Farewell, My Lovely (1975)

Director:

Dick Richards

Writers:

David Zelag Goodman (screenplay)
Raymond Chandler (novel)

Release Date:

8 August 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

This, the second adaptation of Raymond Chandler's novel, is much closer to the source text than the original - Murder, My Sweet (1944)...

Plot Keywords:

Private Eye | Nightclub | Murder | Convertible | Secret Past

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Robert Mitchum	...	Philip Marlowe
Charlotte Rampling	...	Helen Grayle
John Ireland	...	Det. Lt. Nulty
Sylvia Miles	...	Jessie Halstead Florian
Anthony Zerbe	...	Laird Brunette
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Det. Billy Rolfe
Jack O'Halloran	...	Moose Malloy
Joe Spinell	...	Nick
Sylvester Stallone	...	Jonnie
Kate Murtagh	...	Frances Amthor
John O'Leary	...	Lindsay Marriott
Walter McGinn	...	Tommy Ray
Burton Gilliam	...	Cowboy
Jim Thompson	...	Judge Baxter Wilson Grayle
Jimmy Archer	...	Georgie (as Jimmie Archer)
Ted Gehring	...	Roy
Logan Ramsey	...	Commissioner
Margie Hall	...	Woman
Jack Bernardi	...	Louis Levine
Bennett Ohta	...	Patron in Pool Hall (as Ben Ohta)
Jerry Fujikawa	...	Fence
Richard Kennedy	...	1st Detective
John O'Neil	...	2nd Detective (as John O'Neill)
Mark Allen	...	3rd Detective
Andrew Harris	...	Mulatto Child
Napoleon Whiting	...	Hotel Clerk
John Eames	...	Butler
Cheryl Smith	...	Doris (as Rainbeaux Smith)
Stu Gilliam	...	Man #1
Roosevelt Pratt	...	Man #2
Dino Washington	...	Bouncer
Harry Caesar	...	Bartender
Bill Gentry	...	Hood
Cory B. Shiozaki	...	Waiter
Noelle North	...	Girl
Wally K. Berns	...	Father (as Wally Berns)
Lola Mason	...	Mother
Joan Shawlee	...	Woman in Ballroom
Eddra Gale	...	Singer (as Edra Gale)
Karen Gaston	...	Prostitute
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William 'Billy' Benedict	...	(uncredited)
Olivia Enke	...	Prostitute (uncredited)
Su Ling	...	Prostitute (uncredited)
Susan Stewart	...	Prostitute (uncredited)

Directed by
Dick Richards

Writing credits
David Zelag Goodman		(screenplay)
Raymond Chandler		(novel)

Produced by
Jerry Bick	....	executive producer
Jerry Bruckheimer	....	producer
Elliott Kastner	....	executive producer
George Pappas	....	producer

Original Music by
David Shire

Cinematography by
John A. Alonzo

Film Editing by
Joel Cox
Walter Thompson

Casting by
Louis DiGiaimo		(as Louis di Giaimo)

Production Design by
Dean Tavoularis

Art Direction by
Angelo P. Graham		(as Angelo Graham)

Set Decoration by
Robert Nelson		(as Bob Nelson)

Makeup Department
Judith A. Cory	....	hair stylist (as Judy Alexander)
Frank Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Tim Zinnemann	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Henry J. Lange Jr.	....	assistant director (as Henry Lange Jr.)
David Sosna	....	assistant director (as David O. Sosna)
Tim Zinnemann	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Barry Bedig	....	property master

Sound Department
Tom Overton	....	sound mixer
Bill Phillips	....	sound effects
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dick Portman)

Special Effects by
Chuck Gaspar	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
David S. Cass Sr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tommy J. Huff	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Gary R. Dodd	....	key grip (as Gary Dodd)
Chuy Elizondo	....	first assistant camera
Earl Gilbert	....	gaffer
Chris Schwiebert	....	camera operator
Joseph Cosko Jr.	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sandy Berke Jordan	....	wardrobe: women (as Sandra Berke)
G. Tony Scarano	....	wardrobe: men (as Tony Scarano)

Music Department
Ralph James Hall	....	music editor
Chuck Domanico	....	musician: acoustic bass (uncredited)
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Artie Kane	....	musician: piano (uncredited)
Ronnie Lang	....	musician: alto sax solos (uncredited)
Dick Nash	....	musician: trombone solos (uncredited)
David Shire	....	conductor (uncredited)
David Shire	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Dan Wallin	....	music engineer (uncredited)
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Ronnie Baker	....	driver captain

Other crew
Barry Bernardi	....	production assistant
Exa Durham	....	secretary to producer
Marc Epstein	....	assistant to producer
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
John Franco	....	script supervisor (as Johnny Franco)
Stanley Mark	....	executive accountant
Barbara Persons	....	auditor
Nanette Siegert	....	production secretary

Production Companies

• EK (as E.K. Corporation)
• ITC Entertainment (as ITC)

Distributors

• AVCO Embassy Pictures (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• AMLF (1976) (France) (theatrical)
• Tuschinski Film Distribution (1976) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1978) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Artisan Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Pioneer Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Aquarius TV (2005) (Greece) (DVD)
• Abril Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Elephant Films (2006) (France) (all media)
• International Video Entertainment (IVE) (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Pacific Title  montage

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 | Iceland:12 | France:U | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

1024 S. Grand Avenue, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

EK

Trivia:

The dark pin-striped suit worn by Robert Mitchum in the film was the only one available from the wardrobe department, with no backup suit available if needed. Originally made for Victor Mature during the 1940s, Mitchum hated the outfit, and complained constantly during production about having to wear "Victor Mature's old farted-up suit."

Goofs:

Continuity: When the boat captain, Marlowe, and Malloy are negotiating about the boat rental fee, the captain's cigarette suddenly disappears between shots.

Quotes:

Helen Grayle: To hell with polite drinking.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Money Hunt: The Mystery of the Missing Link (1984) (V)

Soundtrack:

I've Heard That Song Before

Robert Mitchum at his hard boiled best.

This re-make of Raymond Chandler's work has the edge on the 1944 film. Robert Mitchum's face fits the film perfectly. His ageing hard boiled-looking features look like a relief map of the Rocky Mountains! In this movie Mitchum was as good he has ever been. He got better as he got older. What I also liked was the haunting but soulful musical score, at the beginning and at the end.

In the closing scene an atmosphere of crisis that seems to hang in the air; created by the soulful musical score. Marlow with the case all wrapped up and himself at a loose end; in the amusement centre playing the machines, picks up a discarded newspaper with "Tokyo" in bold print as the front page headline. Was this the late hours of the 6th of December in Los Angeles? A sailor and his girl, and a soldier in the background makes it seem so. That scene coupled with the soulful musical score is like a forlorn-sounding and doom-laden overture to what is about to happen with surprising and devastating suddenness on the following but quiet Sunday morning in Hawaii. It is not surprising that one of the songs is titled, "Sunday".