Chandler (1971)

A hardboiled aging private eye is hired to find and protect a missing government witness sought after by the gangsters. The witness is a beautiful French woman and even the cops can't be trusted. The case is tough, but so is Chandler.

Director:

Paul Magwood

Writers:

Paul Magwood (story), John Sacret Young

Stars:

Warren Oates, Leslie Caron, Alex Dreier

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Warren Oates	...	Chandler
Leslie Caron	...	Katherine Creighton
Alex Dreier	...	Ross J. Carmady
Mitchell Ryan	...	Charles 'Chuck' Kincaid
Gordon Pinsent	...	John Melchior
Charles McGraw	...	Bernie Oakman
Richard Loo	...	Leo
Gloria Grahame	...	Selma
Royal Dano	...	Sal Sachese (scenes deleted)
Walter Burke	...	Zeno
Marianne McAndrew	...	Angel Carter
Scatman Crothers	...	Smoke
Lal Baum	...	Waxwell
Charles Shull	...	Binder Ransin
John Mitchum	...	Rudy, Bartender

Storyline

A hardboiled aging private eye is hired to find and protect a missing government witness sought after by the gangsters. The witness is a beautiful French woman and even the cops can't be trusted. The case is tough, but so is Chandler.

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Plot Keywords:

witness | gangster | french | crime wave | world war two | 

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Taglines:

Chandler is a private eye. It's a hard way to make a living... and an easy way to die.

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Genres:

Drama | Crime

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Certificate:

GP

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 December 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

Open Shadow

Filming Locations:

Pebble Beach, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to "Uprising at MGM," a Time Magazine article of Dec. 27, 1971, director Paul Magwood and producer Michael Laughlin placed a black-bordered ad in the Hollywood Reporter apologizing for the movie, claiming that MGM studio chief James T. Aubrey had severely re-cut Chandler (1971) and added previously deleted scenes, in Aubrey's judgment, to simplify the plot. Aubrey also allegedly changed the film score from 1940s-type music to something more contemporary. The producer and director also claimed that Magwood was denied entry to the editing room while Aubrey revised the film.

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Goofs

When Carmady shoots the man in the parking structure a loud report can be heard from inside the car; yet when Kincaid shows up, and Carmady hands him the gun it has a suppressor on the barrel of a revolver. Which anyone knows does not suppress the blast.

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Quotes

Bernie Oakman: Chandler! You're alive! I got a job for ya!

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Connections

Featured in Warren Oates: Across the Border (1993)

User Reviews

Paralyzing and Feeble

Of all the 1970's attempts at reviving Film-Noir this is by far the worst. The other Neo-Noirs are far superior and each have an appeal that goes far beyond a gallant effort. This one had rumblings of Studio meddling and was disowned by its Creators.

But that seems to be an attempt at apologizing for their own failures. Because it is doubtful that anything shot assembled in any order and no matter what Score was used, this is a giant misstep of the first order.

The incoherent Plot and the paralyzing dull Dialog are unforgiving. There are feeble tries at some Pulp Fiction one liners and cynical sayings but it is just uninspired and unwelcome. it is ironically a cross-era example of a style out of time. The Gumshoe icon of the Forties and Fifties seems unable to make the time transfer when it is up to mediocre Writers and Filmmakers.

There are other more worthy successes like The Long Goodbye (1973), Farewell My Lovely (1975), Chinatown (1974) and others that prove that the retro resurrection can work and it is those Films that made it possible for the Neo-Noir Genre to flourish to this day.