Mix together Robert Altman, Raymond Chandler and Elliot Gould, and you’ve got a hip '70s reincarnation of the hardboiled P.I. born on paper in '39, Philip Marlowe. The plot of THE LONG GOODBYE sounds simple enough, Marlowe trying to help a friend who is accused of murdering his wife. But oh, the twists and turns, not to mention commentary on life in the '70s, along the way – and oh, what an unexpected ending. Gould's a hoot as the mumbling Marlowe who at one point tries (unsuccessfully) to trick his cat into eating a can of cheap brand of food by switching labels. Altman's trademarks are rife: dense, overlapping dialogue; sudden jolts in action; and quirky characters played by such quirky character actors as Sterling Hayden, Mark Rydell and Henry Gibson. (Trivia note: The soundtrack of the film consists of two songs, Hooray for Hollywood and a song titled The Long Goodbye, composed by John Williams. Each time the latter song is used it's played in a very different arrangement and instrumentation, making it at times almost unrecognizable.)
THE LONG GOODBYE (1973)
It's okay with me!
Mix together Robert Altman, Raymond Chandler and Elliot Gould, and you’ve got a hip '70s reincarnation of the hardboiled P.I. born on paper in '39, Philip Marlowe. The plot of THE LONG GOODBYE sounds simple enough, Marlowe trying to help a friend who is accused of murdering his wife. But oh, the twists and turns, not to mention commentary on life in the '70s, along the way – and oh, what an unexpected ending. Gould's a hoot as the mumbling Marlowe who at one point tries (unsuccessfully) to trick his cat into eating a can of cheap brand of food by switching labels. Altman's trademarks are rife: dense, overlapping dialogue; sudden jolts in action; and quirky characters played by such quirky character actors as Sterling Hayden, Mark Rydell and Henry Gibson. (Trivia note: The soundtrack of the film consists of two songs, Hooray for Hollywood and a song titled The Long Goodbye, composed by John Williams. Each time the latter song is used it's played in a very different arrangement and instrumentation, making it at times almost unrecognizable.)
