Murder My Sweet (1944): Film Noir UK

Detective Philip Marlowe (Dick Powell) is hired by ex-convict 'Moose' Malloy (Mike Mazurki) to find his former girlfriend, Vera. Marlowe finds himself double-booked however when he accepts another job, buying back a jade necklace stolen from the young and beautiful Mrs Grayle (Claire Trevor). Little does Marlowe know however, that the two cases are inextricably intertwined. What awaits him and the audience, is a sinister world of murder and mayhem.

Murder, My Sweet (aka Farewell My Lovely in the UK) is film at its most noir! Director Edward Dmytryk established the many classic elements that we now know formed the basis for noir within this first cinematic appearance of Raymond Chandler’s much celebrated hard-boiled private detective Marlowe.

Cast against type, Dick Powell puts sunny crooner roles behind him, dishing hardboiled patter and wearing five-going on-six-o'clock stubble so well that source author Chandler called Powell his favourite screen Marlowe (this included Bogart).

With an introduction from Natalie Marlow, author of newly released period noir novel Needless Alley.