LADY IN THE LAKE
US, 1947, 105 minutes, Black and white.
Robert Montgomery, Audrey Totter, Lloyd Nolan, Leon Ames.
Directed by Robert Montgomery.
Lady in the Lake is a mid 40s-melodrama based on a Raymond Chandler novel with his private eye Philip Marlowe. It was one of several films of Marlowe made at this tine: Murder My Sweet with Dick Powell, The Brasher Doubloon with George Montgomery. Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep. Later versions included Robert Mitcham in Farewell My Lovely and the Big Sleep re-makes, James Garner as Marlowe, Elliot Gould in The Long Goodbye and Powers Boothe in a television series.
Robert Montgomery directed this film as well as acting as Marlowe. It is famous for its device of having the detective's perspective of himself - the detective being seen only in narrative explanations and then, during the film, only in reflections and shadows. While the film is imaginatively made the screenplay is rather pedestrian. Audrey Totter has to emote as the enigmatic Adrienne Fromsett. The supporting cast includes Leon Ames and Jane Meadows in a melodramatic role. The film is an entertaining murder mystery in itself - but is interesting in comparison with the other versions of Marlowe at the time and later.
1. Interesting murder mystery? Private eye thriller?
2. Production values, black and white photography, California of the 40s? Los Angeles and the city locations? The musical score - mainly choral background?
3. The effectiveness of the subjective techniques, everything from the perspective of Marlowe's view? The narrative inserts with Robert Montgomery talking to the camera? Marlowe being seen only in reflections?
4. The mystery, the identity of the lady in the lake, the identity of the killer? Sufficient clues, satisfying investigation, solution?
5. Robert Montgomery as Philip Marlowe - the hardboiled detective, in sunny Los Angeles(compared with the dark and seedy backgrounds of so many other films)? In need of jobs, his answering the request of Adrienne Fromsett? Explanations, his own attitudes towards the case from the narratives and his facing the audience? The involvement with Adrienne, the puzzle about Kingsby? His own short story and the publication? verbal fencing with characters? Puzzle about Kingsby? Going to see Lavery, the interview, his being knocked out? Set-up and arrested? The attitude of the police? The clashes with De Gamo, the hostility? The interviews with the chief? Reporting back to Adrienne and her manipulating him? Falling in love? The other visits to Lavery - and the landlady present, her histrionic turn, finding the dead body? Being arrested? The frame-up by De Gamo and the clash? The interview with the chief - being interrupted by his humorous and homely chats on the phone? Following the clues, going up to the summer resort? The identity of the lady in the lake? Leaving the rice track for Adrienne to follow? De Gamo following him? The confrontation with Mildred, the revelation of the truth, the killings? The chief and arriving after the event? Adrienne? The solution of the murder? His character and style as a private eye?
6. Adrienne Fromsett as the femme fatale type, her work for Kingsby, editing, verbal fencing, seductive? Audrey Totter's style of acting - especially for the camera as Marlowe's eyes? Her jealousy, manipulating the plot, ambitions to marry Kingsby and get his wealth? The search for Kingsby's wife? Urging him to find Lavery? The mystery of her relationship with Lavery? The Christmas party and Marlowe's arrival, the confrontation? Her reaction to his being in jail, ambiguous attitude towards the case? The final discussions, her guilt or innocence, the rice and her being able to follow? her giving up on Kingsby? Lavery, the mystery of the telegram, tennis professional, his southern accent, manner, attitude towards Marlowe, the attack on him?
7. The landlady, her carry on? Her being revealed to be Mrs Kingsby? Back to the camera, demanding the money - and then the true reason that she killed? The links with DeGamo? Her marriage, alleged murder, her committing murders? The confrontation and her death?
8. De Gamo, the crooked cop, antagonism towards Marlowe, framing him, following him, clashes, with the chief, the finale and the revelation of the truth, his death?
9. The chief, the stereotype of this kind of movie, the human touch with the attitudes towards Adrienne, the humour of his phone calls to his wife and daughter about Christmas?
10. Kingsby, the affluent publisher, his wife disappearing, his relationship with Adrienne, his finding out about the private eye, clashing with Adrienne?
11. A film noir of the mid-40s - with a different style?
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THE LADY IN THE LAKE
US, 1947, 105 minutes, Black and white.
Robert Montgomery, Audrey.Totter, Lloyd Nolan, Tom Tully, Leon Ames, Jayne Meadows, Dick Simmons, Morris Ankrum.
Directed by Robert Montgomery.
Raymond Chandler, who worked in Hollywood on such films as Double Indemnity, was very popular as novelist in the 1940s with his private eye, Philip Marlowe. And this popularity continued in succeeding decades.
Dick Powell had appeared as Marlowe in Murder, My Sweet, George Montgomery in The Brasher Doubloon and Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep. This time it is Robert Montgomery, something of a hard-boiled Marlowe, somewhat stolid in his manner, with sardonic repartee, writing short stories, given a murder case with its ambiguities, his personal involvement and getting knocked around, and a romance.
One of the things that distinguishes this film is its subjective technique, Robert Montgomery directing, acting the part, with the camera on him several times as he introduces the story and several commentaries throughout, but otherwise the camera becoming his eye point of view, with the consequences that the rest of the cast had to do a different performance, speaking directly to camera as if speaking to Marlowe, and the camera roving round rooms with Marlowe’s point of view.
Audrey Totter seems to be a femme fatale, an editor at a publishing firm for lurid short stories. She is glamorous, seductive, an object of suspicion. Leon Ames the portrays the publisher, with Lloyd Nolan the detective, Jayne Meadows is the ultimate villain.
The plot is not one of Chandler’s best but it suffices as an interesting entertainment, but one wonders how Marlowe would come across in a different performance from that of the blunt Montgomery.
1. The popularity of Redmond Chandler novels? Of Philip Marlowe as private eye? The popularity in 1940s and the various film versions?
2. Robert Montgomery’s contribution, performance, direction?
3. MGM production values, black and white photography, city settings, publications, police precincts, cells? Musical score?
4. Characteristic technique of POV, the viewpoint of Philip Marlowe, subjective, the performancs required from the cast with the camera looking directly at them and they at Philip Marlowe, the techniques of Marlowe appearing in a mirror, his shadow?
5. The popularity of film noir at this period?
6. The introduction, Philip Marlowe talking directly to camera, his work as a private eye, his writing the story, submitting it? Going to the interview? The flirtatious secretary? Meeting Adrienne? Her appearance, manner, style, her name with the capital A? Kingsby as the boss, her influence? The discussions about the story, Marlowe and his quips, the responses, wanting to employ him to find the publisher’s wife?
7. Philip Marlowe, his personality, direct, ironic humour, the touch stolid? His career, work is detective, the writing, the possibilities for a future in writing? His roving eye? The relationship with Adrienne, hot and cold, attacks, her being upset?
8. Adrienne, the situation in the publisher’s office? Audience suspicions of her? Her relationship with the boss, wanting to marry a millionaire? Her being thwarted by Marlowe? Her consciousness of his attraction to her?
9. The complications of the case, Marlowe going to see Chris Lavery, the gentleman from the South, knocking him out, the frame up with the crash and the alcohol, Marlowe going to prison, the Detective and the clash, Kane and his being in charge? Adrienne wanting to go to the lake, the news about the body in the lake, the identity, her marriage, the past, in the city, associated with her nursing work, the death of the patient, the grief of the parents, the infatuation of the detective, his covering for her, the disappearance?
10. Going to Lavery’s apartment, seeing the owner, gun, her story, leaving, his promise to get the money, the discovery of Lavery’s body, suspicions, especially on Adrienne? The possibility for Kingsby to be the killer?
11. Adrienne, irritated with Marlowe, firing him? Kingsby, the discussions, employing him to find his wife?
12. The further attack on Marlowe, the crash, finding the drunken man, putting his identification in his pocket, in jail?
13. The discussions with the Detective, the clashes, angers?
14. The police chief, more sympathetic, the questions? His talking to his daughter on the phone, the homely touches and his wariness about Marlowe?
15. The finale, Kingsby’s wife wanting money, the arranged meeting, the rice leaving the track? The Detective and his getting the information, arriving first, the identity of the woman, the confrontation, the insane arguing that she was good and then urging the detective to kill Marlowe, Marlowe’s move, the
shootings and the deaths? The arrival of Kane? Resolution of the mystery?
16. The possibilities for Marlowe and Adrienne in the future?
17. How satisfactory as a dramatisation of Chandler’s novel?
