THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) It's okay with me

Shuffle Robert Altman, Raymond Chandler and Elliot Gould, and you’ve got a hip '70s reincarnation of the hardboiled PI 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 along the way – and oh, what an unexpected ending. Gould's a hoot as the mumbling Marlowe who at one point tries 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. Listen for Gould's oft repeated phrase, "It's okay with me." (Trivia note: Only one musical theme is heard throughout the movie, played in a variety of styles.)