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ERA
Did you know
57 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Marlowe
"Marlowe is the best private eye in the business. Just ask the people he does business with."
1969 1h 36m EN
😐
6.1
MID
🍅
73%
FRESH
⭐
6.4
IMDB
★6.1TMDB · 96🍅73%Rotten Tomatoes★6.4IMDB · 4,230
CrimeMysteryDrama
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Mysterious Orfamay Quest hires Los Angeles private investigator Philip Marlowe to find her missing brother. Though the job seems simple enough, it leads Marlowe into the underbelly of the city, turning up leads who are murdered with ice picks, exotic dancers, blackmailed television stars, and self-preserving gangsters. Soon, Marlowe's life is on the line right along with his case.
“Marlowe is the best private eye in the business. Just ask the people he does business with.”
Cast
James Garner
Philip Marlowe
Gayle Hunnicutt
Mavis Wald
Carroll O'Connor
Lt. Christy French
Rita Moreno
Dolores Gonzáles
Sharon Farrell
Orfamay Quest
William Daniels
Mr. Cromwell
H.M. Wynant
Sonny Steelgrave
Jackie Coogan
Grant W. Hicks
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Paul Bogart
- Writers
- Stirling Silliphant
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Paul Bogart, shot by William H. Daniels. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Peter Matz. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Gene Ruggiero shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
CAST
Did you know
James Garner and Gayle Hunnicutt and Carroll O'Connor carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
FACT
Did you know
Marketing tagline: "Marlowe is the best private eye in the business. Just ask the people he does business with.".
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
WILD
Did you know
IMDB entry: tt0064638 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
WILD
Did you know
Only 96 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Paul Bogart directs. William H. Daniels behind the camera. Peter Matz scores. Gene Ruggiero cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 157 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
- 2Directed by Paul Bogart, shot by William H. Daniels. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 3Original score by Peter Matz. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 4Editor Gene Ruggiero shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 5James Garner and Gayle Hunnicutt and Carroll O'Connor carry the top of the cast.
- 6Marketing tagline: "Marlowe is the best private eye in the business. Just ask the people he does business with.".
- 7IMDB entry: tt0064638 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 8Only 96 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
The technical file
- Cinematography
- William H. Daniels
- Original score
- Peter Matz
- Editing
- Gene Ruggiero
- Makeup / hair
- William Tuttle
- Runtime
- 96 min · 1h 36m
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- PG
- IMDB
- Marlowe (1969)
- Rotten Tomatoes
- 73% 🍅 Fresh
- IMDB rating
- 6.4/10 · 4,230 votes
- MPAA
- M
Also by
Paul Bogart
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Community reviews
What people are saying
- John Chard★ 7/10
I'm a trained detective! Marlowe is directed by Paul Bogart and adapted to screenplay by Stirling Silliphant from the novel The Little Sister written by Raymond Chandler. It stars James Garner, Gayle Hunnicut, Carroll O'Connor and Rita Moreno. Music is by Peter Matz and cinematography by William H. Daniels. Los Angeles private detective Philip Marlow (Garner) is working on what he thinks is a simple missing persons case, how wrong he is! Q as in Quintessential - U as in Uninhibited - E as in Extrasensory - S as in Subliminal - T as in Toots! Another of the interpretations for the great Chandler creation of Philip Marlowe, unsurprisingly met with mixed notices - just as all the others have done. You do wonder what Chandler would have made of the role portrayals that came out post his death? I like to think he very much would have enjoyed Garner's take, because this Marlowe is a quip happy wise guy, unflappable and cool, he portrays so much with just a glance, and the girls love him. The story is juicy in its little complexities, spinning Marlowe into muddy waters the further he investigates things. His life is always under threat, be it by serial ice-pick users or Asian martial artists (Bruce Lee no less in a nutty couple of scenes) wishing to inflict death, or of arrest by an increasingly frustrated police force. Bogart and Daniels keep the whole thing stylish looking, with film noir camera tricks and colour photography infusing the period details. While the supporting cast, notably the ladies, give Garner some splendid support. It's a different Marlowe for sure, but a thoroughly engaging and entertaining one. 7/10
Production companies
Who made it
- CH
Cherokee Productions
US
- KA
Katzka-Berne Productions
US
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
US
Key crew
- NovelRaymond Chandler
- ProducerGabriel Katzka
- EditorGene Ruggiero
- ProducerSidney Beckerman
- Executive ProducerJames Garner
- Makeup ArtistWilliam Tuttle
- Makeup ArtistPhil Rhodes
- Art DirectionGeorge W. Davis
- Art DirectionAddison Hehr
- Set DecorationHenry Grace
- Set DecorationHugh Hunt
- Costume DesignerFlorence Hackett
- Costume DesignerJames Taylor
- HairstylistSydney Guilaroff
- Makeup ArtistJohn Truwe
- Assistant DirectorBud Grace
- Second Assistant DirectorMichael Daves
- Sound RecordistFranklin Milton
- Special EffectsVirgil Beck
- Visual EffectsJ. McMillan Johnson
- Visual EffectsCarroll L. Shepphird
- StuntsRoydon Clark
- StuntsVictor Paul
- First Assistant CameraHarry Young
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- blackmail
- detective
- murder
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical1969-09-19PG
Also known as
International titles
- Marlowe- The little SisterUS
- The little SisterUS
- Bruce Lee gegen Detective MarloweDE
- Detektiv Marlowe gegen den kleinen DrachenDE
- Detektiv MarloweDE
- Detetive Marlowe em AçãoBR
- L'investigatore MarloweIT
