The Big Sleep The Big Sleep The Big Sleep (1939) is a hardboiled crime novel by Raymond Chandler, the first to feature the detective Philip Marlowe. It has been adapted for film twice, in 1946 and again in 1978. The story is set in Los Angeles. The story is noted for its complexity, with characters double-crossing one another and secrets being exposed throughout the narrative. The title is a euphemism for death; it refers to a rumination about "sleeping the big sleep" in the final pages of the book. In 1999, the book was voted 96th of "Le Monde"s "100 Books of the
Mystery film film was filmed entirely from Marlowe's viewpoint. The audience sees only what he does. Montgomery only appears on camera a few times, once in a mirror reflection. Another Chandler novel "The High Window" was made into the film "The Brasher Doubloon" (also 1947) starring George Montgomery. This was essentially a remake of "Time to Kill" (1942), a Michael Shayne adventure starring Lloyd Nolan. Chandler also wrote an original screenplay for "The Blue Dahlia" (1946) starring Alan Ladd. "The Glass Key" (1942), also starring Ladd, was the second film adaptation of Hammett's novel. Another standout film of this period is "Out