IMDb > The Big Sleep (1978)

The Big Sleep (1978) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
5.4/10   1,555 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Michael Winner
Writers:
Raymond Chandler (novel)
Michael Winner (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Big Sleep on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
10 May 1978 (France) more
Genre:
Crime | Mystery | Romance | Thriller more
Tagline:
Some days business is good - and some days it's murder! more
Plot:
Set in England, rather than California, the story follows Raymond Chandler's book fairly closely otherwise... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
NewsDesk:
DVD Playhouse--July 2009
 (From The Hollywood Interview. 14 July 2009, 12:00 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Moving It To the UK more (38 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Robert Mitchum ... Philip Marlowe
Sarah Miles ... Charlotte Sternwood

Richard Boone ... Lash Canino
Candy Clark ... Camilla Sternwood

Joan Collins ... Agnes Lozelle
Edward Fox ... Joe Brody

John Mills ... Inspector Jim Carson

James Stewart ... General Sternwood

Oliver Reed ... Eddie Mars
Harry Andrews ... Norris
Colin Blakely ... Harry Jones
Richard Todd ... Commander Barker
Diana Quick ... Mona Grant
James Donald ... Inspector Gregory
John Justin ... Arthur Geiger
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
99 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Finland:K-16 | Singapore:M18 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Germany:16 | Australia:M | France:U | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Iceland:16
Filming Locations:
Avery Hill Park and Winter Gardens, Avery Hill Park, Bexley Road, Greenwich, London, England, UK more
Company:
Incorporated Television Company (ITC) more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Robert Mitchum was sixty when the movie was filmed in the autumn of 1977, much older than the 38-year-old Marlowe of the novel. more
Quotes:
Philip Marlowe: [of Mrs. Regan] She'd make a jazzy weekend, but she'd be a bit wearing for a steady diet. more
Movie Connections:
Version of The Big Sleep (1946) more
Soundtrack:
Won't Somebody Dance With Me more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
6 out of 9 people found the following comment useful.
Moving It To the UK, 27 September 2006
5/10
Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

This version of The Big Sleep is the classic reason why you don't remake a classic. Funny thing is that Robert Mitchum got deserved plaudits for what he did in remaking Farewell My Lovely a few years earlier.

As Monk would say, here's the thing. A masterful job was done in keeping the story within it's 1940s milieu. Except for some things that couldn't be in the film because of the Code and the color photography, Farewell My Lovely could have been shot side by side with the Dick Powell Murder My Sweet. Raymond Chandler's noir world of the forties was recreated brilliantly.

So who was the genius who thought to age Marlowe thirty years and bring him into the swinging seventies of London? Sherlock Holmes was brought to Washington, DC for a war time propaganda piece to the dismay of all Holmes purists. Chandler purists were similarly affronted here.

Sad because a really great cast was wasted in this. One thing I'm sure the audience must have felt is how the American expatriate general played by James Stewart could have one English accented daughter in Sarah Miles and an American accented one in Candy Clark? I'm still scratching my head over that one. English gangster/gambler Oliver Reed employs an American hit man on retainer in Richard Boone. Another puzzle.

It was nice however to see Robert Mitchum and James Stewart in the one and only film they made together. Stewart's only scenes in the film are with Mitchum and when the two Hollywood icons died in successive days in 1997 clips from The Big Sleep were running for a week.

I don't need to give any plot details for those who've seen the fabulous Humphrey Bogart-Lauren Bacall version. If you want to stargaze, watch this film, if you want to see some classic performances don't miss the Bogart one.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (38 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Big Sleep (1978)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Better than the original on ONE POINT ONLY!!! sam_roberts1967
Joan's Fight With Mitchum johnnyb94109
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Big Sleep Farewell, My Lovely Basic Instinct The Maltese Falcon 8MM
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Crime section IMDb UK section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.