Frank's Movie Log

Grade: B-

Synopsis: A giant man hires detective Philip Marlowe (Dick Powell) to track down his lost love Velma in this adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s Farewell My Lovely.

Murder, My Sweet is a stylish interpretation of Raymond Chandler’s novel that’s almost perfect.

Director Edward Dmytryk does an excellent job of creating atmosphere. Through his eyes, Los Angeles lies cloaked in a perpetual night, pierced only by glaring headlights and blazing neon signs. While other films may have done a better job with the Marlowe character, none have surpassed Murder, My Sweet’s recreation of Chandler’s Los Angeles.

The script by John Paxton is workable, even if he has a habit of mixing up Chandler’s metaphors. By structuring the film as an oral recitation by Marlowe, Paxton is able to retain much of the flavor of Chandler’s novel. Granted, the film slows a bit during an ill-conceived drug sequence, but even this stretch is peppered with Chandler’s snappy dialog.

The cast is almost perfect. Mike Mazurki is excellent as the giant Moose Malloy, as are Claire Trevor as a vampy wife and Otto Kruger as a slimy shrink. Unfortunately Dick Powell isn’t quite on target as Marlowe. He’s good, but just doesn’t quite look tough enough. It’s not a deal-breaker, but with the rest of the cast so note-perfect, Powell sticks out.

Still, Chandler fans won’t be disappointed, and neither will fans of Howard Hawk’s better-known adaptation of Chandler’s The Big Sleep, which, though it has a better Marlowe in Humphrey Bogart, can’t touch this film’s atmosphere.

Bottom Line: A well-done murder mystery, sure to please both genre fans and Chandler fans alike. Recommended.