Lady in the Lake (1947)

The lady editor of a crime magazine hires Philip Marlowe to find the wife of her boss. The private detective soon finds himself involved in murder.

Director:

Robert Montgomery

Writers:

Steve Fisher (screenplay), Raymond Chandler (novel)

Stars:

Robert Montgomery, Audrey Totter, Lloyd Nolan

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Montgomery	...	Phillip Marlowe
Audrey Totter	...	Adrienne Fromsett
Lloyd Nolan	...	Lt. DeGarmot
Tom Tully	...	Capt. Kane
Leon Ames	...	Derace Kingsby
Jayne Meadows	...	Mildred Havelend
Dick Simmons	...	Chris Lavery
Morris Ankrum	...	Eugene Grayson
Lila Leeds	...	Receptionist
William Roberts	...	Artist
Kathleen Lockhart	...	Mrs. Grayson
Ellay Mort	...	Chrystal Kingsby

Storyline

The camera shows Phillip Marlowe's view from the first-person in this adaptation of Raymond Chandler's book. The detective is hired to find a publisher's wife, who is supposed to have run off to Mexico. But the case soon becomes much more complicated as people are murdered.

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Plot Keywords:

detective | murder | lake | editor | magazine | 

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Taglines:

DIFFERENT...DRAMATIC...DARING! (original print media ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 April 1947 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

A Dama do Lago

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first-person camera technique used by Robert Montgomery is known as "subjective camera," and had not before been employed in this manner beyond the first few minutes of a film (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, in 1931, by pioneering director Rouben Mamoulian.)

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Goofs

When Phillip Marlowe hands to Miss Adrienne Fromsett the telegraph from El Paso, TX, it is handed to her both upside down and reversed! She seems to be reading the blank side of the telegraph, as you can see the title of the telegraph from the bottom side.

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Quotes

Lt. DeGarmot: [learns Marlowe is writing fiction] What are you trying to do, elevate yourself?

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Connections

Referenced in Hold Your Breath and Cross Your Fingers: The Story of 'Dark Passage' (2003)

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Soundtracks

"For He's a Jolly Good Fellow"
Traditional
Sung at the office Christmas party

User Reviews

Interesting...very interesting.

I saw this film on TMC on Christmas Eve 2000. I thought it was pretty interesting. The first first-person film I've ever seen. It really caught the first-person POV with which Chandler wrote the novel. I loved Marlowe, wise-cracking, one-liners ("Do you fall in love with all of your clients? Only the ones in skirts.") I thought the director handled the camera very well, with the mirrors to show the first-person perspective. I like it a lot. Great noir! Kept me riveted.