Some fictional characters stand the test of time because people love them too much to ever let them die. Others were timeless from their inception and easily fit into every new era that has occurred since. Characters like Philip Marlowe stick around because they’re the perfect apotheosis of the subgenre they helped to inspire. That level of fame gets a character portrayed by Liam Neeson ninety years after their release.
Neil Jordan, best known for his 1992 filmThe Crying Game, is adapting John Banville’s 2014 detective novelThe Black-Eyed Blondeto the big screen. That adaptation,a neo-noir filmsimply entitledMarlowe, gives the world its first big-screen portrayal of the titular character in 45 years.
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In the early 1920s, a new genre of fiction started to become extremely popular. “Hardboiled” crime fiction wasn’t a subgenre as much as it was an attitude. It wasdefined by its cynical unsentimentalapproach to violence, crime, and punishment. Hardboiled stories were the crown jewel of pulp magazines and dime novels.Black Maskmagazine, for example, held the first appearances ofThe Maltese Falconhero Sam Spade. One of the biggest contributors to that world was Raymond Chandler and in 1939, he created the character that would lead his legacy.
The first work to feature Philip Marlowe by name wasThe Big Sleep, but the character retroactively became the protagonist of a few of Chandler’s other works. Through fix-up jobs, Chandler replaced less identifiable characters with Marlowe in reprints. The character emerged naturally, a combination of multiple pulp standards who became more prominent as Chandler switched from short stories to novels. Hestarred in eight novelsby Chandler, one of which was finished after the author’s death. After Chandler’s passing, more Marlowe novels were authorized by his estate.The Black-Eyed Blondeis one such novel.
Marlowe is a classic noir detective, from the look to the attitude. He’s a hard-drinking chain smoker with a fondness for chess. He’s quick-witted and constantly cracking wise, but he’s also deeply contemplative. He’s diplomatic in his dealings, preferring to outwit his foes over a drink rather than resort to violence. He’s distinct enough to be memorable, but universal enough to be arepresentative of the genre. Ask someone to name a noir detective, Marlowe is almost guaranteed to make the list.
Marlowe made it to the big screen only a few years after his debut, but he didn’t always get to keep his name. Irving Reis’s 1942 filmThe Falcon Takes Overis an adaptation of Chandler’s 1940 novelFarewell, My Lovely.In this era, pulpfilmmakers would adapt random detective stories from multiple writers within the same series. The titular Falcon, portrayed by George Sanders, would take over the role of the source material’s detective. It would be another two years before the first on-screen version of Marlowe would come to life.
Dick Powell has the honor of being the first actor to fully portray Philip Marlowe in the 1944 filmMurder, My Sweet. The film, directed by Edward Dmtryk, was also an adaptation ofFarewell, My Lovely, but with stricteradherence to the source material. Powell was celebrated for his portrayal of Marlowe, easily selling the hardboiled attitude of the beloved detective.Murder, My Sweetalong withDouble Indemnityare widely considered key influences in the direction of the pulp noir genre.Farewell, My Lovelywould go on to be adapted once more in 1975, with Robert Mitchum in the lead role.
The biggest Marlowe films are adaptations of the story that made him famous. There are two cinematic versions ofThe Big Sleep. One in 1946 and the other in 1978. The earlier film saw noir legend Humphrey Bogart take on the role. As the star of bothThe Big SleepandThe Maltese Falcon, Bogart is the only actor to portray both Marlowe and Sam Spade. That makes him easily the archetypal performer for the genre, and his unique ticks as an actor are inherent to the character to this day.Marlowewilllikely see Liam Neesonput on his best Bogart for the role. Meanwhile, the 1978 version saw the return of Robert Mitchum, a celebrated anti-hero of the era. Mitchum received immense praise for his performance inFarewell, My Lovely, but that applause seemed to dry up when compared to Bogart in his follow-up. The world has a face in its head when they hear the name Marlowe, which poses some interesting questions for the upcoming adaptation.
Marloweis a long-awaited return to classic pulp noir, complete with one of its most beloved names. Marlowe arose as a Frankenstein of genre conventions, became perfected over decades of cinematic effort, and was minted in history by one perfect performance.Can Liam Neeson liveup to the Marlowes that came before him? That’s one mystery that the upcoming film will have to solve.
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