Poodle Springs (1998) (TV)

Director:

Bob Rafelson

Writers (WGA):

Robert B. Parker (book) and
Raymond Chandler (book) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 July 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Sex. Murder. Marlowe. This town has everything.

Plot:

An aging Phillip Marlowe gets mixed up with blackmail & murder among elite social set in 1963.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Stripper | Gigolo | Lamp | Fedora

Awards:

1 win

Cast

James Caan	...	Philip Marlowe
Dina Meyer	...	Laura Parker-Marlowe
David Keith	...	Larry Victor / Charles Nichols
Tom Bower	...	Lt. Arnie Burns
Julia Campbell	...	Miriam 'Muffy' Blackstone-Nichols
Brian Cox	...	Clayton Blackstone
Nia Peeples	...	Angel
Sam Vlahos	...	Eddie Garcia
Michael Laskin	...	Manny Lipshultz
David Byrd	...	Seymour
Joe Don Baker	...	P.J. Parker
Royce D. Applegate	...	Ivan, the Motel Manager
Billy Beck	...	Old Man in Jail
Gary Bullock	...	L.A. Captain
Michael Cooke	...	Captain
Eric DaRe	...	Guard
Johanna DaRe	...	Secretary
Thomas F. Duffy	...	Fat Cop
La Joy Farr	...	Lola Faithful
Mo Gallini	...	J.D. (as Matt Gallini)
Blanca Marsillach	...	Coat Check Lady
Rene L. Moreno	...	Tino (as René Moreno)
Julianna McCarthy	...	Mrs. Dubrowski
Timothy McNeil	...	Sloppy Desk Cop
Dibble Rafelson	...	TV Anchorman
Brad Stine	...	Cop
Carl Sundstrom	...	Burns' Detective
Gabrielle Taurek	...	Lady of the Streets
Greg Travis	...	Leonard
Frank Van Keeken	...	Singing Drunk (as Frank van Keeken)
Robert Wightman	...	Slim Cop
Bugsy	...	Rags
Avalon	...	Lola's Bird
Wrigley	...	Lola's Bird
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tom Stoppard	...	(unconfirmed)
Joe Davis	...	Angels Boyfriend (uncredited)

Directed by
Bob Rafelson

Writing credits (WGA)
Robert B. Parker		(book) and
Raymond Chandler		(book)
Tom Stoppard		(teleplay)

Produced by
Jon Avnet	....	executive producer
William Horberg	....	executive producer
Jordan Kerner	....	executive producer
Tony Mark	....	producer
Sydney Pollack	....	executive producer
Geoff Stier	....	co-executive producer

Original Music by
Michael Small

Cinematography by
Stuart Dryburgh

Film Editing by
Steven Cohen

Casting by
Elaine J. Huzzar
Johanna Ray

Production Design by
Mark Friedberg

Art Direction by
Scott Plauche

Set Decoration by
Kristen Toscano Messina

Costume Design by
Melinda Eshelman

Makeup Department
Enid Arias	....	key hair stylist
Felicity Bowring	....	makeup department head
Jene Fielder	....	body makeup artist (as C. Jene Fielder)
Jane Galli	....	key makeup artist
Lynda Gurasich	....	hair department head

Production Management
Mark S. Hoerr	....	post-production supervisor
Sue Jett	....	production supervisor
Tony Mark	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carla Brand Breitner	....	second second assistant director
Mark Hansson	....	first assistant director: second unit
Mark Hansson	....	second assistant director
Tommy Thompson	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Billy Baker	....	set dresser (as William V. Baker)
Nancy M. Bates	....	second assistant property master
Susan A. Burig	....	graphic designer
Michael A. Capps	....	construction foreman
Gary Clark	....	paint department head
Michael Cutler	....	set dresser
Jonathan R. Hodges	....	property master
Courtney Jackson	....	assistant property master
Courtney Elizabeth Jackson	....	assistant property master
Richard Jerebicz	....	propmaker
Carolyn Lassek	....	on-set dresser
Patrick Lees	....	lead man
Jason Mahakian	....	art department assistant
Rhonda Marshall	....	set dresser
Stephen J. Readmond	....	set dresser
Rob Rudas	....	set dresser
Domenic Silvestri	....	set designer
Easton Michael Smith	....	set designer
Sheri von Seeburg	....	art department coordinator
Amy Vuckovich	....	lead man

Sound Department
Wayne Artman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Brian Best	....	sound editor
Joe Bosco	....	adr recordist
Lawrence L. Commans	....	boom operator
Casey J. Crabtree	....	foley artist (as Casey Crabtree)
Michael Crabtree	....	foley artist (as Mike Crabtree)
Zack Davis	....	adr supervisor
John Michael Fanaris	....	sound effects coordinator
Bruce Fortune	....	sound editor
Robert L. Harman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Grover B. Helsley	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Grover Helsley)
Glenn Hoskinson	....	sound editor
Steve Mann	....	sound editor
Blake Marion	....	sound effects coordinator
Anthony Milch	....	sound editor (as Anthony R. Milch)
Ed Novick	....	sound
Christopher O'Donnell	....	boom operator
Kim Secrist	....	supervising foley editor
Dean St. John	....	adr mixer
Dean St. John	....	foley mixer
Tim Tuchrello	....	assistant sound editor
Dustin Van Baalbergen	....	apprentice sound editor
Donald L. Warner Jr.	....	sound editor
Richard E. Yawn	....	supervising sound editor

Special Effects by
James J. Guarrera	....	effects foreman
Todd Jensen	....	effects technician (as Todd K. Jensen)
Joe D. Ramsey	....	special effects coordinator (as Joe Ramsey)

Stunts
Simone Boisseree	....	stunts
Erik Kleven	....	stunts
Max Kleven	....	stunts
Carl Paoli	....	stunt double: James Caan
David Rowden	....	stunts (as David S. Rowden)
Walter Scott	....	stunt coordinator
Gwynn Turnbull	....	stunts
Julie Wagner	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
James Barrett	....	electrician
Ron Batzdorff	....	still photographer
Rick A. Benedetto	....	best boy electric (as Richard A. Benedetto)
John Brumby	....	generator operator
Loren Corl	....	key grip
Andreas Crawford	....	dolly grip
Ed Dally	....	camera loader
Dhamarata Dhiensuwana	....	rigging key grip
Anthony D. Guzman	....	lighting technician
Jamie Lagerhausen	....	best boy
Jerry L. Marshall	....	grip
Scott McGeo	....	grip
Ted Morris	....	camera operator
Max Neal	....	second assistant camera
Brian W. Nordheim	....	first assistant camera
James Plannette	....	gaffer
Jason Poteet	....	grip

Casting Department
Mary Jane Fendler	....	casting associate (as Mary Jane Lavacca)
Wendy Weidman	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ruben D. Calderon	....	set costumer
Lisa A. Doyle	....	set costumer
David Ferry	....	costumer
Alix Friedberg	....	assistant costume designer
Alison Hirsch	....	wardrobe supervisor
David W. King	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Anthony Gore	....	post-production coordinator
Eric Johannessen	....	colorist
Robert LaRossa	....	color timer
Paul Martinez	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
P.J. Bloom	....	music coordinator
Christopher Dedrick	....	orchestrator
Brenda Heins	....	assistant music editor
Stan Jones	....	music editor
Evyen Klean	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Steve Boyd	....	transportation coordinator
Burton L. Warner	....	driver

Other crew
Peter Barnett	....	first assistant accountant (as Peter J. Barnett)
Paul Belenardo	....	auditor
Greg Benton	....	cast production assistant
Allison Brandin	....	assistant: Mr. Mark
Nick Crossley	....	stand-in
Dave Freed	....	cast production assistant
Christine Gaiman	....	production assistant
Linda 'Sam' Glynn	....	assistant location manager
Marisa B. Gunzenhauser	....	production secretary
Justin Healy	....	assistant location manager
Tim Hillman	....	location manager
Eric L. Hurd	....	production assistant
Janet Jeffries	....	assistant: Mr. Stier
Brian R. Keathley	....	production assistant
Kate Lewis	....	script supervisor
Rick Lovis	....	cast production assistant
Jacky Matthews	....	assistant: Mr. Stoppard
Kelly McMahon	....	assistant: Mr. Caan
Donald 'Sparky' Petersen	....	script assistant
Korey Scott Pollard	....	set production assistant (as Korey Pollard)
Seamus Ruane	....	production assistant
Jack Rubinoff	....	stand-in
Steve Sandoval	....	production coordinator
Matthew Keene Smith	....	assistant: Mr. Rafelson
Sihu Suhr	....	accounting clerk
Elizabeth Tatus	....	stand-in
Anne M. Uemura	....	set production assistant
Diane Ward	....	assistant production coordinator
Burton L. Warner	....	production assistant
Jolene Wolff	....	assistant: Mr. Rafelson

Thanks
Alex Humphrey	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Avnet/Kerner Productions
• Home Box Office (HBO)
• Mirage Enterprises
• Universal TV

Distributors

• Alta Films (Spain)
• Filmitalus (Portugal) (video)
• Gativideo (1998) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Gativideo (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• mediacs AG

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables

Also Known As:

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | Spain:13 | UK:15 | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Avnet/Kerner Productions

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The movie is set in 1963. When James Caan is thrown in jail, early on in the movie, the other inmates are singing "The Times They Are a-Changin". He may have sung it on Oct 26th at Carnegie Hall but it wasn't issued until the album, of which it was title track, came out in January, 1964.

Movie Connections:

References The Thin Man (1934)

First-rate continuation of the Phillip Marlowe character

The late Raymond Chandler's unfinished manuscript POODLE SPRINGS, masterfully completed as a novel by SPENCER creator Robert B. Parker, has been given a first-class screen treatment by Director Bob Rafelson, Screenwriter Tom Stoppard and Production Designer Mark Friedberg. Every familiar signature trait of the Chandler-Marlowe Los Angeles is meticulously recreated and served up with nearly reverential devotion. James Caan is a letter-perfect Marlowe. The part fits him like his gray fedora, no small feat considering he follows in the shoes of such legends as Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum. From matchbooks to automobiles to motels the period atmosphere is extraordinary. When a character drinks a Tab cola, the bottle is a 1963 Tab bottle. When Marlowe pays a call on the rich and powerful, the decor is '63 chic. There is no mistaking it.

Phillip Marlowe is the paradigm 1940s private investigator, but setting this story in 1963, four years after Chandler's death in 1959, is not only correct, it is part of the material's distinguished treatment. Had Chandler lived a few more years, this might well be the Marlowe he wrote for us. Parker, Rafelson and Stoppard have honored the Chandler-Marlowe heritage as the golden fleece of the American film noir and hard-boiled genres. Which, of course, it is.

One question: Why did I just happen to catch this on cable TV a year after it was released? I'd never heard anything about it. Such excellent work deserves publicity. Lots of it.