Lady in the Lake
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| Lady in the Lake | |
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 French Theatrical Poster |
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| Directed by | Robert Montgomery |
| Produced by | George Haight |
| Written by | Story: Raymond Chandler Screenplay: Steve Fisher |
| Starring | Robert Montgomery Audrey Totter Lloyd Nolan Tom Tully Leon Ames Jayne Meadows |
| Music by | David Snell |
| Cinematography | Paul Vogel |
| Editing by | Gene Ruggiero |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | January 23, 1947 (U.S.A.) |
| Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Lady in the Lake (1947) is a film noir drama that marked the directorial debut of actor Robert Montgomery who also starred in the film. Based on the 1944 Raymond Chandler novel The Lady in the Lake. The picture features Audrey Totter, Lloyd Nolan, Tom Tully, Leon Ames and Jayne Meadows.[1]
The storyline revolved around a conventional murder mystery similar to many others of the period, however it was notable for the perspective presented to the viewer. The entire film was seen from the viewpoint of the central character, the detective Philip Marlowe, played by Montgomery. The gimmick was that the audience would see only what the character saw, and MGM in its promotion of the film claimed that it was the first of its kind and the most revolutionary style of film since the introduction of the talkies.
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[edit] Plot
The story is set in Hollywood during the 1940s. Private detective Philip Marlowe is asked by publisher Derace Kingsby to find the latter’s wife, who one month earlier had sent her husband a telegram saying she was heading to Mexico to marry a man named Chris Lavery.
However Kingsby had recently seen Lavery in the neighbouring Bay City, and Lavery seemed unaware of the trip to Mexico. Marlowe pursues his investigation at the Kingsby's lakeside cottage, where Mrs. Kingsby was last seen. There, he finds a first body in the lake.
[edit] Cast
- Robert Montgomery as Philip Marlowe
- Audrey Totter as Adrienne Fromsett
- Lloyd Nolan as Lt. DeGarmot
- Tom Tully as Police Captain Fergus K. Kane
- Leon Ames as Derace Kingsby
- Jayne Meadows as Mildred Haveland
- Richard Simmons as Chris Lavery
- Morris Ankrum as Eugene Grayson
- Lila Leeds as Receptionist
- William Roberts as Artist
- Kathleen Lockhart as Mrs. Grayson
- Ellay Mort as Chrystal Kingsby
[edit] Critical reaction
The New York Times film critic wrote, "In making the camera an active participant, rather than an off-side reporter, Mr. Montgomery has, however, failed to exploit the full possibilities suggested by this unusual technique. For after a few minutes of seeing a hand reaching toward a door knob, or lighting a cigarette or lifting a glass, or a door moving toward you as though it might come right out of the screen the novelty begins to wear thin."[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Lady in the Lake at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ The New York Times. Film review, January 24, 1947. Last accessed: December 29, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Lady in the Lake at the Internet Movie Database.
- Lady in the Lake at Allmovie.
- Lady in the Lake at the TCM Movie Database.
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