Farewell My Lovely (1945 Edward Dmytryk)

Typically confusing plot from Raymond Chandler, who also produces funny and hard-boiled dialogue like 'my bank account was trying to hide under a duck', screen written by John Paxton (who also adapted Kotch).

Good cast led by Dick Powell: Claire Trevor, Mike Mazurki, Otto Kruger, Anne Shirley, Miles Mander (the father), Douglas Walton, Donald Douglas (cop)  and Esther Howard. Music by Roy Webb, expressionist lighting by Harry Wild. RKO.

Looking at my recent investigation into noir, this is perhaps the definitive article, with one exception - the happy ending. Otherwise it's full of hard-boiled characters and dialogue, trips to a night club in the middle of the night, lots of violence (poor Marlow keeps disappearing into that black pool as he's variously coshed, assaulted etc.), has an utterly ruthless femme fatale and a doozy of an expressionist doping scene (described by the private eye as 'like a coked-up dream').

That line 'I find men very attractive' - 'I'm sure they meet you half way' I'm sure I've heard in another noir.

That hallway from the posh house looks like it might be a leftover set from Citizen Kane.