The Long Goodbye

On the way to the Odeon Leicester Square, saw these lost gloves on the platform.





Passed the Royal academy and saw this replica of Kurt Schwitters famous Merz Barn that he created in 1947 in Cumbria - will be part of a new show about Modern British sculpture.

Particularly liked the broom against the newly plastered wall.

The film, The Long Goodbye, directed by Robert Altman and starring Elliot Gould.

I liked :

Reflected image of Marlowe on the beach - above - when main action is on other side of the glass window.

The lost art of lighting your cigarette by scraping the match on the nearest available abrasive surface. I counted 22 times he lit up a new cigarette.

Philip Marlowe character being totally fearless except when it came to dogs - he was also a big cat lover. Good quote by guy he meets in supermarket at 3 am in the morning - "What do I need a cat for - I've got a girl .

The main character not bedding the leading lady - or in fact any lady.

The imagery and atmosphere of going out at 3am in the morning in downtown LA.

Use of phrase " honkey bastard .

Change of sound when Marlowe is being interviewed by police from behind two way mirror and when in the interview room.

Use of one song written by John Williams and Joe Mercer - over 10 different treatments, form door bell to tijuana brass band at a funeral.

When locked up in jail he says to another inmate - " you're not in jail only your body is.

"When a man is at the end of his rope, there's no telling what he might do".

"Home is where the heart is - I can see your heart is in college" - comment on untidy flat.

Gangster quote " I sleep with alot of girls but I love you " - just before he smashes her face with a coke bottle to show Marlowe what he does to people he loves " and I don't even like you". Brilliant use of extreme violence to show you that this is never far away in 1970's LA.

I can remember when people had jobs"- quote by Harry the useless gangster following Marlowe.

Funny security guard who does impersonations on Walter Brennan, James Stewart etc.

Cold balony

Funny interlude with the invisible man.

Having read so many crime and police procedural books - Scandinavian, American, Italian and German - I can see how Ramond Chandler influenced them all - time to go back to the original books .