No wonder other writers all claimed they knew what The Singing Detective was about. This episode is very self referential. The meta aspect of the story was rarer back in the 1980s.
Once again Philip Marlowe's real life and his fictional world bleed through. Reginald (Gerard Horan) who keeps getting pestered by Mr Hall (David Ryall) about the book he is reading, reveals is called The Singing Detective. He then learns that the author of the novel has been in the same ward for weeks.
In the present Marlow is on to his ex wife's scheme of swindling him over his screenplay. She wants Marlow to sign a contract with her lover's company who plans to sell it on as his own work.
In the past. A young Philip Marlow cannot get over that he saw his mother having an affair and seem to have left his dad. His skin condition has manifested for the first time.
As for school, the boy he blames for a dirty deed is the son of the man who is having an affair with his mother.
There is a revealing scene where Marlow and the psychiatrist (Bill Paterson) engage in wordplay. It is well performed by both actors and tells a lot about Marlow's state of mind. Just what is beneath his skin.
Once again Philip Marlowe's real life and his fictional world bleed through. Reginald (Gerard Horan) who keeps getting pestered by Mr Hall (David Ryall) about the book he is reading, reveals is called The Singing Detective. He then learns that the author of the novel has been in the same ward for weeks.
In the present Marlow is on to his ex wife's scheme of swindling him over his screenplay. She wants Marlow to sign a contract with her lover's company who plans to sell it on as his own work.
In the past. A young Philip Marlow cannot get over that he saw his mother having an affair and seem to have left his dad. His skin condition has manifested for the first time.
As for school, the boy he blames for a dirty deed is the son of the man who is having an affair with his mother.
There is a revealing scene where Marlow and the psychiatrist (Bill Paterson) engage in wordplay. It is well performed by both actors and tells a lot about Marlow's state of mind. Just what is beneath his skin.
