The Big Sleep (released in 1978) - Starring Robert Mitchum, Sarah Miles, Candy Clark and Joan Collins

Based on the vintage noir 1946 film (having the same name), which was released in 1978, this version is directed by Michael Winner, sourced from the 1939 novel by Raymond Chandler. Unlike the previous version (which was set in LA), the 1978 film takes us to London. Many critics and viewers consider the latter film to be truer to the portrayal of Chandler’s novel, since taboo themes such as homosexuality and  pornography wouldn’t have been well received in the conservative and staid 1940's.
The character of Phillip Marlowe is assayed for the second time by Robert Mitchum, who first played Marlowe in Farewell, My Lovely. In a digression from the traditional portrayal of celluloid detectives, Marlowe does not function from a shabby office or live hand-to-mouth. He owns an expensive set of wheels and a Rolex, with snazzy suits thrown in for good measure.
The PI has a new client - a wheelchair bound millionaire General Sternwood (played by James Stewart). The General tells Marlowe that the homosexual proprietor of a local book store – Arthur Geiger (played by John Justin) - is blackmailing him. Geiger has some nude photographs of the General’s younger daughter Camilla (played by Candy Clark), intimidates Sternwood with blackmail, warning him that unless he pays Geiger a handsome sum of money, the slime all will make the pictures public. The actual reason why Sternwood isn’t just telling all this to the police instead of hiring a PI is revealed when he gives away the fact that he’s interested in the whereabouts of his son-in-law, his older daughter, Charlotte’s (played by Sarah Miles) husband - Rusty Reagan (played by David Seville). However, Mrs. Reagan also seems to have her eyes set on the elusive and brooding Phillip Marlowe!




The PI hunts Geiger down to his house - but on arrival is confronted with his corpse, shot between the eyes, an unclothed Camilla by its side. On further investigation it is revealed that the families chauffeur Owen Taylor (played by Martin Potter) had committed this crime of passion, as Camilla was his lover. Taylor, is himself later murdered by an associate of Arthur Geiger – Joe Brody (played by Edward Fox) who dumps the man’s corpse into a nearby river. It seems like Arthur has few friends as Brody had intended to steal the film all along, not unaware that his partner was already dead.
Not only does the General’s younger daughter have to hauled out of a mess, even Charlotte has a whole lot of troubles, especially with gambling debts she has piled up - earning the ire of the unsavory mobster Eddie Mars (played by Oliver Reed), also the house where Geiger lived was owned by the goon. Following close at Eddie’s heels is his sadistic, club footed sidekick ‘Brown Man’ Lash Canino (played by Richard Boone) and others from the red light district which include a lover of Arthur’s. But ultimately, it’s all about the elusive Rusty Reagan.
Marlowe sets up Charlotte, to learn if whether she’s actually grieving for her husband and is disturbed about his disappearance, or whether she was in some way responsible for his fate, his suspicions are proven right. It is she who is responsible for Rusty’s disappearance. Phillip is saddened and now he faces the task of breaking the news to the General. The audacious Camilla points a gun in his face, and Marlowe is appalled by the wickedness of both women.
It has long since been the case for debate whether it was at all necessary for doing a remake of The Big Sleep; critics and viewers look askance, torn between loyalty for greats like Bogart and Bacall and fondness for king of drawl - Mitchum. However, since the second version is more free in its treatment  of taboo issues like promiscuity and drug abuse, Winner’s version is worth a watch.

Film - Farewell, My Lovely (starring Robert Mitchum as the detective Philip Malowe) - Released in 1975

Raymond Chandler is a very famous writer, many of whose books were taken for theatre or made into movies. Out of his novels, an early one is the novel called by the same name, "Farewell, My Lovely" (this was actually his second novel, published in 1940), and starred the famous detective that he created, Philip Marlowe. This novel was made as a movie in 1944 earlier, and was again made into a movie released in 1975. The movie has gathered acclaim over the years, being well liked for the film noir atmosphere that it brings into the movie, with the brilliant performance by the lead actor, Robert Mitchum, playing the role of a grizzled old detective, Philip Marlowe (at this time Mitchum was in the latter part of his career, having been in the industry for decades now and being 58 years old).
The film also stars the following: Charlotte Rampling, John Ireland, Jack O'Halloran, Sylvia Miles and Harry Dean Stanton. Incidentally, this was an early movie in the career of a super-star, Sylvester Stallone, who shot into the heights of super-stardom with the release of Rocky the following year. However, Stallone had only a small role in the movie, with the meaty role being portrayed by Robert Mitchum. He plays the role of a detective, well past his prime age, getting more melancholy and at the same time, being mature.



So what's the story about ? Well, the movie is set in Los Angeles of 1941, a time when there was a lot of corruption and when you start to investigate, you can find the whole plot full of betrayal, and more corruption (in the police), along with the usual environment of seedy hotel rooms, gambling nets, and so on. The detective Marlowe has been hired by an ex-convict, called Moose Malloy, who wants Marlowe to find Velma, an old girlfriend, whom he has not met for many years. He is also investigating a different case, the murder of one of his clients named Marriott (coincidentally, Marriott was killed and an unconscious Marlowe woke up next to the body).
And what do these crimes have in common with each other ? There is the puzzling figure of a lady called Mrs. Helen Grayle, and soon Marlowe also finds himself in more trouble, getting beaten up, drugged and held captive in a private hospital; does he manage to get himself out of trouble and find Velma ? This is a wonderful movie, catch it if you have a chance. The movie got one nomination to the Oscars, but no recognition through an actual award.