The Long Goodbye (1973)

Detective Philip Marlowe tries to help a friend who is accused of murdering his wife.

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

Leigh Brackett (screenplay), Raymond Chandler (novel)

Stars:

Elliott Gould, Nina van Pallandt, Sterling Hayden

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elliott Gould	...	Philip Marlowe
Nina van Pallandt	...	Eileen Wade
Sterling Hayden	...	Roger Wade
Mark Rydell	...	Marty Augustine
Henry Gibson	...	Dr. Verringer
David Arkin	...	Harry
Jim Bouton	...	Terry Lennox
Warren Berlinger	...	Morgan
Jo Ann Brody	...	Jo Ann Eggenweiler
Stephen Coit	...	Detective Farmer (as Steve Coit)
Jack Knight	...	Mabel
Pepe Callahan	...	Pepe
Vincent Palmieri	...	Vince (as Vince Palmieri)
Pancho Córdova	...	Doctor (as Pancho Cordoba)
Enrique Lucero	...	Jefe

Storyline

Chain-smoking, wisecracking private eye Philip Marlowe drives a buddy from LA to the Tijuana border and returns home to an apartment full of cops who arrest him for abetting the murder of his friend's wife. After Marlowe's release, following the reported suicide in Mexico of his friend, a beautiful woman hires him to locate her alcoholic and mercurial husband. Then, a hoodlum and his muscle visit to tell Marlowe that he owes $350,000, mob money the dead friend took to Mexico. Marlowe tails the hood, who goes to the house of the woman with the temperamental husband. As Marlowe pulls these threads together, his values emerge from beneath the cavalier wisecracking.

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Plot Keywords:

mexico | murder | suicide | arrest | alcoholic | 

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Taglines:

Nothing says goodbye like a bullet.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller | Mystery

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 March 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Tod kennt keine Wiederkehr

Filming Locations:

9000 West Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

E-K-Corporation, Lion's Gate Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name that Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould) told the police he was called was Sidney Jenkins.

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Goofs

When the cat won't eat, the position of the cat and food dish change.

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Quotes

Roger Wade aka Billy Joe Smith: You know, if I could just get you to understand that when a writer can't write, it's just like being impotent.
Eileen Wade: I understand what that's like, too.
Roger Wade aka Billy Joe Smith: Oh, you do, do you? You do? BALLS, BABY, BALLS!

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Connections

References The Jazz Singer (1927)

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Soundtracks

"The Long Goodbye"
by John Williams and Johnny Mercer
Performed by The Dave Grusin Trio, Jack Sheldon, Clydie King, Jack Riley, Morgan Ames' Aluminum Band, The Tepoztlan Municipal Band

User Reviews

Altman tells a story in a rhythm

Easily one of Altman's best films and an early precursor to other films later in the decade by the director. The Long Goodbye is a fine transition in style to Altmans later films like "Nashville" and "A Wedding" Elliot Gould does an outstanding job portraying the outre detective Phillip Marlowe, using his mumbling, bumbling, smart ass speaking style, as a technique to keep the film under the illusion that everything is in motion, like the ocean waves in the film, Marlowe speaks in a sort of beatnik type "Daddy-O" style combined with a smooth talking private eye, and the result works perfectly. The film works like it is timed by a metronome, it rolls along, seamlessly in a way that only Altman can achieve, and like the rhythm of the waves and Marlowe's speech, the camera is constantly in motion as well. The roving camera does an excellent job of allowing the viewer to feel as though they are witnessing more action than actually exists on screen.

Wade (Sterling Hayden) is a fantastic Hemingway-esque writer in the film. Hayden's size and booming voice, in conjunction with his alcoholism and potential brutality, lend an aroma of unpredictableness to his character. Wade's beautiful wife, who has a mysterious bruise on her face, is like a timid, loyal animal, subjected to the whims of her over bearing master. Henry Gibson, who plays Wade's doctor, is excellent as a sort of despotic mouse, who frightens an elephant into conforming to his will, this irony is one of the films intriguing, bizarre twists.

This film works well as a character study, and is one of the best films of the seventies. A must see for every student of film. 9/10