The Big Sleep

Howard Hawks’ THE BIG SLEEP: 80^th Anniversary!  (1946, 114 min)

One of the most labyrinthine and stylish noirs of the 1940s, this crime thriller follows private investigator Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) as he untangles a web of gambling debts, family secrets, and murder in the Sternwood household. Lauren Bacall shines as the enigmatic older daughter, while Martha Vickers and John Ridgely add layers of danger and intrigue. Hawks’ brisk direction and William Faulkner’s uncredited contributions to the screenplay create a dizzying, witty, and shadowy atmosphere. A box-office hit upon release, it solidified Bogart and Bacall as one of Hollywood’s most magnetic screen pairings and influenced countless neo-noirs, most notably Robert Altman’s “The Long Goodbye.”