RARA-AVIS: The Long Goodbye

From: scatalogic@aol.com
Date: 12 Jan 2007


Shameful though it is to admit I had reached my 36th year without watching Altman's The Long Goodbye that was put right last night - thanks to the BBC who showed the film as part of their California Dreaming season (I don't know how far the BEEB now has made inroads into American broadcasting, but I would reccomend any of the programmes in this series to list members. Also shown last night was PJ O'Rourke's The Man in the Mansion, a survey of Californian politics, specifically the man they call The Governor - most entertaining.)
  Has anyone else updated classic hardboiled/noir? I would certainly love to see The Continental Op operating today and many of Jim Thompson's characters would be much more at home in today's world.
  I enjoyed the movie, though I must admit I didn't really think Elliot Gould was Phillip Marlowe and the film was more Robert Altman than Raymond Chandler. I haven't studied the film or criticism of it at all and assume (I'd love to know from them that was there) it caused something of an outcry from Chandler fans when it came out.
  Does anyone know how far the dialogue was improvised and how far it was scripted by Leigh Brackett?
  Whoops, this is film, so off topic I guess.
  Nonetheless, happy Freeday to you all,
  Colin.
  Join my Church: www.myspace.com/thereverendspadgedooley

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