Chandler (1971)

Director:

Paul Magwood

Writers:

Paul Magwood (story)
John Sacret Young (writer)

Release Date:

1 December 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Crime

Tagline:

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

Plot Keywords:

Los Angeles California | Crime Boss | African American | Parking Garage | Kidnapping

Cast

Warren Oates	...	Chandler
Leslie Caron	...	Katherine Creighton
Alex Dreier	...	Ross J. Carmady
Mitch Ryan	...	Charles 'Chuck' Kincaid (as Mitchell Ryan)
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

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:GP | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Union Station - 800 N. Alameda Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

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.

Quotes:

Katherine Creighton: What are you?
Chandler: I'm a relic.
Katherine Creighton: I can see that.
Chandler: I got tired. Thought I'd go up to San Quentin, and strap myself into an electric chair.
Katherine Creighton: Except at San Quentin, it's the gas chamber...
[laughs]
Katherine Creighton: Nothing ever works out.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Warren Oates: Across the Border (1993)

"C-H-A-N-D-L-E-R...Chandler, as in Raymond."

Former private eye-turned-security guard ditches his latest droning job and is immediately offered a chance to return to his previous profession. His assignment: to tail a mysterious French woman newly arrived in California...and apparently wanted by suit-and-tie racketeers. Unsuccessful attempt to update the film noir genre, without enough sting or wit (or involving plot dynamics) in the screenplay. Director and co-scenarist Paul Magwood (who later claimed the picture was edited without his involvement) doesn't give off the impression of having high regard for the '40s films his "Chandler" was borne from; his nostalgia is appropriately rumpled, but also bitter-tinged and somewhat indifferent. The handling is curiously, commendably low-keyed, and Warren Oates is well-cast as this '70s variant on the 'private dick' archetype, but the movie doesn't have any snap. Nice to see Leslie Caron and Gloria Grahame in the cast--though neither has much to do, and Caron's hot-and-cold running character is exasperating throughout. Vivid cinematography by Alan Stensvold, nice location shooting, but it fails to come to any kind of a boil. *1/2 from ****