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By
NICK ZEGARAC
Interesting choice of career change for Dick
Powell. After establishing himself as the
lighthearted lothario of 1930s Busby Berkeley
musicals at Warner Brothers, the crooner
sidestepped his squeaky clean, boy-next-door image
entirely with a string of deep and powerful
dramatic performances. In "Murder My Sweet" Powell
carries off Raymond Chandler's hard-boiled
detective, Philip Marlowe to perfection. Okay,
he's no Bogart, whom film buffs will recall played
Marlowe in "The Big Sleep." But Powell's
performance is a close second, buffeted by his
quick thinking, deeply cynical, smart-shooting
dialect.
In "Murder My Sweet" Marlowe is hired by an ex-con
(Mike Mazurki) to hunt down his old flame. But the
plot spins out of control when a murder leads to
Marlowe's engagement by a manipulative woman
(Claire Trevor), to recover her missing jewels.
But a drug-induced nightmare fraught in symbolism
and expressionism turns Marlowe's world on end,
devouring his soul beneath a seedy underbelly that
permeates both high-society and the dangerous post
war bars and flophouses of inner city Los Angeles.
"Murder My Sweet" is one of the first great,
though often overlooked, film noirs; an absolute
must see.
Warner's transfer on "Murder My Sweet" is better
than average. In fact it's remarkably clean. The
gray scale is very well balanced with deep solid
blacks and whites that are vibrant and sharp.
There's some film grain but few age related
artifacts for a visual presentation that is over
all a considerable improvement over previously
issued VHS tapes. The audio is mono but nicely
balanced. The more intent listener will notice
slight pops. Alain Silver delivers a very thorough
audio commentary that will most surely enhance
your appreciation for this film. A very good disc
to add to your library of classic cinema.
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