The Big Sleep (1946 film)

The Big Sleep (1946) was the first film version of Raymond Chandler's 1939 novel of the same name. It starred Humphrey Bogart as the hard-boiled private-eye Philip Marlowe and his real-life wife Lauren Bacall as the femme fatale. The film was directed by Howard Hawks. William Faulkner cowrote the screenplay with Leigh Brackett and Jules Furthman. The film is fondly remembered for its extremely convoluted plot. A famous story tells that, during filming, the director and screenwriters could not figure out who had killed the character of Owen Taylor. They sent a cable to the author, who replied saying "I'm damned if I know!" After the film was finished it was shelved while Warner Bros. worked on other films. When it was finally released in 1946, the film was edited down for pace but it made the plot more murkey than it already was. A restored copy of the original 1945 version of the film released on DVD in 2000, along with the 1946 version that was edited down. The original version makes the plot clearer, however most film fans perfer the 1946 version that has been shown for years in revival theathers and television.

Related Topics:
1946 - Raymond Chandler - 1939 - Novel - Humphrey Bogart - Philip Marlowe - Lauren Bacall - Femme fatale - Howard Hawks - William Faulkner - Leigh Brackett - Jules Furthman

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Marlowe is hired by the elderly General Sternwood, who is being blackmailed by a purveyor of dirty books. The trouble seems to be centered around his two daughters, Vivian Sternwood (Lauren Bacall) and the simple, enigmatic Carmen.

Related Topics:
Blackmail - Lauren Bacall

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