Raymond Chander’s signature detective, played by James Garner, looks for a missing man and uncovers a conspiracy in Paul Bogart’s MARLOWE, coming soon to Blu-ray via Arrow Video.
The Film
First: this Marlowe is from 1969 and directed by Paul Bogart. This is NOT the atrocious 2022 Neil Jordan film with Liam Neeson. That one was my least favorite of the whole year. It was that bad. Again, this Marlowe is not that Marlowe. Starring James Garner, it’s a lot better. It’s not a great movie, but it is entertaining and well-made; worth a look for detective story fans.
That said, I enjoyed Paul Bogart’s take on the classic Raymond Chandler detective. First appearing in the book The Big Sleep in 1939, and on screen, albeit renamed to The Falcon, in The Falcon Takes Over, with the first time as Marlowe in Murder, My Sweet, he’s had a wonderfully storied career on film. Humphrey Bogart was probably the most famous in the 1946’s The Big Sleep, and I’m personally very fond of Elliot Gould’s take in Robert Altman’s irrelevant 1973 The Long Goodbye, which, like this, takes the detective into the contemporary area – a concept I find interesting: the hardboiled detective in a world of hippies and drugs. The less we talk about Liam Neeson’s one, the better. Anyway, today we look at James Garner as the famous film detective in 1969, based on the 1949 novel The Little Sister, adapted by Stirling Silliphant of In the Heat of the Night, Irwin Allen disaster pictures, and maybe my cheesy favorite: Over the Top.
Marlowe is a solid little picture. It sometimes gets lost in itself in the story and is never exactly sure if it has a comic edge or not, as that comes and goes, but moves around alright. There’s nothing huge about it, a tidy mystery as Marlowe is pulled into, well, the normal: a missing person case with someone looking for incriminating photographs. Someone willing to murder those who get in the way or know too much. Funny enough, it became a running gag that these people keep getting killed just off screen from Marlowe. Unlucky dude. In keeping it contained, this one goes all the way to the top; it’s slightly hobbled, often feeling like a double-length episode of a TV show or a movie of the week. Fitting enough, it led to Gardner’s TV show The Rockford Files. Perhaps more fitting is that Bogart, no relation to Humphrey, was mostly a TV director.
James Garner makes an okay Marlowe, though he lacks the extra personality push of Bogie or Gould, but he stands on his own as the sardonic detective. The script doesn’t let him know if it’s playing more comedy or straight hard-nose, shifting from scene to scene, but he keeps an even keel, which hurts the performance in the end. The most notable outside of Gardner is Bruce Lee, who gets to punch his way in a comedic threat and an interesting top-of-a-building fight. But Boart gathers a nice set: Carroll O’Connor, Rita Moreno, Sharon Farrell, Gayle Honniutt, and Jackie Coogan in supporting bits. Coogan only has a handful of scenes, but I latched on to him. Finally, Feeny! William Daniels, Boy Meets World’s neighbor-teacher William Daniels (who just turned 99!) pops in for a bit.
Paul Bogart’s Marlowe isn’t the best version of the character, but far from the worst. It’s interesting in the standard mystery, with capable performances. Garner works as best he can with an unsure script. I recommend it for detective noir lovers, and especially for fans of the character. If you’ve not delved into the genre, Marlowe isn’t a starting point, but those expanding their knowledge should seek it out.
The Packaging
Arrow presents Marlowe on a single-disc Blu-ray. The disc image is a close-up of the faces on the new art (also on the double-sided sleeve and O-ring slipcase) by John Pearson. The other side of the sleeve, in a clear Blu-ray case, is the original artwork. A booklet fits within.
The Presentation
Arrow gives a damned good transfer in a new restoration from the original 35mm. It’s a colorful, well-designed film, and it shows with detail and sharpness. There are moments of wonderful color use (in the club where Moreno dances, for instance). Good stuff. Sound is original mono. Subtitles are English.
The Features
100 Dollars a Day, Plus Expenses (new)
Arrow only offers one notable extra on the disc, but it’s a nice one. Howard Berger, heavily featured in the Excalibur extras, gives an in-depth history of the Marlowe character. Quite detailed and getting into the weeds in shifts in decades outlook on this type of character and film. Informative and interesting, even if Berger’s voice is a little droning. (51m)
Theatrical Trailer
Image Galleries
15 promo images and 90 production stills.
Booklet
A 25-page, nicely bound booklet. It includes “Phillip Marlowe: Man Out of Time” by Priscilla Page, about what I talked about earlier in moving a 40s detective to contemporary ages, and “Stirling and Bruce” by Jeff Cang about Bruce Lee and his connection with the writer and the film itself.
Final Thoughts
Marlowe is a good flick, if not a little uneven and unsure of its tone. Garner does well, with a great supporting cast. The transfer is a good one, and while the features are smaller than most Arrow, the breakdown of the character is well-done.