I remember seeing the DVD cover for this film a few times, with the leading actor walking on a beach, I assumed it was some kind of domestic drama, but it was in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die so it didn't really matter, from director Robert Altman (MASH, Nashville, The Player). Basically Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould), the chain- smoking, wisecracking private investigator is visited late on night by his close friend Terry Lennox (Jim Bouton) who wants to get a lift from Los Angeles to the California–Mexico border at Tijuana. After doing this Marlowe is greeted by two cops who tell him that Lennox is accused of murdering his wealthy wife Sylvia, and he is arrested when he refuses to give them any information, but he is released three days when Lennox is found in Mexico to have committed suicide. The case seems pretty open and shut, but Marlowe suspects more is going on, but in the meantime platinum-blonde Eileen Wade (Nina van Pallandt), wife of alcoholic and writers' block suffering novelist Roger Wade (Sterling Hayden), has hired him to find her husband who has gone missing, he has binged on alcohol and disappeared before, but never longer than a day or two. While investigating, visiting "private" rich detoxification alcoholics and drug addiction clinics, Marlowe finds out the Wades knew the Lennoxes, so he believes there was something else to the murder of Sylvia and the suicide of Terry. He also crosses paths with Marty Augustine (Mark Rydell), the ruthless gangster who Lennox took money from which he wants back, he does manage to recover the money and travels back to Mexico, and there Marlowe finally uncovers the truth and solves the case. Also starring Henry Gibson as Dr. Verringer, David Arkin as Harry, Warren Berlinger as Morgan, Jo Ann Brody as Jo Ann Eggenweiler, Stephen 'Steve' Coit as Detective Farmer and Jack Knight as Mabel. Elliott is odd casting but certainly likable with his alternative approach to the character played previously by the likes of Dick Powell and Humphrey Bogart, I can see why it might be considered semi-spoof because of the amusing nature about it, I confess I was confused most of the time, but I could just about follow the investigative stuff, and it worked alright as a thriller-esque story, so its a worthwhile detective drama. Good!
Review of The Long Goodbye
