Misguided

I really like Raymond Chandler's novels and most of the movie adaptations at least try to stick to the source material. Not only does this movie stray from the source material a little too much, the POV gimmick wore off pretty quickly for me. It actually became an annoyance and kept taking me out of the movie.

Robert Montgomery was okay as Marlowe. I suspect part of the reason he chose the POV was to help minimize his problems with also being director. He could stand behind the camera and direct while also dubbing in his lines later. It just felt like a cheap way to get out of being both an actor and director.

The female leads in these old film noirs always annoy me. Not because the actresses aren't talented, but because they are used as set pieces rather than actual characters. Montgomery got very little from Audrey Totter and Jayne Meadows. They are lovely to look at, but are pretty one dimensional. Not familiar with either actresses' other works so it might just be this movie.

It was a nice try at a version of Chandler's novel, but I think this is a case where they should have stayed closer to the source. The script Montgomery worked from was poor and it affected the overall movie.

My memory foam pillow says it can't remember my face. I can tell its lying.