The Big Sleep (1946 film) E. Jackson were completely eliminated. Because of the two versions created by the re-shooting, there is a substantial difference in content of some twenty minutes between them, although the difference in running time is two minutes. Novelist Raymond Chandler said Martha Vickers (Carmen) overshadowed Lauren Bacall (Vivian) in their scenes together, which led the producers to delete much of Vickers' performance to enhance Bacall's. The re-shot, re-edited and revised "The Big Sleep" was finally released on 23 August 1946. The cinematic release of "The Big Sleep" is regarded as more successful than the 1945 pre-release version (see below), even though
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