Murder, My Sweet (1944)- Dick Powell, Claire Trevor, Anne Shirley, Mike Mazurki

On TCM Sun 9/18/16- A landmark film where director Edward Dmytryk brings the NOIR world of Raymond Chandler’s novel Farewell My Lovely from the printed page to the movie screen creating a dark nightmare world of wartime Los Angeles. Dick Powell, in a career change from musicals, is cast as Philip Marlowe changing his tune to the stark wise guy voiceover we hear in NOIR.  Robert Osborne has said that the title was changed away from Farewell My Lovely to reduce the mistaken expectation of another Dick Powell musical. Screen great Claire Trevor invents the concept of Femme Fatale and the gracious 1930’s teen star Ann Shirley is perfectly cast as Claire’s step daughter. Very spooky is Marlowe’s intimidating dull witted client Moose Malone perfectly cast with retired wrestler Mike Mazurki just so obsessed with an ex named “Velma”.