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Marlowe (1969)

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23 comments in total

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Fun movie, 25 febbraio 2002

Author: mike dewey da canton, ohio

Vintage Garner, solid sleuth story with sophisticated plot twists! Somewhat in the same cut as Paul Newman's "Harper", but bearing Garner's unique brand of sardonic humor: Sort of a modern Bret Maverick!

Good late 60's detective romp through West Coast life, interweaving the societal trends of that time period (Hippie, straight, boozer, sleazer, etc.) Bruce Lee is a welcome interlude, especially in his scene at Marlowe's office.

However, Rita Moreno is the real treat in this one: probably her best dramatic performance! One wishes she had been cast in more roles like this one to let the public see her for the multi-dimensional actress that she was.

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5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Smooth take on classic Chandler., 25 ottobre 2005

Author: vladmirthewoodsman da United States

Interesting variation on 'The Little Sister' by Raymond Chandler with '40's film noir replaced by a colorful and stylish '60's motif. The film does a good job of keeping certain Chandler elements in the forefront...the violent thugs, the irritable cops, and the classy woman in distress are all here, as is Marlowe, portrayed as a prototype Jim Rockford. Garner does a good job in the lead; his performance is really truer to the Marlowe character than Bogart managed in 'The Big Sleep' (but then that wasn't the point of 'The Big Sleep', now was it?). Supporting characters are, in some places, excellent, while lacking a bit in others. Carrol O'Connor, Rita Moreno, Bruce Lee (whose role was far too brief), and Sharon Farrell are either convincing or fun, but the female lead and the villainous but sympathetic killer are rather flat.

All in all, a movie I wouldn't mind owning.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Watch This for Rita Moreno Alone!, 5 settembre 2003
Author: Hoohawnaynay (DA90027@aol.com) da United States

Rita Moreno steals this movie! Plus, she had great chemistry with James Garner which is why they used her on Rockford files. Somewhat complicated plot about P.I. Garner finding a missing brother of an actress who also happens to be dating a gangster. Cameos by Bruce Lee, Jackie Coogan, Carroll O'Connor etc. Great 1960's Los Angeles/Hollywood locales (the strip joint used in the film went on to become the famous Roxbury on Sunset Blvd). I love everything about this movie, the clothes, the cars, the great 60's style overall. Rita Moreno in a platinum blond wig doing a strip tease at the end is worth the price of admission! She even shows a little nudity (if viewed un-edited) which is rare for a star of her magnitude to do in the late 60's. Sharon Farrell is another actress with lots of charisma who is used to little here. Gayle Hunnicutt (who I love) is miscast here as Sharon Farrell's sister, although she adds a lot of glamour. The script is a little hard to follow but it is quite an enjoyable movie as the action never slows down for too long.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Great for any Garner (or Rockford) fan!! Interesting plot!, 21 maggio 2001

Author: btcombo2 da Delaware, USA

This movie is a classic. The combination of Chandler's writing and Garner's approach to the character make this a must see for any fan. Garner plays a slightly harder version of the Rockford detective he will later portray and pulls it off flawlessly. As an added bonus for the male audience, check out Rita Moreno's strip dance in the final scene. HOT!!! Also appearing in a great supporting role, Carroll O'Connor as the street tough lieutenant.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Entertaining reincarnation of a classic character, 19 settembre 1999

Author: BillFenner1967 da Venice, Italy

This is a well-done updating of the classic Raymond Chandler character Philip Marlowe, made famous in the film noirs of the 1940s. James Garner stars, in a pre-Rockford Files style, as Marlowe and carries the usual charm and wit for which he's so well known. A standout performance is from Sharon Farrell as the tortured sister. Following on from such films as "The Detective", "Lady in Cement" and "Madigan", this is another fine example of the late 60s example of the lone anti-hero who dwells in a world of corruption and violence. Well-written and acted, and quite funny at times.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Chandler's Marlowe transferred to the '60s..., 27 marzo 2007

Author: Neil Doyle da U.S.A.

Shifting Chandler's private eye to the '60s seems to work fairly well, although I still miss the film noir look of the gritty '40s melodramas with either Humphrey Bogart or George Montgomery as Marlowe. In addition, filming this one in color to take advantage of some Los Angeles locations, was not necessarily the best idea.

JAMES GARNER works well as Marlowe, although I still prefer the dry delivery of Humphrey Bogart and his one-liners in THE BIG SLEEP. But Garner is at his physical peak and makes a persuasive private detective on the trail of someone's missing brother. Along the way, he gets involved with the usual assortment of disreputable characters who occupy seedy hotel rooms and the shady side of town.

With a supporting cast that includes CARROLL O'CONNOR, JACKIE COOGAN and RITA MORENO (as a stripper), it's a stylish updating of Chandler's novel, "The Little Sister". And let's not forget BRUCE LEE who does a Karate job on Garner's office wall and furniture.

Too many of the early scenes drag and it's an hour into the story before the plot gets any livelier. In short, the plot remains rather flat and devoid of any real urgent suspense in spite of the fact that it deals with ice pick murders.

Summing up: Despite the okay performance from Garner, it remains a flabby exercise in suspense, lacking the terse quality of Chandler's stories and doesn't really perk up until the last ten minutes.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Interesting oddity, 8 maggio 2000

Author: (thehumanduvet@hotmail.com) da uk

Following a typical Chandlerian plot involving lots of intrigue, sex, lies, booze, and violence, Garner makes a mildly charming, laid-back Marlowe, trading a fair share of witty one-liners with the policemen, toughs and many eager young women he encounters, as he tries to unravel a convoluted missing persons/blackmail/murder case. Gets an interesting edge from the sixties characters and attitudes (Marlowe's hairdresser neighbour providing light relief, the stoner hotel at the start) but staying very much in the world of sleazy hoods and wealthy stars associated with earlier Bogey takes on Chandler. Bruce Lee's performance as a toughie sent to threaten Marlowe with some spectacular chop-socky is a high-point but sadly brief, and Garner is no Bogey, and the director is no Howard Hawks. Good-ish stuff, but confused by too many personality-free characters (rather than by a complex web as in The Big Sleep), and lacking Bogart's ice-hard edge, Garner is a smooth, witty and fairly convincing Marlowe; likewise the film, fairly convincing, but no classic.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Bogart out Shined Garner, 1 aprile 2007

Author: whpratt1 da United States

This was an okay film about Detective Marlow played by James Garner, however, I firmly believe that Humphrey Bogart gave a more classic approach to the role of this detective. Bruce Lee makes an appearance as Winslow Wong and completely destroys the shabby office of Philip Marlow and almost sends Marlow flying through a window. Carrol O'Connor appeared as Lt. Christy French who did not seem to fit into this role and had a blank expression on his face most of the time and probably hated this role he had to play. Gayle Hunnicutt, Rita Moreno both gave a great supporting role, but this film was not exactly what I expected and I felt like I wasted my time viewing it.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
The Little Sister, 4 dicembre 2006

Author: bkoganbing da Buffalo, New York

Now it's James Garner's turn to take on the role of Raymond Chandler's legendary private detective Philip Marlowe in an updated screen adaption of Chandler's novel, The Little Sister.

The original novel had the title character be the little sister of a film star who has come in from Manhattan, Kansas to look for their brother who's gone missing. To reflect the update the film star is now the star of a family situation comedy with an image that won't stand up to scandal, especially if it's learned that she's been intimately involved with a notorious mobster.

I have to say that this film was updated far better than Robert Mitchum's version of The Big Sleep, although it's not nearly as good as The original Big Sleep and Murder, My Sweet. Garner is appropriately cynical and appropriately noble in the right moments.

Carroll O'Connor and Kenneth Tobey are a pair of homicide cops who are naturally frustrated with Garner who seems to be blocking them from clearing up several murders after he's hired to find the missing brother. Actually as per usual he's just trying to keep them from reaching wrong conclusions.

Gayle Hunnicutt is the TV star and the little sister is Sharon Farrell and if the film were remade today you would be casting Jessica Simpson in Farrell's role. Rita Moreno is one fetching stripper who goes way back with Hunnicutt. She and Garner work well together and Garner had her on his Rockford Files TV series a few times as Rita Capkovic, a woman of middling virtue.

One thing I do have to criticize. Bruce Lee has a small role as the kung-fu bodyguard of gangster H.M. Wynant. Personally I cannot believe that Garner could have taken out Lee that easily, tricking him the way he did.

Though Marlowe is not a bad film, I don't think most viewers will like how Bruce Lee ended up.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Bruce Lee and a cocky Private dick, what more can you want?, 13 dicembre 2003
Author: Harry Deckard (thegoose_888@hotmail.com) da U.K

After seeing "Goodnight my sweetheart" I had to jump at this. Although I did not find it as...watchable...as goodnight, it was still an entertaining thrill ride. Although I found the character of Marlowe a little too bloodthirsty, but his cocky sarcasm in the face of danger is just great. A definite MUST SEE.

8/10.

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