand. I don't understand it at all. I've never understood it, Walter. I just don't understand why I don't understand it all. I don't...
Terry Lennox: Okay, just remember that and you'll be alright.
more
Movie Connections:
Remake of "Climax!: The Long Goodbye (#1.1)" (1954) more
Soundtrack:
Hooray for Hollywood more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
27 out of 34 people found the following comment useful:-
Altman tells a story in a rhythm, 3 May 2003
10/10
Author: TheTwistedLiver from Chicago



Easily one of Altman's best films and an early precursor to other films later in the decade by the director. The Long Goodbye is a fine transition in style to Altmans later films like "Nashville" and "A Wedding" Elliot Gould does an outstanding job portraying the outre detective Phillip Marlowe, using his mumbling, bumbling, smart ass speaking style, as a technique to keep the film under the illusion that everything is in motion, like the ocean waves in the film, Marlowe speaks in a sort of beatnik type "Daddy-O" style combined with a smooth talking private eye, and the result works perfectly. The film works like it is timed by a metronome, it rolls along, seamlessly in a way that only Altman can achieve, and like the rhythm of the waves and Marlowe's speech, the camera is constantly in motion as well. The roving camera does an excellent job of allowing the viewer to feel as though they are witnessing more action than actually exists on screen.

Wade (Sterling Hayden) is a fantastic Hemingway-esque writer in the film. Hayden's size and booming voice, in conjunction with his alcoholism and potential brutality, lend an aroma of unpredictableness to his character. Wade's beautiful wife, who has a mysterious bruise on her face, is like a timid, loyal animal, subjected to the whims of her over bearing master. Henry Gibson, who plays Wade's doctor, is excellent as a sort of despotic mouse, who frightens an elephant into conforming to his will, this irony is one of the films intriguing, bizarre twists.

This film works well as a character study, and is one of the best films of the seventies. A must see for every student of film. 9/10

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This movie is a joke avadhani
Question About a Location (Herbie's Bar) (2 more questions too) cultfilmfreak
Do the Wades have a framed photo of Leonard Cohen in their house? e-hutch
Criterion NiceGuyEddie75
The Dollar bill game Tonyed
Opening 'Hollywood' Music Question jonathan-sykes
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