tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post3645803790163478342..comments2024-02-10T04:53:42.121-05:00Comments on Tales of the Easily Distracted: MURDER, MY SWEET: Tough Guys Don’t SingDorianTBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-64567486668364158692012-04-03T10:40:51.147-04:002012-04-03T10:40:51.147-04:00Reel Popcorn Junkie, thanks for your positive comm...Reel Popcorn Junkie, thanks for your positive comments on MURDER, MY SWEET! Moose Malloy is one of my absolute favorites among my rogues' gallery of memorable movie tough guys, be they good guys or bad guys. Glad to have a movie lover from the Great White North, as my husband was born in Canada (Prince Edward Island, to be specific). Feel free to join the movie conversation here at TotED anytime!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-16447698410134638862012-04-03T10:08:15.231-04:002012-04-03T10:08:15.231-04:00Moose Malloy's first appearance in Murder, My ...Moose Malloy's first appearance in Murder, My Sweet is incredibly creepy and very memorable. Great shot shooting up of Moose beating up on Marlowe, with Jules Amthor looking on later in this film. Wish I'd known about Mike Mazurki when he appeared in Dick Tracy in 1990.Reel Popcorn Junkiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05159234563402927918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-87765535222097271772012-03-22T10:38:52.087-04:002012-03-22T10:38:52.087-04:00Thanks, Laura! I feel the same way; you never forg...Thanks, Laura! I feel the same way; you never forget your first Marlowe, just as you never forget your first Doctor! :-) I've mentioned that Team Bartilucci is into Doctor Who, haven't I? Vinnie in particular has been a fan of the show since he was a youngster, and he often writes about all things Doctor Who online over at Newsarama. <br /><br />I always enjoy the conversations all of us have here at TotED, but I think our MURDER, MY SWEET chat may be one of my favorites to date! Thanks, Laura, and everyone else participating here with so many fascinating things to share!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-87208852360478547422012-03-22T00:16:46.039-04:002012-03-22T00:16:46.039-04:00I wonder if one's "first Marlowe" is...I wonder if one's "first Marlowe" is sort of along the lines of one's "first Dr. Who"? :) (There are even t-shirts that say "You never forget your first Doctor," LOL.) <br /><br />This is a great conversation I've enjoyed going back and revisiting as posts have been added!<br /><br />Best wishes,<br />LauraLaurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09626109831176745957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-44293805664594554372012-03-19T21:04:28.335-04:002012-03-19T21:04:28.335-04:00Kristina, it's never too late to party with us...Kristina, it's never too late to party with us here at TotED! Beaucoup thanks for your enthusiastic praise of the background info, my fellow background-info junkie! :-) As always, my dear hubby Vinnie Bartilucci has generously provided another one of his hilarious GIFs, and we're both delighted you and other readers are enjoying them, as well as the photos! You're right, that "grouse/moose" pic would make for a great poster; thanks for the tip, you clever gal! <br /><br />As if you didn't have stupendous taste in noir films and their elements already, now we find that you're a fan of Nat Pendleton as well as Mike Mazurki! Vinnie's a big Pendleton fan, too, considering he also happens to be a wrestling fan born in Canada; he calls it "soap opera for guys." :-) (Fun Fact: Dick Powell played a Canadian flyer in CORNERED, another one of the noir thrillers he made with producer Adrian Scott and director Edward Dmytryk.)<br /><br />Kristina, I'd be delighted to work on a Marlowe Parade blog post sometime in the not-too-distant future (goodness knows I have enough info on the subject after all these Marlowe movies!) -- but first, I must finish writing the WOMAN IN THE WINDOW vs. SCARLET STREET Smackdown for this Friday's new TotED! :-) I always look forward to your great posts and ideas! Thanks for your fun conversation, kind words, and great ideas!<br /><br />By the way, everyone, y'all can also enjoy Vin's blogging fun and frolic also appear in his own great blogs, THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD FANBOY and our joint blog IS THAT REALLY DESIRABLE? Check them out on the links on the right-hand column of "Further Distractions"! :-)DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-22348600740470601902012-03-18T14:15:34.334-04:002012-03-18T14:15:34.334-04:00sorry so late to this party, but it's a party ...sorry so late to this party, but it's a party nonetheless! <br />you really did your usual great job in ths one, being a huge background info junkie myself I love all the stuff you include, bio roundups, and so forth but must make special mention this time of visuals: <br />nice gif! i LOL'd, and the stills you chose really hilight what neat shots are in this movie: that "grouse/moose" pic is amazing, should be framed and on a wall, preferably mine. That alone makes me want to rewatch. <br />like so many musical stars who made the transition, Powell was a great noir guy, he just had that perfect coolly cynical devastatingly acidic edge to him that made for a FANTASTIC Marlowe IMO, and my #1 for that character, sorry!notsorry. <br />I too love me some Mazurki. Him & Nat Pendleton always make me happy for some reason. <br /><br />oh, and one further +1 from me, on you someday doing a post comparing versions! would be cool. <br />well done, applause & bestest<br />KristinaKristinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11659951781597698530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-18288699746351109752012-03-15T19:41:04.618-04:002012-03-15T19:41:04.618-04:00*D-OH!* I meant to leave the link to your blog pos...*D-OH!* I meant to leave the link to your blog post so that everyone could enjoy your terrific Esther Howard piece, but I hit "Send" too fast! Sorry about that! Here's the link, for those who didn't catch it:<br /><br />http://caftanwoman.blogspot.com/2008/04/esther-howard.html<br /><br />Enjoy!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-58353778104259893142012-03-15T19:37:54.203-04:002012-03-15T19:37:54.203-04:00Caftan Woman, thanks so much for sharing your wond...Caftan Woman, thanks so much for sharing your wonderful blog post about Esther Howard! Glad to see there was much more to her than Mrs. Florian, not that there's anything wrong with that! :-) Sometimes learning about character actors is even more interesting than learning about the big stars! I left you positive comments over at your own awesome self-titled blog. Great post, C.W.!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-69640222340969666782012-03-15T17:58:32.085-04:002012-03-15T17:58:32.085-04:00Esther Howard was one of my first blogging subject...Esther Howard was one of my first blogging subjects: http://caftanwoman.blogspot.com/2008/04/esther-howard.html. I used to use per picture as my blogging profile. Not as Mrs. Florian though.Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-12956028960097473692012-03-15T16:55:52.456-04:002012-03-15T16:55:52.456-04:00Caftan Woman, you're far too adorable and char...Caftan Woman, you're far too adorable and charming to have "a face like a bucket of mud," so there! :-) Esther Howard sure was a terrific character actress, wasn't she? I also liked her in the film noir BORN TO KILL (also with MMS' Claire Trevor), and she also had a bit in SONG OF THE THIN MAN, among others.<br /><br />I liked your remark about Dick Powell being your Marlowe; we all seem to fall in love with whatever actor we first saw playing Marlowe (see our dear friend and fellow blogger Yvette's comments above). For me, it was Humphrey Bogart, though I always kinda liked Robert Montgomery, too, even if he did come off a little cranky at times! :-) But as you've seen, Powell's mighty high on my Favorite Marlowe list; I can't resist detectives who can be funny and tough with equal ease! So glad you dropped by to join the conversation, C.W.; the TotED door is always open for you! :-)DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-13615299175623725872012-03-15T16:45:05.076-04:002012-03-15T16:45:05.076-04:00Glad to spread the word about THE BRASHER DOUBLOON...Glad to spread the word about THE BRASHER DOUBLOON, Yvette! I haven't had a chance to give it my undivided attention on YouTube yet, but as you've probably noticed about me by now, I can be quite a completist when I'm resarching movies! :-) And of course, MURDER, MY SWEET is always well worth watching!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-42235539866959756192012-03-15T16:27:18.830-04:002012-03-15T16:27:18.830-04:00Congratulations on a grand article about a grand m...Congratulations on a grand article about a grand movie. "Murder, My Sweet" embodies all that I love about private eye/film noir. I saw it early in life, and I've seen it often. Powell is my Marlowe. That he had a way with a witty throwaway line was evident even in the Warner Bros. musicals and it was a wise career move. <br /><br />Thanks for the info on Mike Mazurki. I'll astound my husband with my knowledge some day soon.<br /><br />I'm crazy about Esther Howard as Mrs. Florian. "She was a charming middle-aged lady with a face like a bucket of mud. I gave her a drink. She was a gal who'd take a drink, if she had to knock you down to get the bottle." Why does that line come to me when I look in the mirror?Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-19828970070125546652012-03-14T10:56:00.596-04:002012-03-14T10:56:00.596-04:00Oh, great news that THE BRASHER DOUBLOON is on you...Oh, great news that THE BRASHER DOUBLOON is on youtube. Hopefully the whole movie?? I hate to admit it because everyone stares as if I'm nuts, but I liked George Montgomery's portrayal of Marlowe in that one. Can't help it, he was just so good-looking....sigh!<br /><br />Thanks for lettine me know, Dorian. Yippee!<br /><br />I'm adding MURDER MY SWEET to my queue IF Netflix has it available.Yvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-42126968121426197802012-03-13T16:06:46.476-04:002012-03-13T16:06:46.476-04:00Eve, I loved and your quip about Raymond Chandler ...Eve, I loved and your quip about Raymond Chandler and the "Marriott" hotel bill! You're a wit, girl! :-) All kidding aside, I think you'd enjoy both FAREWELL, MY LOVELY and MURDER, MY SWEET; its wry humor is one of my favorite things about it! Thanks for joining the chat!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-91259515568476471232012-03-13T15:20:28.550-04:002012-03-13T15:20:28.550-04:00I'm pretty sure I saw "Farewell My Lovely...I'm pretty sure I saw "Farewell My Lovely" starring Mitchum, but this Noir version with Dick Powell sounds intriguing. Your comment that Chandler was ornery made me wonder if his hotel bill was too high when he wrote the character 'Marriott' who got bumped off? Intangible Heartshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05047040538015079182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-82193083276032197562012-03-13T10:48:37.720-04:002012-03-13T10:48:37.720-04:00Page, beaucoup thanks for your kind words, my frie...Page, beaucoup thanks for your kind words, my friend! I'm happy to hear you and your dad are Philip Marlowe fans, and apparently fans of George Sanders as The Saint, too; clearly your mom and dad raised you right! :-) <br /><br />Since you asked, my next TotED blog post will start on March 23rd with dueling Fritz Lang thrillers; specifically a smackdown between THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW vs. SCARLET STREET! The credit for the idea goes to our friend and fellow blogger, Kristina Dijan of SPEAKEASY. I hope everyone will enjoy it, and while you're at it, check out the SPEAKEASY Web site and all its goodies: <br /><br />http://hqofk.wordpress.com/<br /><br />Glad to have you joining in the conversation, Page, as always!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-90777767873740659592012-03-12T23:34:38.926-04:002012-03-12T23:34:38.926-04:00Dorian,
This film sat on my DVR for a few weeks t...Dorian, <br />This film sat on my DVR for a few weeks then I finally watched it a week ago. I had mixed feelings about it as I had recently seen Robert Montgomery playing Phillip Marlowe and I really enjoyed his character representation a lot. <br /><br />Now that doesn't take away from the fact that I enjoyed seeing Powell do a serious role other than all of his musicals! (BLECH)<br /><br />It's great that you wrote about this as I was talking to my dad on Saturday about what was airing on TCM and I brought up Phillip Marlowe, asked if he had seen any of the film series. I recently found The Saint films too which I really loved since George Sanders is the best!<br /><br />You've done another fantastic and detailed review here Dorian. I got a good chuckle out of your little clip with Dick lighting the match. Fun stuff!<br /><br />Looking forward to what you have up next. Hopefully I'll get lucky and it will be another one I've seen.<br />PagePagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15063277863578004836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-47874213428096040252012-03-11T20:06:07.435-04:002012-03-11T20:06:07.435-04:00Yvette, I agree -- you couldn't forget Mike Ma...Yvette, I agree -- you couldn't forget Mike Mazurki if you tried! :-) When you get a chance to see Dick Powell in MURDER, MY SWEET, I think you'll be quite impressed. <br /><br />I also agree that Powell chose the right time to ditch his juvenile crooner phase (loved your "creepy" description!) and not only go for tough-guy roles, but also other serious film roles like in THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. Powell also had smashing successes as both actor and producer on TV with THE DICK POWELL THEATER, FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE, and ZANE GREY THEATRE<br /><br />Actually, Yvette, you're close: MARLOWE (1969) was James Garner's Raymond Chandler movie, based on THE LITTLE SISTER. I agree, Rita Moreno was awesome in that one! If you want to refresh your memory about it, or give everyone else reading this a nice blast from the past, here's the link (I should have money like I have links! :-))!<br /><br />http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/07/discretion-is-garner-part-of-valor.html<br /><br />Apparently THE BRASHER DOUBLOON is on YouTube, but I've just been too busy to catch up with it yet! :-) Hope I can do so soon!<br /><br />Delighted to have you join the conversation, my friend, as always! The light's always on for you here at TotED! :-)DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-35290202764081623882012-03-11T18:44:45.122-04:002012-03-11T18:44:45.122-04:00Now I have to admit, Dorian, that I haven't se...Now I have to admit, Dorian, that I haven't seen this film in many MANY years and the only thing I actually do remember about it is Mike Mazurki - a hard guy to forget.<br /><br />So I will definitely be re-watching this especially after your glowing tribute. Okay, I admit that Dick Powell is not my favorite actor, but hey, I'm willing to put up with him if his performance is as good as you say it is. Definitely. <br /><br />I like some of the pix you showed, the lettering running over the foppish guy is especially intriguing.<br /><br />I think Dick Powell was a very smart guy to walk away from that often creepy juvenile he played for Busby Berkeley. Do you remember his tv show? I think it was called Dick Powell Presents or something like that. Good dramas every week. How I wish they had something like this on tv now. <br /><br />P.S. Didn't they redo this story with James Garner as Marlowe? All I remember about that one is Rita Moreno - boy is she good.<br /><br />Thanks again, m'dear, for reminding me of a movie from the past that I'd forgotten.Yvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-14377003256385221762012-03-11T12:39:21.528-04:002012-03-11T12:39:21.528-04:00John, thanks very much for your enthusiastic prais...John, thanks very much for your enthusiastic praise and terrific comments about MURDER, MY SWEET! Looks like we're on the same page about the various Marlowe performances. I think if I had to pick my favorite movie Marlowes (though they're all fine, make no mistake), the list would go like this:<br /><br />1.) Humphrey Bogart, THE BIG SLEEP<br />2.) Dick Powell, MURDER, MY SWEET<br />3.) Robert Mitchum, FAREWELL, MY LOVELY (I love his world-weary quality!)<br />4.) James Garner, MARLOWE<br /><br />Mike Mazurki is definitely one of Team Bartilucci's favorite character actors. He did it all, from film noir to comedy (including The Monkees)!<br /><br />Thanks for joining the conversation, John; it's always fun to have you visit TotED!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-2822097818755340512012-03-11T10:54:49.363-04:002012-03-11T10:54:49.363-04:00Dorian, great point differentiating between Bogar...Dorian, great point differentiating between Bogart and Powell's Phillip Marlowe. Powell's Marlowe does have more of a wry sense of humor that Bogie's version lacks. I do favor Bogart over Powell and all others, though Robert Mitchum who played Marlowe in both remakes of THE BIG SLEEP and FAREWELL, MY LOVELY had that tired, beat, don't give a damn look that fits Marlowe so well. James Garner did a nice turn as Chandler's detective in MARLOWE from the novel THE LITTLE SISTER. Mike Mazurski is a great character actor and as you say, he's perfect here as Moose Malloy, one of Chandler's best characters. He added a nice touch to many films and I was totally unaware of his charity work. <br /> <br />Your passion for this film comes through loud and clear. A thoroughly enjoyable and well done review!<br /><br />JohnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-2260097520182333992012-03-10T23:10:33.631-05:002012-03-10T23:10:33.631-05:00Rick, how cool that you got to meet director Edwar...Rick, how cool that you got to meet director Edward Dmytryk, and got him to autograph your copy of THE FILMGOER'S COMPANION as well! While I stand by my opinion of Humphrey Bogart being my favorite Marlowe and Dick Powell being my THISCLOSE second, you make an excellent case that part of the appeal of Powell's Marlowe was his ability to come across as rough and ready without being unpleasantly gruff around the edges. Thanks so much for your praise of my MMS post; I always look forward to and appreciate your comments!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-89626482026675077812012-03-10T22:41:16.475-05:002012-03-10T22:41:16.475-05:00Dorian, very nice review of MURDER, MY SWEET. I...Dorian, very nice review of MURDER, MY SWEET. I'm glad it's your second favorite Marlowe adaptation...because it's my fave! Humphrey was just too gruff around the edges to suit my vision of Marlowe. Dick Powell was cynical and rough, but not gruff. I got to meet Dmytryk in the 1970s when he gave a talk at my college. He signed his entry in my copy of THE FILMGOER'S COMPANION. I asked a question about MMS, but everyone else in the audience seemed to be the most interested in CROSSFIRE.Classic Film and TV Cafehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09548537117263337339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-64517088627037863552012-03-10T21:44:56.479-05:002012-03-10T21:44:56.479-05:00Becky, thanks a million for your positive feedback...Becky, thanks a million for your positive feedback on my MURDER, MY SWEET post! I'm tickled that you're an MMS fan, too! I'm glad you enjoyed my fun facts about MMS. The research takes time, but it's part of the fun for me. Glad you got a kick out of my "Thisclose!" gag! Boy, did Dick Powell's decision to go hard-boiled pay off, or what? Here's to going with your gut! :-)DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-48714481058213892052012-03-10T20:53:35.385-05:002012-03-10T20:53:35.385-05:00I loved your description of MMS as your second fav...I loved your description of MMS as your second favorite: "MMS is a darn close second. How close? Thisclose!" Dick Powell was just perfect in MMS. Comparing his looks and manner to his role in 42nd Street as the juvenile crooner, he was wise to go with the more hard-boiled roles. He still looked great, but definitely had to go opposite direction from the earlier films. MMS is a favorite of mine, and your thorough background material and humor made for fascinating reading. Great job, Dorian!ClassicBeckyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03591715859057540467noreply@blogger.com