Unlimitedia Sick Product of a Sick System

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Cristal The movie really just wants to entertain people.

JohnHowardReid Late in 1944, when Raymond Chandler's popularity and critical esteem were at their height, RKO seized the opportunity to dust off their song-bought "Farewell, My Lovely" and film it straight. They couldn't resist changing the title to "Murder, My Sweet", but otherwise this is pretty well as authentic as Chandler ever got on the screen. Marlowe, for instance, was sensationally played by Dick Powell who, sick to death of his namby-pamby screen image as a lightweight crooner, talked the studio into re-inventing him as the tough, resilient, cynical private eye - a role that he was to play with minor variations and only one or two exceptions for the rest of his acting career. Powerfully directed by Edward Dmytryk, the movie not only won the Edgar Award for Best Mystery of the Year, but took millions at the box-office. Twelve years later, Chandler himself declared that Dick Powell deserved recognition as the nearest cinematic equivalent of Marlowe and that "Murder, My Sweet" was the best screen adaptation of any of his novels. (Available on a 10/10 Warner DVD).

MissSimonetta Murder My Sweet (1944) may not be the best or hardest-hitting film noir, but it is certainly dripping with classic noir imagery and tropes. It has everything the modern public associates with the genre/style/whatever you think it is: a snarky and cynical private eye, a duplicitous femme fatale, lost loves, claustrophobic sets drenched in shadows, voice-over narration, bizarre villains, the works.Chandler's Marlowe stories are more about atmosphere and the main character than delivering a great plot. Murder My Sweet does well on both counts. The atmosphere is charged with malevolence, making Bay City and LA look like urban hellscapes populated by criminals and corruption. The chiaroscuro lighting dominates every scene, lending the movie a nightmarish quality that culminates in a bizarre drug-induced hallucination sequence. And then there's Dick Powell as Marlowe. Though Bogart, Montgomery, and Mitchum did well with the part, Dick Powell is the best Philip Marlowe. He's cynical, yet strangely chivalrous. He's hardboiled, yet occasionally vulnerable. He's fantastic and I wish he'd been able to play the role in other movies.The ending is a bit too optimistic for my tastes, as the gloom and dread which pervaded it are so strong, but for its style and Powell alone, I consider this film one of the great classics of noir.

elvircorhodzic MURDER, MY SWEET is one chaotic crime movie. Frankly, it's not so bad, but I can not resist the impression that from the start something is amiss. The film can be viewed as a drunken flashback. This is the story of a private detective who is no different from his clients. Clients are bizarre and depraved characters, each involved in the murder, or better yet .... a series of murders. The most interesting thing is to watch the characters who do not know what they want. The solution to the mystery was visible from the start, only a series of complications that act has been postponed. Romance is unreal superficial and likely fictional.Cynical sarcastic dialogues and narration are laudable.Dick Powell as Philip Marlowe, character that is just fine. Powell modeled on Bogart was cool and somewhat reserved. The narrative pretty good. The acting is solid. I think that the transition from comedy and musicals visible. Claire Trevor as Helen Grayle/Velma Valento It's a femme fatale and lost girl with dubious past. In this relation, Trevor is not good bearings. Although I think it is not particularly blame. Simply, does not correspond to her role. Charming entertainer from the image becomes evil and gorgeous blonde who is trying to silence those who know something about her. Anne Shirley as Ann Grayle is innocent, which is freely positioned between two fires. All the supporting roles are quite strange and despite that ... good.Murder, my sweet is a solid crime game.

Ben Larson Produced by the legendary RKO during the golden age of American film noir, Murder, My Sweet remains to this day one of the best adaptations of the adventures of Philip Marlowe.The mythical antihero Raymond Chandler had a slew of excellent adaptations to the big screen including The Big Sleep by Howard Hawks and The Private by Robert Altman. Philip Marlowe has inspired dozens of imitators and one can still find his DNA in the chronic darkness of James Ellroy. Everything is there: the smoky bars populated by exotic dancers, the femme fatale, the weary detective who is constantly beaten up after his hilarious escapades, etc. To this Dmytryk adds a few original touches straight out of German Expressionism. Humphrey Bogart will overshadow him a few years later, but Dick Powell portrays a Philip Marlowe deeply funny, always ready to deliver a good line. A memorable performance, although the actor did not necessarily look the part. Powell is accompanied by excellent supporting characters, including two femmes fatales Claire Trevor and Anne Shirley. In the role "Moose" Malloy, Mike Mazurki intimidates while managing to remain touching. As for Otto Kruger, he plays a deliciously evil villain. Scripted by John Paxton, the film is somewhat watered down compared to the Chandler novel, he nevertheless manages to bring out the very substance without too many sacrifices.Murder, My Sweet is a fine example of film noir.