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Crime drama

Marlowe (1969): Cast & Plot

Marlowe (1969) movie poster

Marlowe is a 1969 crime drama directed by Paul Bogart, starring James Garner as Philip Marlowe, Sharon Farrell and Roger Newman. It is based on The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler. It runs 1 hour 35 minutes.

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Marlowe (1969) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 35m (95 min)
Director
Paul Bogart
Genres
Crime , Mystery , Drama
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Marlowe About?

The premise of Marlowe without spoilers, adapted from The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Philip Marlowe, famed Los Angeles private eye, is hired by the enigmatic Orfamay Quest to find her missing brother. The case pulls him into the city's underworld, where victims are killed with ice picks, exotic dancers, blackmailed TV stars and ruthless gangsters appear. As the investigation deepens, Marlowe’s life is jeopardized.

Marlowe Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • private detective
  • blackmail
  • neo noir
  • based on novel
  • photographer
  • missing person
  • doctor
  • threat
  • destruction of property
  • stabbed in the neck
  • sister sister relationship
  • femme fatale
+38 more
  • police detective
  • dysfunctional family
  • gangster
  • karate
  • stabbed with an ice pick
  • toupee
  • striptease
  • swimming pool
  • knocked unconscious
  • telephone call
  • hotel
  • police
  • penthouse
  • restaurant
  • attempted seduction
  • train station
  • philip marlowe character
  • character name as title
  • surname as title
  • one word title
  • crying woman
  • camera
  • scene during closing credits
  • scene during opening credits
  • hardboiled mystery
  • claim check
  • television actress
  • hard boiled investigator
  • ice pick murder
  • drugged cigarette
  • murderer
  • group photograph
  • murder of brother
  • fatal fall off building
  • drug addict
  • brief topless female nudity
  • detective
  • extortion
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Cast & crew

Marlowe Cast & Characters

James Garner leads the cast as Philip Marlowe, with Sharon Farrell as Orfamay Quest and Roger Newman as Orrin Quest. Directed by Paul Bogart; 20 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Marlowe

· 16 more
From the director

More from Paul Bogart

More films directed by Paul Bogart, best-rated first: Skin Game, Oh, God! You Devil, The Heidi Chronicles and The Last Mile.

Full filmography
Plot

Marlowe Plot Summary

What happens in Marlowe from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In a sunlit yet shadow-filled Los Angeles, private eye Philip Marlowe is hired by Orfamay Quest, a Kansas-born woman, to track down her brother, Orrin Quest. Marlowe begins by rummaging Orrin’s former hotel room and grilling a shady guest, Grant Hicks, only to stumble upon the dead desk clerk Haven Clausen, felled by an ice pick. The case twists quickly when Hicks phones Marlowe later, offering to have him guard something for a day or two. But when Marlowe reaches Hicks’s location, he finds Hicks dead with an ice pick buried in his neck. A masked, armed woman suddenly appears from behind him, clocks him with a blow, and flees into the night.

Full summary

The whole story of Marlowe, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

Marlowe Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Marlowe.

MARLOWE (Original Theatrical trailer)
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Marlowe?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is the name of the private detective hired in the film?

Cars

Cars in Marlowe

44 cars on screen, including the 1963 Plymouth Sport Fury and the 1966 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow I.

All 44 cars
  • 1963 Plymouth Sport Fury in Marlowe 1963 Plymouth Sport Fury Important role
  • 1966 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow I in Marlowe 1966 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow I Important role
  • 1968 Imperial Crown Convertible in Marlowe 1968 Imperial Crown Convertible Minor role
  • 1968 Imperial LeBaron Limousine in Marlowe 1968 Imperial LeBaron Limousine Minor role

Seen Marlowe?

FAQ

Marlowe FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast, the book behind it and post-credit scenes of Marlowe, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Marlowe?

Marlowe runs 1 hour 35 minutes (95 minutes).

When was Marlowe released?

Marlowe was released on September 19, 1969.

Who directed Marlowe?

Marlowe was directed by Paul Bogart.

More films by Paul Bogart

Who is in the cast of Marlowe?

Marlowe stars James Garner as Philip Marlowe, Sharon Farrell as Orfamay Quest and Roger Newman as Orrin Quest, among 20 credited actors.

Is Marlowe based on a book?

Yes. Marlowe is adapted from The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler.

Does Marlowe have a post-credit scene?

No. Marlowe has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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