The Big Sleep (1978 film) Winner "ploughs step by step through the complicated plot with a curious lack of interest in, among other things, the nature of his hero's character." "The Big Sleep" has been released twice on DVD: The Big Sleep (1978 film) The Big Sleep is a 1978 British neo-noir film, the second film version of Raymond Chandler's 1939 novel of the same name. The picture was directed by Michael Winner and stars Robert Mitchum in his second film portrayal of the detective Philip Marlowe. The cast includes Sarah Miles, Candy Clark, Joan Collins, and Oliver Reed, also featuring James Stewart as General
The Big Sleep (1946 film) screenwriters knew whether chauffeur Owen Taylor was murdered or had killed himself. They sent a cable to Chandler, who told a friend in a later letter: "They sent me a wire ... asking me, and dammit I didn't know either". After its completion, Warner Bros. did not release "The Big Sleep" until they had turned out a backlog of war-related films. Because the war was ending, the studio feared the public might lose interest in the films, while "The Big Sleep" subject was not time-sensitive. Attentive observers will note indications of the film's wartime production, such as period dialogue, pictures