MovieChat Forums > Lady in the Lake (1947) Discussion > Three BIG problems with this film

Three BIG problems with this film

posted 17 years ago by edwardholub
9 replies | jump to latest

First and foremost is the POV camera gimmick. When the audience should be concentrating on the plot it spends most of its time wondering how the camera is able to get through doors and climbs staircases. This was shot long before the steadycam, folks. The gimmick is just too much of a distraction. Second, is the CUTE Christmas tie-in. My guess is that it was going to be a Christmas release and "why not go that extra step and make it TAKE PLACE AT CHRISTMAS???" Thus another major distraction. And thirdly was Robert Montgomery's constant pissed off attitude. Marlowe doesn't get angry--he cracks wise. When people make him mad, he comes back with sarcastic remarks that make THEM mad. That's when they lash out and slug him. I hate to say this, but this film needs to be remade. 'Bye.

[–] hippy_chick952 17 years ago

do you think just because you don't like a film it needs to be remade?

[–] dkrentzlin 17 years ago

No, this film desperately needs to be remade because "The Lady in the Lake" is one of Chandler's best novels and deserves a decent film version. This and the Mitchum version of "The Big Sleep" are the worst Chandler films ever!

[–] liscarkat (18605) 5 years ago

I agree that Mitchum's "The Big Sleep" was almost unwatchable. I had just seen his "Farewell, My Lovely" which was quite good, and couldn't believe how badly "The Big Sleep" was botched. I also think that although it's better, "Lady in the Lake" failed because the "point-of-view" gimmick was distracting, and because Montgomery was a charismatic star and it's frustrating not to see him very much. The argument to make it again is legitimate because it hasn't yet been done properly. But I'd like to see it set in the right period, with an actor comparable to Mitchum or Bogart (can't imagine who, today, could approach that), and no 21st-century attitudes or lessons imposed on it.

[–] roaringgulch 17 years ago

First and foremost is the POV camera gimmick. When the audience should be concentrating on the plot it spends most of its time wondering how the camera is able to get through doors and climbs staircases. This was shot long before the steadycam, folks. The gimmick is just too much of a distraction.

Second, is the CUTE Christmas tie-in. My guess is that it was going to be a Christmas release and "why not go that extra step and make it TAKE PLACE AT CHRISTMAS???" Thus another major distraction.

And thirdly was Robert Montgomery's constant pissed off attitude. Marlowe doesn't get angry--he cracks wise. When people make him mad, he comes back with sarcastic remarks that make THEM mad. That's when they lash out and slug him. I hate to say this, but this film needs to be remade. 'Bye.

I agree with your third point; the first two don't bother me.

'We're not in Medford now; we're in a hurry.'

[–] mozartmessiah 17 years ago

I agree the POV camera lost it's charm very quickly for me, as we watch Marlowe looking at doorknobs and opening doors and slowly moving from room to room, as well as lingering MUCH too long on certain scenes like the Police chief talking to his wife and daughter on the phone. It became excruciating when after the car accident it takes Marlowe (it seems like) forever to crawl to the phonebooth. Only at rare moments did the POV come off well, like when he reached in the pocket of the robe and looked at the card, then back to the mirror shot of Montgomery. Other times the cuts from scene to scene were all too obvious when they were meant to be seamless. Most of all it was just the lingering on the actors as they recited their lines that just seemed to go on too long, that contributed to the boring effect of this film. What was meant to be the film's unique selling point becomes it's biggest detriment.

I also agree that Montgomery's Marlowe is so obnoxious, rude and unclever in his delivery of dialogue that he is the most unlikable character in the movie. The fact that Adrienne Fromsett falls in love with this charmless clod after how he behaves with her is the most UNBELIEVABLE load of horse apples I have ever seen. During the film bookends (The intro and endcap) Marlowe comes off almost human, but during the POV scenes he barks his rude dialogue in such a way that it's hard to imagine why he is treated with such respect by the people he is being an ass to.

[–] ksf-2 17 years ago

... also odd was the music... it went from sounding like a church choir rehearsing, to being a chant, and occasionally back to the christmas theme. i don't think montgomery should have directed this -- it was the 2nd film he directed. the timing is bad and the acting by the leads is really bad. the arguing between marlowe and fromsett wasn't fun and clever; it was just annoying. after a while, i just wanted to get to the end to tie up any loose ends. stick with the book. i wonder what chandler thought of this film....

[–] roaringgulch 10 years ago

i wonder what chandler thought of this film....

Chandler was probably too drunk to care. Had he been sober, he could have written the script and been paid for doing so.

I also love Chandler, the book-writer. As a (co) screenwriter he was notoriously bitchy, disagreeable and unreliable. His best work, by far, was co-writing Double Indemnity but even then Billy Wilder had to bite his lip dozens of times because of Chandler's behavior.

Double Indemnity is from 1944. It has been suggested by many sources that Wilder's 1945 AA winning film, The Lost Weekend was largely inspired by Chandler's alcoholism.

Chandler was a miserable drunk; who cares what he thought of this film?

[–] cujo3017-370-726670 9 years ago

"I also agree that Montgomery's Marlowe is so obnoxious, rude and unclever in his delivery of dialogue that he is the most unlikable character in the movie. The fact that Adrienne Fromsett falls in love with this charmless clod after how he behaves with her is the most UNBELIEVABLE load of horse apples I have ever seen. During the film bookends (The intro and endcap) Marlowe comes off almost human, but during the POV scenes he barks his rude dialogue in such a way that it's hard to imagine why he is treated with such respect by the people he is being an ass to."

Agree completely. The Marlowe character from the books is almost mythic in his essential goodness in spite of his deep cynicism and the dirty people and the crooked and cruel world he deals with on a daily basis.
In this movie he just comes off as an *beep*

[–] trevorh321 (5495) 3 years ago

I didn't expect to like the POV gimmick but I did, I think they did an outstanding job, especially some innovative use of mirrors. For a film made in 1947, it worked remarkably well.

The Christmas tie-in didn't bother me in the least.

I do agree with you about Montgomery. I got a tired of his constant wisecracks, being perpetually pissed off and I would have preferred someone else as Marlowe.

Overall, I give the film 7/10.

It should be remade. With a properly diverse cast, of course. Diversity is our strength.