tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post545612157572559498..comments2024-02-10T04:53:42.121-05:00Comments on Tales of the Easily Distracted: THE BIG SLEEP-OVER! Retooling a Good Bogart Film Into a Great OneDorianTBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-18189220974429510662012-01-06T13:33:56.893-05:002012-01-06T13:33:56.893-05:00John, I'm delighted to see you dropping by TAL...John, I'm delighted to see you dropping by TALES OF THE EASILY DISTRACTED (TotED for short) and putting in your two cents about THE BIG SLEEP! How cool that you got to see the 1945 version with Robert Gitt himself. Glad you agree that Bacall's veil in the 1945 version left something to be desired! :-) I totally agree about movies following their own unique logic. Logic is nice, but the emotions a movie brings out in us viewers is what really makes it special. Thanks for sharing your BIG SLEEP experience, John, and feel free to join the TotED chat anytime!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-35247767822075356032012-01-06T13:23:27.578-05:002012-01-06T13:23:27.578-05:00I caught the 1945 version on the (relatively) big ...I caught the 1945 version on the (relatively) big screen at Facets Multimedia in Chicago back in 1997. The screening of the film was followed by Robert Gitt's excellent comparison with the 1946 version that was eventually featured on the DVD. It was a memorable night at the movies, but I will always prefer the 1946 version. Movies need to follow their own emotional logic and do not necessarily have to make complete sense when laid out in schematic form. Besides, that damn veil is a serious buzzkill.Middle Age Riothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08033189303536996679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-30077278560530780862012-01-06T13:20:54.609-05:002012-01-06T13:20:54.609-05:00I caught the 1945 version on the (relatively) big ...I caught the 1945 version on the (relatively) big screen at Facets Multimedia in Chicago back in 1997. The screening of the film was followed by Robert Gitt's excellent comparison with the 1946 version that was eventually featured on the DVD. It was a memorable night at the movies, but I will always prefer the 1946 version. Movies need to follow their own emotional logic and do not necessarily have to make complete sense when laid out in schematic form. Besides, that damn veil is a serious buzzkill.Middle Age Riothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08033189303536996679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-39487191635959798742011-12-31T14:50:09.901-05:002011-12-31T14:50:09.901-05:00Yvette, thanks for your kind words, and the feelin...Yvette, thanks for your kind words, and the feeling's mutual as to both the brand new year and our friendship! Aren't mutual admiration societies fun? :-)<br /><br />Glad you liked Rick Geary's Raymond Chandler caricature! It's one of a series of rubber stamps from the clever folks at Ready-Made Rubber. I've also used them at TotED to perk up some of my other blog posts, including THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, and most recently, my FICTION NOIR post from November:<br /><br />http://doriantb.blogspot.com/2011/11/fiction-noir-review-thirteen-noir-tales.html<br /><br />Yvette, I'm with you: 2012 sounds very promising indeed, not to put the whammy on it! :-) All of us here at Team Bartilucci H.Q. hope you and your family have a safe and Happy New Year and beyond!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-18117367427512305022011-12-31T14:29:01.823-05:002011-12-31T14:29:01.823-05:00Right back at you, dear Dorian. :)
I have a feeli...Right back at you, dear Dorian. :)<br /><br />I have a feeling that 2012 is going to be a great year. <br /><br />I meant to add that I love that little caricature of Chandler by Geary. Just wonderful.Yvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-29975630842089737292011-12-29T15:05:03.396-05:002011-12-29T15:05:03.396-05:00Thanks for your comment, Eve; you're a strong,...Thanks for your comment, Eve; you're a strong, spirited woman after my own heart! :-) Hope you and yours have the Happiest of New Years, my friend!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-3524067344884250782011-12-29T14:40:40.733-05:002011-12-29T14:40:40.733-05:00'Strong spirited women' are always fun to ...'Strong spirited women' are always fun to watch--especially when Bogie is around. You are so right Dorian! Intangible Heartshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05047040538015079182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-51967865741289618962011-12-27T21:49:29.473-05:002011-12-27T21:49:29.473-05:00Rick, I'm glad you enjoyed my TBS blog post an...Rick, I'm glad you enjoyed my TBS blog post and the 1946 version of it overall, even if you prefer Dick Powell's Marlowe to Humphrey Bogart's Marlowe! :-) But that's the great thing about different actors playing Marlowe: there's one for everybody! :-) As a matter of fact, Dick Powell is my favorite Marlowe next to Bogart, with Powell's snappy delivery and combination of determination and vulnerability. In fact, I've been wanting to write a blog post about Dick Powell in MURDER, MY SWEET for quite some time, so I think I'll do one sometime very soon! Watch This Space, as they say. :-)<br /><br />Cool though it is to imagine a Dick Powell Marlowe in LADY IN THE LAKE, now that today's filmmakers have the technology to film the Little Fawn Lake scene on location, it would be great to see it in all its glory.<br /><br />Happy New Year to you and all the gang at Classic Film and TV Cafe, Rick, and may you and yours have a very Happy New Year with all the good things you want and deserve!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-79433236631334188192011-12-27T21:13:24.996-05:002011-12-27T21:13:24.996-05:00John, I'm so pleased you enjoyed my take on TH...John, I'm so pleased you enjoyed my take on THE BIG SLEEP; many thanks, my friend! You make excellent points about different actors' different portrayals of Philip Marlowe (or in some Chandler/Marlowe films such as LADY IN THE LAKE, Phillip with 2 L's). I think each actor (and of course, each writer and director) portrays Marlowe well in his own way; it's kind of like apples and oranges, when you get down to it. <br /><br />I thought Bogart did a great job playing both Marlowe and Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade. Robert Mitchum is definitely one of my favorite Philip Marlowes, with his combination of world-weariness, coolness, and wry humor. (But hey, when is Mitchum NOT cool? :-)) <br /><br />Of Mitchum's two Marlowe movies, FAREWELL, MY LOVELY is my favorite. Indeed, I thought the chemistry between Mitchum and Charlotte Rampling had a very Bogart-and-Bacall vibe (I loved your description of Bacall!)! But I'm afraid I didn't enjoy Michael Winner's remake of THE BIG SLEEP, though Mitchum himself was terrific as always. I just didn't care for the modern-day milieu and the English locations, and it seemed to me that they all too often substituted violence for wit and chemistry. Granted, it's been some time since I saw it, so maybe I should be a sport and give it another chance.<br /><br />Glad you joined in the conversation, John! Hope 2012 will be a great one for everyone, with plenty of great blog posts to write, read, and enjoy! :-)DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-38548294988378871402011-12-27T19:43:59.477-05:002011-12-27T19:43:59.477-05:00Dorian, THE BIG SLEEP is one of Chandler's bes...Dorian, THE BIG SLEEP is one of Chandler's best novels and I agree that the film adaptation is well-done (love your description of it as a "dizzy, violent, but gleefully entertaining mystery"). However, I am not a fan of Bogart's Marlowe. I can accept Bogart as a detective, but his cynicism is lethargic compared to the snappy retorts delivered by Dick Powell in MURDER, MY SWEET. For me, Powell is the definitive Marlowe; I only wish he had starred a screen version of THE LADY IN THE LAKE (my favorite of the Marlowe novels).Classic Film and TV Cafehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09548537117263337339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-31730097889277138252011-12-27T19:06:38.421-05:002011-12-27T19:06:38.421-05:00As you so rightly state, the confusion of The Big ...As you so rightly state, the confusion of The Big Sleep's plot is incidental to the characters. This is a film filled with wonderful characters, big and small. To me, Bogart plays Marlowe similar to the way he played Sam Spade in "The Maltese Falcon," not that I have a problem with that. He is perfect for the role. I do think Robert Mitchum gives Bogie a run for his money, though his version of "The Big Sleep" runs a far second behind Hawks classic. Mitchum in "Farewell, My Lovely," a much better film, is terrific.<br /><br />And then there is Bacall, damn was she sexy! That voice, those legs, those knowing eyes! <br /><br />Thanks again for a wonderfully written, fun and fact filled post! <br /><br />JohnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-20858474860830916702011-12-27T18:30:39.145-05:002011-12-27T18:30:39.145-05:00Yvette, thanks for your positive comments! I'm...Yvette, thanks for your positive comments! I'm tickled that you enjoyed my "Bogie-man post" (love that phraseology! :-)) about THE BIG SLEEP. Actually, as I may have mentioned elsewhere, my dear late mom really knew how to rock a hat, and some of her swankiest headgear included hats with veils. I think the producers of TBS just thought it would be sexier to see young Lauren Bacall's face; guess that's what the "smart set" were into back in the 1940s! :-) <br /><br />Funny you should mention how old Sternwood looked and how people used to look older than their years back then; maybe it was all those veils and suits! :-) But hey, General Sternwood said it himself as Marlowe sat sweating in the greenhouse amongst the orchids: "If I seem a bit sinister as a parent, Mr. Marlowe, it's because my hold on life is too slight to include any Victorian hypocrisy. I need hardly add that any man who has lived as I have and indulges for the first time in parenthood at my my age deserves all he gets." Ha! He should've seen today's parents, so many of whom are embarking in parenthood in their 40s or older thanks (? :-)) to artificial insemination! And don't get me started on cosmetic surgery! :-)<br /><br />Thanks again, Yvette; it's always fun to chat and quip with you! All of us here at Team Bartilucci H.Q. hope you and your lovely family have a Happy New Year, with hugs and all good things coming your way in 2012!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-61997804782753881942011-12-27T17:51:53.254-05:002011-12-27T17:51:53.254-05:00Enjoyed reading your Bogie-man post, Dorian. Far a...Enjoyed reading your Bogie-man post, Dorian. Far as I'm concerned none of the Chandler films ever made much sense, but they sure were fun to watch.<br /><br />Though I must say, doesn't Sternwood looke a little old to be Bacall and the wild one's old man? He looks more like their grandfather.<br /><br />But I do notice that men and women tended to look older than their years in those days.<br /><br />Of course, it was interesting to find out all the behind the scenes facts too. Actually, I kind of like that veiled hat. :)Yvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-75533203943679190472011-12-27T17:01:09.694-05:002011-12-27T17:01:09.694-05:00Our dear pal and fellow awesome blogger ClassicBec...Our dear pal and fellow awesome blogger ClassicBecky has been dueling with her Internet again, but she has nevertheless been kind enough to get her post to me so I can post it for the enjoyment of all! Here it is:<br /><br />"Dorian, this has to be one of my very favorites of your articles. I had to laugh at '(Clarity? We don’t need no stinkin’ clarity!)' I've been watching the Bogart movies this morning, and that 'badges' line from Treasure of the Sierra Madre had just been said when I was reading your article! Besides that, it echoes my feelings about TBS perfectly. Who cares if everything falls together in sync? It's a great movie! And I bet they had a great time making it, despite what the head honcho had to say!<br /> <br />I consider your post a wonderful blend of humor and facts, all weaved in with the storytelling and your ideas for making the perfect Big Sleep. I did not know so many of the behind-the-scenes facts about TBS, Marlowe, Chandler -- it was fascinating. As for the George Montgomery version, I wouldn't bother. Not that I've ever seen it, so maybe I'm not fair, but I just really dislike George Montgomery! LOL! Excellent article, Ms. Bartilucci. Kudos!"<br /><br />Becky, thanks a million for your praise and for putting a smile on my face during a slow mid-holiday week! (And by the way, I watched the Bogart movies this morning on TCM, too, and right now I'm watching Marlene Dietrich's movies; right how it's WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION, the film that sparked our friendship!) You're the awesome! Big Happy New Year hugs to you and yours from your pals here at Team Bartilucci H.Q.!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-77759747383600681502011-12-24T17:29:32.108-05:002011-12-24T17:29:32.108-05:00Meredith, thank you AND you're welcome! :-) I&...Meredith, thank you AND you're welcome! :-) I've always thought THE BIG SLEEP was one of Bogart and Bacall's best team-ups. Thanks for your great work on your Bogart Blogathon, and for letting me join the fun! Merry Christmas and Happy Bogart's Birthday! <br /><br />By the way, I've added FOREVER CLASSICS to my favorite blogs on my "Further Distractions" list at TotED. Keep your great blog posts coming!DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-19418314763219523362011-12-24T12:39:01.762-05:002011-12-24T12:39:01.762-05:00Thank you for participating! The Big Sleep is one ...Thank you for participating! The Big Sleep is one of my favorite Bogie filmsMeredithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10970672739061727677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509497574816685109.post-83985588911850048872011-12-24T11:40:24.282-05:002011-12-24T11:40:24.282-05:00Hey, gang, here's a Fun Fact from the TCM Web ...Hey, gang, here's a Fun Fact from the TCM Web site: "In a bow to the General Sternwood character, Lauren Bacall played Lew Harper's wheelchair-bound employer in Harper (1966) which starred Paul Newman in the title role of the detective thriller."DorianTBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01357778472575080022noreply@blogger.com