There’s a legend about the making of The Big Sleep that the filmmakers contacted author Raymond Chandler
to ask who had killed the chauffeur in his Philip Marlowe detective tale. He
replied that he had no idea. The story, true or not, illustrates the
mind-bendingly complex plotting of this classic film noir that has enough plot
twists, double crosses, and murders to fill three or four movies.
Humphrey Bogart is Marlowe, the private detective hired
by the wealthy patriarch of the Sternwood family to deal with a blackmail
scheme involving Carmen (Martha Vickers), the younger of his two daughters. Vivian
Rutledge, the elder daughter played by Lauren Bacall, involves herself, setting
off a tension-filled relationship between her and Marlow for the remainder of
the film. To try to recount the plot or even the basic story would result in a
senseless explanation. As directed by Howard Hawks, The Big Sleep is an exercise in style. This is one of the great classic
noirs, though it does lack a number of the genres hallmarks.
