Jim Doherty wrote:
> Here's how it breaks down in the Marlowe
performance
> competition.
>
> GOLD MEDAL: Dick Powell (captured the character
as
> written in the novels and stories better than
anyone,
> and looked surprisingly good in the part; plus
the
> movie was the best adaptation of a Chandler
novel.)
>
> SILVER MEDAL: Humphrey Bogart (he gets it mainly
for
> being Bogie; which is essentially how he
played
> Marlowe. Rather than play Chandler's character,
he
> adapted the character to his already
well-established
> screen persona.)
>
> BRONZE MEDAL: James Garner (great actor and looks
the
> part more than just about anyone else who's played
it;
> he did appear a bit uncomfortable in the 1960s,
but,
> after all, the last Marlowe novel came out only
10
> years prior to the movie. Updating aside, the
film
> was actually pretty faithful to the original
novel.)
>
> Robert Mitchum was too old for the part by the time
he
> played it, plus he's handicapped by the fact that
both
> his appearances were in remakes. Still, one
is
> impressed by what an awesome Marlowe he'd've made
in
> his prime.
I've overstated my case in the past that I prefer Mitchum's
FAREWELL Marlowe to all others, but the idea of a 37-year-old
Mitchum in the part is indeed awesome.
>
> Robert Montgomery struck me as just
mean-spirited
> rather than tough, and the film too damned
gimmicky.
Absolutely right on both counts.
>
> George Montgomery had the opposite problem of
Mitchum.
> He was too young, and the mustache didn't make
him
> look any older. Based on performances from later
in
> his career, however, he'd've probably made a
pretty
> acceptable Marlowe had he waited another 10
years.
I agree. G. Montgomery made some very interesting little
pictures in the late Fifties and early Sixties, most of which
he produced, action pictures where his new maturity hinted at
just the right touch for Marlowe. In the Forties, he still
hadn't shed that Fox musical persona he'd only recently
developed.
FYI: Here are the ages at which the various actors played
Marlowe:
George Montgomery - 31 Powers Boothe (TV) - 34 Philip Carey
(TV) - 34 Gerald Mohr (radio) - 34 Elliot Gould - 35 Van
Heflin (radio) - 37 Dick Powell - 40 James Garner - 41 Robert
Montgomery - 43 Humphrey Bogart - 44 Robert Mitchum - 58
James Caan - 59
Jim Beaver
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