JohnHowardReid Robert Altman's film version of The Long Goodbye (1973) offered little succor to Chandler devotees. Far from the comparatively suave heights of Dick Powell and Humphrey Bogart (where Marlowe's suit may be a bit rumpled, his face occasionally unshaven), the habitually disheveled Eliott Gould, stunningly miscast as a bumbling, mumbling derelict slob of a Marlowe, was then joined by a colorless model-turned-Barbie doll, Nina Van Pallandt. Joining this less than awesome twosome was a supposedly enticing former film hero, Sterling Hayden - here making his screen return in a character role in which he stubbornly and loquaciously out-stayed his original welcome. All in all, this was a most disappointing affair.(M-G-M have released an excellent 10/10 DVD, but I doubt if they have many buyers).

BILLYBOY-10 Love Chandler movies, but this one is too contemporary and Gould's non-stop smoking was terribly distracting. There is so much wast here and his wise-cracks are boring. This entire film could have been done in about 40 minutes or less but it drags and drags.The theme song is dreadful and the acting by Sterling Hayden is horrible. Was he really drunk and reading his lines off a cue card? Really bad.The final solution is obvious and no surprise but the the part where he dispenses with his old pal was surprising, didn't know he was a killer.All-in-all, a much, much too too long film and poorly acted. I should have sat and sipped brandy with Sternwood instead.

runamokprods Like a lot of Altman's films, I liked this much better on a second viewing. It's a fascinating mix of both heartfelt homage, and style twisting parody and re-imagining of film noir, with a great performance by Sterling Hayden, a very good one by Mark Rydell, and a solid one by Elliott Gould.A lot of it is quite funny and entertaining, but there's a sad, almost tragic side under all the hip irony. The ending is powerful, if a bit rushed. I'd put this among Altman's best films, but as I said, it took a second look to get there. The newer blu-rays (US and UK) look way better than the older, out of print DVDs, although given the visual style Altman was working in, a certain softness and lack of contrast is built in to the look of the film. It's quite intentional, and not a flaw in the transfer.

romanorum1 Loosely followed from Raymond Chandler's penultimate book about private-eye Phillip Marlowe (1953), "The Long Goodbye" was updated to a hip and hedonistic (i.e., topless yoga) world of 1973 California. Elliot Gould stars as an easy-going, chain-smoking, old-fashioned Marlowe, a wisecracking and disconnected observer of modern life. Others had previously played the Marlowe role, most notably Humphrey Bogart in "The Big Sleep" (1945). In the pre-credit opening sequence, to a brief tune of "Hooray for Hollywood," Marlowe is awakened at 3:00 AM by his hungry cat. As the detective has run out of pet food, he goes to the all-night supermarket. The cat's favorite brand is sold out, so Marlowe tries a substitute. Returning to his penthouse apartment, Marlowe places the cat food into an empty discarded can of its favorite brand. The cat is not fooled, however, and leaps off the counter and runs away. In the meantime, Terry Lennox (former baseball pitcher Jim Bouton), Marlowe's close friend, arrives at Marlow's and asks the detective to drive him with his two duffel bags to the border at Tijuana in Mexico to get away from his trouble with a local gangster. We will later learn that Lennox was running money across the Mexican border and it was not delivered. When Marlowe returns home he is arrested by the local police, who tell him that Terry's wife Sylvia has been murdered and that Marlowe may be an accomplice. As the gumshoe utters impudent answers to questions, he is held for three days. The beleaguered detective is finally released when the police notify him that Mexican authorities have confirmed that Lennox is dead, having shot himself. Before dying, Lennox had written a confession that he murdered Sylvia. But as Marlowe cannot possibly believe that Lennox is a murderer he decides to investigate further. Meanwhile Marlowe is hired by Lennox's neighbor Eileen Wade (Nina van Pallandt) to find her alcoholic, boorish, and large husband, Roger (Sterling Hayden), who has been missing for a week. With ease Marlowe locates Roger, who was held in a shady detoxification sanitarium under the direction of creepy and diminutive Dr. Verringer (Henry Gibson), who is not beyond humiliating the much bigger man (6'5"/220 pounds). Jewish gangster Marty Augustine (Mark Rydell), arriving with his gang of thugs, tells Marlowe that when Lennox went to Mexico he took a large bag containing $355,000 of his money. Augustine wants his money back and threatens Marlowe with physical harm. For emphasis, he does commit one quick and surprising act of violence to his mistress Jo Ann with a coke bottle. When Augustine leaves, the detective trails him to Roger and Eileen's beach residence. HINT: Eileen was not truthful to Marlowe when she denied knowing Terry and Sylvia Lennox, her Malibu neighbors. But exactly how are the two Wades, Lennox, and the mobster connected? The charming and manipulating Eileen now says that Roger was having an affair with Sylvia. Then, after a Malibu beach party, Roger wades into the ocean and drowns himself. The private-eye believes that Roger was feeling guilt for murdering Sylvia. But was Lennox the killer all along? Was he having an affair with Eileen, and did he crave some of that Wade fortune, which is obviously extensive? Meanwhile Marlowe has received a note and a $5,000 bill (a James Madison) from Lennox in the mail for his services. He drives to Mexico to confirm the death of Lennox. Somewhat satisfied, although the Mexican authorities said that Lennox had just one duffel bag, he returns to LA. In the presence of Augustine and his gang, Marlowe is searched and his $5,000 Madison bill is discovered. (There were three in Augustine's $355,000 bag.) While this "conference" is in progress the stash of money is delivered; the gangster is satisfied and releases Marlowe. So who had and who returned the cash?ADDITIONAL SPOILERS: When Marlowe arrives at Eileen's, he discovers that she has put her house up for sale and left. Not totally convinced of the meaning of some recent events and realizing he has been used by several people, Marlowe returns to Mexico and discovers the authorities were bribed by Lennox, who is still alive. He tracks Lennox at a hacienda, and the latter admits to killing his wife Sylvia accidentally and initially failing to deliver Augustine's $355,000 to Mexico City. That information does not bother Marlowe as much as Lennox used him and placed his life in danger. Lennox even insults him. Consequently, without batting an eyelash Marlowe pulls out his pistol and fires. Right after Eileen is seen driving her jeep to the hacienda as "Hooray for Hollywood" is played. It is obvious that Eileen and Lennox were having an affair. They clearly returned the cash after she had inherited Roger's large fortune. So there was not really much for Marlowe to solve, but there certainly was a score to settle! One may differ with director Roger Altman's ("MASH," 1970) anachronistic adaptation of Chandler's hero, but the picture does succeed. Furthermore, since when was Altman a purist? Moreover, Gould, not the misogynist of "MASH," provides one of his best performances as a not-so-tough disheveled sleuth who also drives an old car, like fictional police detective Columbo. In fact, the acting is fine throughout, even by a quirky cast of characters who inhabit LA. Near the beginning catch David Carradine as a jailed hash-smoking philosopher and towards the end spot Arnold Schwarzenegger as one of Augustine's henchmen.