The Big Sleep

Humphrey Bogart stars as Philip Marlowe in Howard Hawks's 1946 adaptation of Raymond Chandler's classic detective novel, with Lauren Bacall his match as Vivian Rutledge, spoiled socialite daughter of Marlowe's client. The mystery revolves around blackmail, petty gangsters, and an underground pornography ring, but the movie is carried by the sexual chemistry of Bogart and Bacall in their second screen pairing (she made her debut opposite Bogart in To Have and Have Not and they became a real-life couple soon after). The snappy script and witty dialogue, written by William Faulkner and screenwriting greats Leigh Brackett and Jules Furthman, is rife with sexual metaphors and cutting bon mots, while the convoluted mystery serves as a backdrop for a charged romance and a contemplation of honor in the corrupt culture of L.A.'s underworld. Martha Vickers plays Vivian's reckless, sexually precocious younger sister, and Dorothy Malone is memorable in one of her first significant roles as a bookstore owner who helps out Marlowe with a case, and then closes shop for a little afternoon romance. The release was delayed for a year as Hawks added new scenes—such as a suggestive conversation between Bogie and Bacall in which horse racing becomes a not-so-thinly veiled metaphor for sex ("A lot depends on who's in the saddle")—and removed others, including a long expository sequence meant to clarify the complicated plot. This Blu-ray debut, part of the Warner Archive collection, features both versions, along with an introduction by film preservationist Robert Gitt, and a bonus featurette examining the differences between the two versions of the film. Arguably the greatest Chandler adaptation ever made, and the definitive pairing of legendary screen team Bogie and Bacall, this all-time American classic is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (S. Axmaker)