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Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Ridgely, Martha Vickers, Dorothy Malone ... see more see more... , Charles D. Brown , Elisha Cook Jr. , Charles Waldron , Tom Fadden , James Flavin , Louis Jean Heydt , Sonia Darrin , Regis Toomey , Peggy Knudsen , Tom Raffery , Bob Steele , Theodore von Eltz , Ben Welden , Trevor Bardette , Tanis Chandler , Jack Chefe , Joseph Crehan , Lorraine Miller , Forbes Murray , Emmett Vogan , Paul Weber , Deannie Best , Jack Perry , Thomas E. Jackson , Joy Barlowe , Shelby Payne

The definitive Humphrey Bogart/Lauren Bacall vehicle, The Big Sleep casts Bogart as Raymond Chandler's cynical private eye Philip Marlowe. Summoned to the home of the fabulously wealthy General Sternw... read more read more...ood (Charles Waldron), Marlowe is hired to deal with a blackmailer shaking down the General's sensuous, thumb-sucking daughter Carmen (Martha Vickers). This earns Marlowe the displeasure of Carmen's sloe-eyed, seemingly straight-laced older sister Vivian (Bacall), who is fiercely protective of her somewhat addled sibling. As he pursues the case at hand, Marlowe gets mixed up in the murder of Arthur Geiger (Theodore von Eltz), a dealer in pornography. He also runs afoul of gambling-house proprietor Eddie Mars (John Ridgely), who seems to have some sort of hold over the enigmatic Vivian. Any further attempts to outline the plot would be futile: the storyline becomes so complicated and convoluted that even screenwriters William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, and Jules Furthmann were forced to consult Raymond Chandler for advice (he was as confused by the plot as the screenwriters). When originally prepared for release in 1945, The Big Sleep featured a long exposition scene featuring police detective Bernie Ohls (Regis Toomey) explaining the more obscure plot details. This expository scene was ultimately sacrificed, along with several others, in favor of building up Bacall's part; for instance, a climactic sequence was reshot to emphasize sexual electricity between Bogart and Bacall, obliging Warners to replace a supporting player who'd gone on to another project. The end result was one of the most famously baffling film noirs but also one of the most successful in sheer star power. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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32,000 ratings

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96% liked it

50 critics

PG, 1 hr. 56 min.

Directed by: Howard Hawks

Release Date: August 31, 1946

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DVD Release Date: February 15, 2000

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Stats: 1,753 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,753)

  • hunterjt13
    May 12, 2013
    hunterjt13
    Phillip Marlowe gets embroiled in a family's drama, which quickly turns murderous.
    Everything about this film is perfect. The mystery is compelling and engaging because the characters are always ahead of the audience, which is refreshing in this age when everything but flashing ... read morearrows tell modern audiences when the detective encounters a clue. The writing is sharp and funny with lines so good and so right for Bogie that it's impossible to imagine anyone else saying them. For example:

    Eddie Mars: Is that any of your business?
    Philip Marlowe: I could make it my business.
    Eddie Mars: I could make your business mine.
    Philip Marlowe: Oh, you wouldn't like it. The pay's too small.

    And there's Bogie and Bacall -- film legends with legendary chemistry -- who sizzle the screen. It's only their talent that makes a rather tepid love story work.
    I don't see anything profound or socially necessary about The Big Sleep, but films like this can be intellectually engaging and fun.
    Overall, The Big Sleep is a foundational film and a great time at the movies.
  • sergioogarcia
    January 9, 2012
    sergioogarcia
    Just watch Humphrey Bogart. Listen and enjoy. New actors...please learn something...anything.
  • fb1664868775
    November 14, 2011
    fb1664868775
    Bogart gives a pitch perfect performance as Philp Marlowe in the second Hawks/Bogart/Bacall classic. This noir gem is a true treat to watch.
  • axadntpron
    July 18, 2011
    axadntpron
    In Howard Hawks' 1946 film noir The Big Sleep, Humphrey Bogart is at the top of his game. In fact, while I love Ford, Hayden, Andrews, and other famous noir protagonists, Bogart's take on hardboiled detective Philip Marlowe is simply fantastic. His demeanor is stern but seemingly... read more carefree and his humor is imprudent and laced with sinister undertones. Whether you credit that to Faulkner's screenplay, Hawks' direction, or Bogart's prowess, the performance is outstanding.
    For the film itself, it is very detailed. While this is my first Hawks film, I am amazed at the attention he gives to the most simplistic actions. For example, when Marlowe is interrogating a suspect, their is almost more to read out of their body language than their actual words. The camera is angled perfectly to capture the interviewees anxious movements as he attempts to avoid any type of eye contact with Marlowe. A simple interview becomes a mental chess game as Marlowe counters these movements.
    This is simply one example of many beautifully crafted scenes in this sprawling crime story that is chalk full of shadows, shady people, and copious amounts of raw violence taking place in a dimly lit city.
    While most noirs are filled with a large cast of double crossers, this cast of characters seems exceptionally grand and can sometimes be tedious to keep track of. The fact that there are so many characters means that many characters don't have enough screen time for the audience to get adequately acquainted with them. While this doesn't detract too much from the greatness of this film, it sometimes makes it difficult to become fully immersed in the picture. In the end, this is a great film with solid directing and astonishing performances. With a tighter script, this film could have been worthy of my coveted 5 stars.
  • stevenecarrier
    June 19, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    I really enjoy "The Big Sleep" for it's stylish demeanor, it's mega-wat star power and it's entertaining and twisty plot. While the film is not as refined thematically as "The Maltese Falcon," "The Big Sleep" is certainly more cinematic. Howard Hawks knows how to craft an energet... read moreic picture and "The Big Sleep" is certainly that. Add in the crackerjack chemistry between Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall and the nasty and witty sensibilities of Raymond Chandler and you are in for quite a treat.
  • UniversalDreamer
    May 14, 2011
    UniversalDreamer
    zowie! more quotable lines than mcdonalds has fries. palpable sizzle between the leads that's palpable! and ... just for the helluvit: bogie does a number as a nerd that's a hoot! enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!
  • mjgildea
    May 13, 2011
    mjgildea
    Jesus Christ, where to begin? Humphrey Bogart's (who's amazing on his own here) chemistry with the sizzling Lauren Bacall is the obvious centerpiece of the movie, but Howard Hawks' direction was nothing to scoff at either. The supporting cast and the dialogue/banter definitely he... read morelped out under the hood as well. The Big Sleep isn't impossible to follow but it definitely keeps the viewer on their toes and doesn't let up too often. For as better as the movie gets with each viewing and as great as it is, the scene with Bogart and Dorothy Malone is amazing and deserving of its own movie. Big name film noir at its best...
  • BEACHBUNNI
    April 29, 2011
    BEACHBUNNI
    The story involves Philip Marlowe (Bogart), being hired by a wealthy man, General Sternwood (Charles Waldron), to investigate the supposed gambling debts of a wild daughter, Carmen, played by Martha Vickers. In the course of the film, Marlowe becomes involved with pornographers, ... read moregrifters, murder, illegal gambling, and the familys OTHER daughter, Vivian, played with great style, by Lauren Bacall.
  • imrealgod
    February 11, 2011
    imrealgod
    The film didn't impress me as a film-noir as much as it impressed me on the funny note. Humphrey Bogart plays the role of carefree detective, with strong presence of mind, quite well. He gets some of the great lines in the movie and his timing is perfect. Though the movie failed ... read moreto fulfill my high expectations, it surely wasn't a total disaster either. The movie is worth a watch only for Humphrey Bogart's unique and incredible performance.
  • ajv2688
    October 21, 2010
    ajv2688
    A brilliant, if sometimes complicated, story of private eye Phillip Marlowe played by Bogart. Bacall co-stars. This is a classic 40s film noir, and I highly recommend it.

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Critic Reviews

Manny Farber
August 30, 2012
Manny Farber, The New Republic

The Big Sleep, though, is witty and sinister, and in an odd way is a realistic portrayal of big-city life with Arabian Nights overtones. Full Review

Variety Staff
July 18, 2008
Variety Staff, Variety

Brittle Chandler characters have been transferred to the screen with punch by Howard Hawks' production and direction, providing full load of rough, tense action most of the way. Full Review

Dave Kehr
July 18, 2008
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

What you remember here are moments. Full Review

Geoff Andrew
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

One of the finest mainstream noir-thrillers ever made. Full Review

Bosley Crowther
May 20, 2003
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

It's likely to leave you confused and dissatisfied. Full Review

Eric Brace
January 22, 2002
Eric Brace, Washington Post

Don't try too hard to follow the story, just get swept away by the mood of the film. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

A movie that every film student should study and every movie lover should watch at least once. Full Review

John Hartl
January 1, 2000
John Hartl, Film.com

Fascinating if not necessarily improved edition of Howard Hawks' 1946 detective classic.

January 1, 2000
Washington Post

An unqualified masterpiece. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It is typical of this most puzzling of films that no one agrees even on why it is so puzzling. Yet that has never affected The Big Sleep's enduring popularity, because the movie is about the process o... Full Review

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Facts

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    • General Sternwood: If I seem a bit sinister as a parent Mr. Marlowe, it's because my hold on life is too slight to include any Victorian hypocrisy. I need hardly add any man who has lived as I have and indulges or the first time in parenthood at my age deserves all he gets.
    • Philip Marlowe: She tried to sit on my lap while I was standing up.
    • Vivian Sternwood Rutledge: So, you're a private detective. I didn't know they existed, except in books, or else they were greasy little men snooping around hotel corridors. My, you're a mess, aren't you?
    • General Sternwood: You may smoke, too. I can still enjoy the smell of it. Hum, nice state of affairs when a man has to indulge his vices by proxy. You're looking, sir, at a very dull survival of a very gaudy life, crippled, paralyzed in both legs, barely I eat and my sleep is so near waking it's hardly worth a name. I seem to exist largely on heat like a newborn spider.
    • Vivian Sternwood Rutledge: I don't like your manners.
    • Philip Marlowe: And I'm not crazy about yours. I didn't ask to see you. I don't mind if you don't like my manners. I don't like them myself. They are pretty bad. I grieve over them on long winter evenings. I don't mind your ritzing me drinking you lunch out of the bottle. But don't waste your time trying to cross-examine me.
    • General Sternwood: Do you like orchids?
    • Philip Marlowe: Not particularly.
    • General Sternwood: Ugh. Nasty things. Their flesh is too much like the flesh of men and their perfume has the rotten sweetness of corruption.
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The Big Sleep Trivia

  • Vivian: So you do get up, I was beginning to think you worked in bed like Marcel Proust. Marlowe: Who's he? Vivian: You wouldn't know him, a French writer. Marlowe: Come into my boudoir what movie??  Answer »
  • Which Bogey classic is this? Private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a rich family. Before the complex case is over, he's seen murder, blackmail, and what might be love.   Answer »
  • Who played gumshoe Philip Marlowe in The Big Sleep (1946)?  Answer »
  • Which major American writer did script work on "The Big Sleep," an adaptation of Raymond Chandler's novel?  Answer »
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