Customer Reviews

Marlowe [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

if you liked james garner in the "rockford files" you will dig this,a typical gumshoe movie of the era, but a cut above the "our man flint,and "matt helm" movies.james garner plays phillip marlowe,a detective who doesnt like to start trouble, but always seems to solicit it. he runs into the path of a gangster who has a henchman,who's not a-typical....you guessed it!Bruce lee. the scene where bruce visits marlowe's office,is what the movie "Bullit " was to car chases,and what every rock star tried to do to a hotel room.a must see for Lee fans!

"This is Philip Marlowe leave your message after the tone..." If "Marlowe" had opened with these lines I wouldn't have been surprised in the least even though it was made four years before "The Rockford Files". "Marlowe" based on one of Raymond Chandler's lesser known novels entitled "The Little Sister". Writer Sterling Sillipant and director Paul Bogart give us an update bringing the story into the swinging 60's. The screenplay by Sillipant ("In the Heat of the Night")keeps the basic elements of Chandler's story and while the direction is a bit pedestrian the performances especially star James Garner, Carroll O'Connor, William Daniels, Rita Moreno and a supporting turn by Bruce Lee prior to his leap (pardon the pun...watch the movie and you'll understand)make for an enjoyable mystery/thriller.

Working on a missing persons case for a young woman (Sharon Farrell), Marlowe finds two of his potential leads dead with ice picks buried in their necks. He suddenly finds himself on the receiving end of an assault and threats for a case that suddenly takes a vicious turn.

Warner Archive has done a nice job on this DVD-R on demand. The print does contain speckles and there's some dirt and grit visible during the opening titles (no surprise)but, on the whole, the print looks quite nice even if there hasn't been any attempt to restore the film. Detail is nice and while the image occasionally veers on the soft side "Marlowe" looks quite nice for a 42 year old movie.

Audio sounds quite good with dialogue coming through nice and clear. It's a pity that there are no subtitles though as the likely audience for this movie would probably appreciate it.

The only special feature included is the original trailer for the movie.

While the film is a bit dated, it's a delight to see Garner in the role as Marlowe. Sillipant alters the material so that the role of Marlowe fits Garner like a well tailored suit. O'Connor and Moreno give terrific supporting turns that help elevate the material.

Recommended for fans of Garner, vintage late 60's films and Raymond Chandler. "Marlowe" may not be a perfect movie but this minor 60's classic is still an enjoyable flick.

This is a very entertaining 60's detective romp. It isn't too dated for the most part. It is interesting to see a few of Rockford's traits in Marlowe, the Oreo cookies, the charm, and the slightly illegal activities.
He is attacked by Bruce Lee's character and finesses his way out.
He ends up further behind than he started like Rockford.

I enjoyed this movie and found it unpredictable, funny and a precursor to Rockford.

The third actor to play Raymond Chandler's world-weary private eye, Garner brings his laid back charm to this adaption of the novel "The Little Sister". Different from Bogie or Dick Powell -- as well as his successors, Elliot Gould (THE LONG GOODBYE), Robert Mitchum (FAREWELL MY LOVELY & THE BIG SLEEP) and Powers Boothe (the HBO series from the mid 1980's). Garner brings his own brand of toughness to the part. Best remembered for Bruce Lee's "flying" sequence. Top notch cast also includes Gayle Hunnicutt (who would years later in an episode of the Powers Boothe series), Carroll O'Connor, William Daniels and Rita Moreno.

A hip and cool crime drama, Marlowe (1969) features James Garner as Raymond Chandler's iconic private detective Phillip Marlowe. At the time, the film was a modern reinterpretation of the classic hardnosed private eye, who first appeared in print in 1939, and had last been featured onscreen in 1947. The affable and versatile Garner, brought a new spin to the character. Those who had previously played Chandler's hard edged detective, included Humphrey Bogart in film, and Van Heflin in radio serials. The cool and suave Garner was a change of pace, however it should be recognized that the classic film noir days were clearly no more.

The screenplay for Marlowe was written by Sterling Silliphant, and was based on Chandler's novel, The Little Sister (1949). As in the book, Orfamay Quest (Sharon Farrell) has come to Southern California all the way from Kansas, and hired Phillip Marlowe to locate her missing brother Orin. Marlowe soon finds himself embroiled in a web of mystery, intrigue, blackmail, jealousy, greed, family ties, and murder. To keep working the case, the detective has to convince police Lt. Christy French (Carroll O'Connor) that he is not the one leaving ice picks stuck in the back of several murder victims.

Some incriminating photos, lead Marlowe to Orfamay's older sister, actress Mavis Wald (Gayle Hunnicutt), and her close friend Dolores Gonzales (Rita Moreno), a dancer in a night club. Wald's boyfriend Sonny Steelgrave (H.M. Wynatt), is an underworld figure who sends his messenger Winslow Wong (martial arts superstar Bruce Lee), to visit Marlowe. When Marlowe refuses a bribe to get off the case, Wong destroys his office in one of the film's more memorable scenes. Things get more dark and twisted, as Gonzales's ex-husband Dr. Vincent Lagardie (Paul Stevens) is involved in Orin's disappearance, and when more corpses turn up, Marlowe finds himself sticking his neck out, covering up crimes, and then later stepping aside, when another murder is about to occur.

Although this Phillip Marlowe is a less violent and more cerebral version than in the past, Garner is so real and natural in the role, that it's pretty hard not to like his performance. There are some similarities between Garner's Marlowe, and Jim Rockford from The Rockford Files, however the material is more somber, and delves into the darker side of human nature, with almost nothing played for laughs. Marlowe but seems tougher, meaner, and much more morally ambiguous, than Jim Rockford.

The film has a terrific supporting cast, with Carroll O'Connor a couple of years from All In The Family. The multi-talented Rita Moreno, gets an opportunity to act and display her dancing talents. Moreno would later win an Emmy in a guest starring appearance with Garner on The Rockford Files. Sharon Farrell is also very good, as the emotional Orfamay. Later in her career, after having lived in London for many years, Gayle Hunnicutt, who was born in Texas, would develop some really classy British mannerisms, but here in Marlowe, she seems very American with a slight Texas drawl. Another reason for the notoriety of this film, is the presence of the legendary Bruce Lee. Lee had come to the attention of the American public, playing Kato in The Green Hornet TV series (1966-67), and was about to begin his martial arts film career in Hong Kong. Tragically, Lee would meet an untimely death in 1973, at only 32 years of age.

Happily this very entertaining and well-constructed suspense thriller is scheduled for a long overdue DVD release.

Combine the outrageously sexy original movie poster with the outrageously sexy striptease by a platinum blonde wigged uber hot hot Rita Moreno at the movie's conclusion, throw in the wisecracking but ever competent James Garner as the hero, and you've got one of the best private eye updates ever!! I was lucky enough to tape the unedited version on a late night Turner Classic Movies showing on my still reliable svhs recorder 15 years ago, and I just recently transferred the still pristine copy onto my Panasonic dvd recorder. Here's hoping Warner's Archive releases this great movie sometime soon, hopefully with at least the trailer included! Can't Wait!!!

Garner wins our sympathy as a battered P.I. who's client doesn't like him and neither do the thugs who cross his path. This movie will make you feel like laughing and crying at the some time. But you know that Marlowe is tough enough to come out on top at the end of the day. Sort of corny in a Seventies kind of way, Marlowe is definitely comforting mind candy so curl up with a bowl of popcorn and enjoy!

I review this as a lover of almost all the previous Marlowe films (the exception is
Elliot Gould in the Long Goodbye which is terrible). For me,Garner fits in well
with Bogart,Powell,Mitchum,Boothe (and even Caan in Poodle Springs). I've always
thought the story (Little Sister) to be one of Chandler's best-I suppose in
part because it has a bit more of a romantic interest for Marlowe than some
of the stories. As to the lack of logic in the story cited by one of the reviewers,
this is somewhat characteristic of Chandler. For example,there are still discussions
over what is going on in the Big Sleep. I don't think the update to the
1970s (Bruce Lee,hippies..) jarring to the original story. Drugs were certainly present
in many of the books. The DVD contains no extras (not even subtitles) which is
perhaps a shame.

As a Bruce Lee fan, it's great to see this title given some sort of official release all be it on DVD-R. The quality of picture and sound are both very good. Be warned though as this is one of Warner's archive collection and produced to order rather than mass produced there are no bells and whistles. It would have been nice to have had the inclusion of a picture gallery as well as the original trailer on the disc but hey, beggars can't be choosers. Service was excellent the product arrived on time and in great condition.

In this film James Garner does a great job in being the down on his luck, in the middle of it all detective Phillip Marlowe. he is the strength of this movie. The writing is good and has an outstanding cast of character actors. Carroll Oconnor, Gayle Hunnicutt, Sharynn Farrell, and Kenneth Tobey to name a few.
If you collect mystery or detective films this is a great addition to your collection.