Philip Marlowe ( ) is a fictional character created by

Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive durin ...

who was characteristic of the

hardboiled Hardboiled (or hard-boiled) fiction is a literary genre that shares some of its characters and settings with crime fiction (especially detective fiction and noir fiction). The genre's typical protagonist is a detective who battles the violence o ...

crime fiction Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, crime novel, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives or fiction that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professiona ...

genre. The genre originated in the 1920s, notably in '' Black Mask'' magazine, in which

Dashiell Hammett Samuel Dashiell Hammett ( ; May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) was an American writer of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. He was also a screenwriter and political activist. Among the characters he created are Sam Spade ('' The Ma ...

The Continental Op The Continental Op is a fictional character created by Dashiell Hammett. He is a private investigator employed as an operative of the Continental Detective Agency's San Francisco office. The stories are all told in the first person and his name i ...

and

Sam Spade Sam Spade is a fictional character and the protagonist of Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel '' The Maltese Falcon''. Spade also appeared in four lesser-known short stories by Hammett. ''The Maltese Falcon'', first published as a serial in the pulp ...

first appeared. Marlowe first appeared under that name in ''

The Big Sleep ''The Big Sleep'' (1939) is a hardboiled crime novel by American-British writer Raymond Chandler, the first to feature the detective Philip Marlowe. It has been adapted for film twice, in 1946 and again in 1978. The story is set in Los A ...

'', published in 1939. Chandler's early

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

, published in

pulp magazine Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 until around 1955. The term "pulp" derives from the Pulp (paper), wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed, due to their ...

s such as ''Black Mask'' and ''Dime Detective'', featured similar characters with names like "Carmady" and "John Dalmas", starting in 1933. Some of those short stories were later combined and expanded into novels featuring Marlowe, a process Chandler called " cannibalizing", which is more commonly known in publishing as a

fix-up A fix-up (or fixup) is a novel created from several short fiction stories that may or may not have been initially related or previously published. The stories may be edited for consistency, and sometimes new connecting material, such as a frame ...

. When the original stories were republished years later in the short-story collection ''

The Simple Art of Murder ''The Simple Art of Murder'' is the title of several quasi-connected publications by hard-boiled detective fiction author Raymond Chandler: *The first, and arguably best-known, is a critical essay on detective fiction, originally published in ...

'', Chandler did not change the names of the

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

s to Philip Marlowe. His first two stories, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot" and "Smart-Aleck Kill" (with a detective named Mallory), were never altered in print but did join the others as Marlowe cases for the television series ''

Philip Marlowe, Private Eye ''Philip Marlowe, Private Eye'' is an American mystery series that aired on HBO in the United States from April 16, 1983, through June 3, 1986, and on ITV in the United Kingdom. The series features Powers Boothe as Raymond Chandler's title ch ...

''. Underneath the wisecracking, hard-drinking, tough private eye, Marlowe is quietly contemplative, philosophical and enjoys

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

and

poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

. While he is not afraid to risk physical harm, he does not dish out violence merely to settle scores. Morally upright, he is not fooled by the genre's usual ''

femmes fatales A ( , ; ), sometimes called a maneater, Mata Hari, or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and Seduction, seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype ...

'', such as Carmen Sternwood in ''The Big Sleep''. Chandler's treatment of the detective novel exhibits an effort to develop the form. His first full-length book, ''The Big Sleep'', was published when Chandler was 51; his last, '' Playback'', when he was 70. He wrote seven novels in the last two decades of his life. An eighth, '' Poodle Springs'', was completed posthumously by

Robert B. Parker Robert Brown Parker (September 17, 1932 – January 18, 2010) was an American writer, primarily of fiction within the mystery/detective genre. His most famous works include the 40 novels written about the fictional private detective Spenser. ...

and published years later.

Inspiration

Explaining the origin of Marlowe's character, Chandler commented, "Marlowe just grew out of the pulps. He was no one person". When creating the character, Chandler had originally intended to call him Mallory; his stories for the ''Black Mask'' featured characters that are considered precursors to Marlowe. The emergence of Marlowe coincided with Chandler's transition from writing short stories to novels. The Cahuenga Building, where Phillip Marlowe's office is located, is widely believed to be inspired by the

Security Savings and Trust Security Trust and Savings, also known as Security Trust, Security Pacific Bank, Security Bank Building, and Cahuenga Building, is a historic seven-story office building on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood, C ...

located on

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It runs through the Hollywood, East Hollywood, Little Armenia, Thai Town, and Los Feliz districts. Its western terminus is at Sunset Plaza Drive in the Hollyw ...

Hollywood, California Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...

Biographical notes

Philip Marlowe is a fictional character created by Raymond Chandler in a series of novels including ''The Big Sleep;'' ''

Farewell, My Lovely ''Farewell, My Lovely'' is a novel by Raymond Chandler, published in 1940, the second novel he wrote featuring the Los Angeles private eye Philip Marlowe. It was adapted for the screen three times and was also adapted for the stage and radio. ...

;'' and '' The Long Goodbye''. Chandler is not consistent as to Marlowe's age. In ''The Big Sleep'', set in 1936, Marlowe's age is given as 33, while in ''The Long Goodbye'' (set 14 years later), Marlowe is 42. In a letter to D. J. Ibberson of April 19, 1951, Chandler noted among other things that Marlowe is 38 years old and was born in

Santa Rosa, California Santa Rosa (Spanish language, Spanish for "Rose of Lima, Saint Rose") is a city in and the county seat of Sonoma County, California, Sonoma County, in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay A ...

. He had a couple of years at college and some experience as an investigator for an insurance company and the

district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

's office of

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individua ...

. He was fired from the DA's office for insubordination (or as Marlowe put it, "talking back"). The DA's chief investigator, Bernie Ohls, is a friend and former colleague and a source of information for Marlowe within law enforcement. As with his age, Chandler is not consistent as to Marlowe's height: in ''The Long Goodbye'' he is described as being "six feet, one half inch", while in ''Farewell My Lovely'' Marlowe describes one of his clients, Lindsay Marriott, as having "an inch more of height than I had, which made him six feet one" – meaning Marlowe is six feet tall himself. He weighs about . He is described as having dark hair and a medium heavy build (''Farewell, My Lovely''); dark brown hair with some grey and brown eyes (''The Long Good-bye''). Marlowe first lived at the Hobart Arms, on Franklin Avenue near North Kenmore Avenue (in ''The Big Sleep'') but then moved to the Bristol Hotel, where he stayed for about 10 years. By 1950 (in ''The Long Good-bye'') he has rented a house on Yucca Avenue in

Laurel Canyon Laurel Canyon is a mountainous neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills region of the Santa Monica Mountains, within the Hollywood Hills West district of Los Angeles, California. The main thoroughfare of Laurel Canyon Boulevard connects the neig ...

and continued at the same place in early 1952 in '' Playback'', Chandler's last full-length Marlowe novel. His office, originally on the seventh floor of an unnamed building in 1936, is at #615 on the sixth floor of the Cahuenga Building by March–April 1939 (the date of ''Farewell, My Lovely''), which is on

near Ivar. North Ivar Avenue is between North Cahuenga Boulevard to the west and Vine Street to the east. The office telephone number is GLenview 7537. Marlowe's office is modest and he does not have a secretary (unlike Sam Spade). He generally refuses to take

divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganising of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the M ...

cases. He drinks

whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...

brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured ...

frequently and in relatively large quantities. For example, in ''

The High Window ''The High Window'' is a 1942 novel written by Raymond Chandler. It is his third novel featuring the Los Angeles private detective Philip Marlowe. Plot Private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by wealthy widow Elizabeth Bright Murdock to recov ...

'', he gets out a bottle of

Four Roses Four Roses is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey produced at Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky by the Kirin Brewery Company. Its Spanish Mission-style distillery was built in 1910 and is listed on the National Regi ...

and pours glasses for him, Det. Lt. Breeze and Spangler. At other times, he is drinking

Old Forester Old Forester is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whisky produced by the Brown–Forman Corporation. It has been on the market continuously for longer than any other bourbon (approximately 150 years as of 2020), and was the first bourbon so ...

, a Kentucky bourbon, "I hung up and fed myself a slug of Old Forester to brace my nerves for the interview. As I was inhaling it I heard her steps tripping along the corridor". (''

The Little Sister ''The Little Sister'' is a 1949 novel by Raymond Chandler, his fifth featuring the private investigator Philip Marlowe. The story is set in Los Angeles in the late 1940s and follows Marlowe's investigation of a missing persons case and blackmai ...

'') However, in ''Playback'' he orders a double

Gibson Gibson, Gibson's or Gibsons may refer to: Business * Gibson Appliance, a former American refrigerator manufacturer * Gibson (guitar company), an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment * Gibson Greetings, ...

at a bar while tailing Betty Mayfield. Also, in ''The Long Good-bye'', Terry Lennox and he drink Gimlets; in the same novel he also orders a

whiskey sour A whiskey sour is a mixed drink or Shooter (drink), shot containing whiskey, lemon juice, and Syrup#Simple sugar syrups, simple syrup, and traditionally garnished with a cherry or sometimes a lemon wedge. It is a blend of Sour (cocktail), sour, ...

and drinks Cordon Rouge

champagne Champagne (; ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

with Linda Loring. Marlowe is adept at using liquor to loosen peoples' tongues. An example is in ''The High Window'', when Marlowe finally persuades the detective-lieutenant, whose "solid old face was lined and grey with fatigue", to take a drink: "Breeze looked at me very steadily. Then he sighed. Then he picked the glass up and tasted it and sighed again and shook his head sideways with a half smile; the way a man does when you give him a drink and he needs it very badly and it is just right and the first swallow is like a peek into a cleaner, sunnier, brighter world". He frequently drinks coffee. Eschewing the use of filters (see ''Farewell, My Lovely''), he uses a

vacuum coffee maker A vacuum coffee maker brews coffee using two chambers where vapor pressure and gravity produce coffee. This type of coffee maker is also known as ''vac pot'', ''siphon'' or ''syphon coffee maker,'' and was invented by Loeff of Berlin in the 1830 ...

(see ''The Long Good-bye'', chapter 5). He smokes and prefers

Camel cigarettes Camel is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in the United States and by Japan Tobacco outside the U.S. Most recently Camel cigarettes contain a blend of Turkish tobacco and Vi ...

. At home and at his office (see Playback) he sometimes smokes a pipe. A

adept, he is often described as playing games against himself or setting out and duplicating historical tournament games from books as a means of relaxation or clearing his head. As is typical of pulp fiction private eyes from Sherlock Holmes onward, Marlowe is a bachelor throughout most of the novels. That he has sex with female characters is explicit or implied in each of the novels, but he is also shown resisting various sexual invitations and refusing to take advantage of other sexual opportunities on moral grounds. In ''The Long Goodbye'' the divorced daughter of the press tycoon Harlan Potter, Linda Loring (with whom he has spent one night of passion), asks Marlowe to go with her to Paris, but he declines. Then, at the end of the next novel, ''Playback'' (set some 18 months later), Loring phones him from Paris and asks him again to join her ("I'm asking you to marry me"). Marlowe challenges her to come to him in L.A. instead, implicitly testing her sincerity. In the opening paragraphs of '' Poodle Springs'' he has just married her.

Marlowe bibliography

Original short stories by Raymond Chandler

* " Blackmailers Don't Shoot" (December 1933, '' Black Mask''; protagonist named Mallory) * " Smart-Aleck Kill" (July 1934, ''Black Mask''; Mallory) * "Finger Man" (October 1934, Black Mask; Carmady) * "Killer in the Rain" (January 1935, ''Black Mask''; Carmady) * "Nevada Gas" (June 1935, ''Black Mask'') * "Spanish Blood" (November 1935, ''Black Mask'') * "Guns at Cyrano's" (January 1936, ''Black Mask''; Ted Malvern) * "The Man Who Liked Dogs" (March 1936, ''Black Mask''; Carmady) * "Noon Street Nemesis" (May 30, 1936, ''Detective Fiction Weekly''; or "Pick-up on Noon Street") * "Goldfish" (June 1936,'' Black Mask''; Carmady) * "The Curtain" (September 1936, ''Black Mask''; Carmady) * "Try the Girl" (January 1937, ''Black Mask''; Carmady) * "Mandarin's Jade" (November 1937, ''Dime Detective''; John Dalmas) * "Red Wind" (January 1938, ''Dime Detective'': John Dalmas) * "The King in Yellow" (March 1938, ''Dime Detective'') * "Bay City Blues" (June 1938; ''Dime Detective''; John Dalmas) * "The Lady in the Lake" (January 1939, ''Dime Detective''; John Dalmas) * "Pearls Are a Nuisance" (April 1939, ''Dime Detective'') * "Trouble Is My Business" (August 1939, ''Dime Detective''; John Dalmas) * "I'll Be Waiting" (October 14, 1939, ''Saturday Evening Post'') * "The Bronze Door" (November 1939, ''Unknown'') * "No Crime in the Mountains" (September 1941, ''Detective Story'', John Evans)

Original Philip Marlowe works by Raymond Chandler

* ''

'' (1939) * ''

'' (1940) * ''

'' (1942) * ''

The Lady in the Lake ''The Lady in the Lake'' is a 1943 detective novel by Raymond Chandler featuring the Los Angeles private investigator Philip Marlowe. Notable for its removal of Marlowe from his usual Los Angeles environs for much of the book, the novel's comp ...

'' (1943) * ''

'' (1949) * '' The Long Goodbye'' (1953) * '' Playback'' (1958) * "The Pencil" (or "Marlowe Takes On the Syndicate", "Wrong Pigeon" and "Philip Marlowe's Last Case") (1959), (short story). Chandler's last completed work about Marlowe, his first Marlowe short story in more than 20 years and the first short story originally written about Marlowe * ''

The Poodle Springs Story ''Poodle Springs'' is the eighth Philip Marlowe novel. It was started in 1958 by Raymond Chandler, who left it unfinished at his death in 1959. The four chapters he had completed, which bore the working title ''The Poodle Springs Story'', were ...

'' in '' Raymond Chandler Speaking'' (1962) (only the first four chapters were completed and then left unfinished at Chandler's death in 1959;

extended the material to a full-length novel, '' Poodle Springs'', in 1989.)

Authorized works by other writers

* ''El Diez Por Ciento de Vida'' by Hiber Conteris (Spain, 1985), English translation as ''Ten Percent of Life'' by Deborah Bergmann (1987, ). Marlowe probes the 1956 "suicide" of a Hollywood literary agent, one of whose clients is Raymond Chandler. * '' Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe: A Centennial Celebration'', ed. Byron Preiss (1988, ; extended edition 1999, ); reprints ''The Pencil'' alongside Philip Marlowe stories by other authors: ** "The Perfect Crime" by

Max Allan Collins Max Allan Collins (born March 3, 1948) is an American mystery writer, noted for his graphic literature. His work has been published in several formats, such as his '' Ms. Tree'' series and his '' Road to Perdition'' series was the basis for a fi ...

** "The Black-Eyed Blonde" by Benjamin M. Schutz ** "Gun Music" by Loren D. Estleman ** "Saving Grace" by Joyce Harrington ** "Malibu Tag Team" by

Jonathan Valin Jonathan Valin (born November 23, 1947, in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American mystery author best known for the Harry Stoner detective series. He won the Shamus Award for best mystery novel of 1989. After writing eleven Harry Stoner novels over a 14 ...

** "Sad-Eyed Blonde" by Dick Lochte ** "The Empty Sleeve" by W. R. Philbrick ** "Dealer's Choice" by

Sara Paretsky Sara Paretsky (born June 8, 1947) is an American author of detective fiction, best known for her novels focused on the protagonist V. I. Warshawski. Life and career Paretsky was born in Ames, Iowa. Her father was a microbiologist and moved the ...

** "Red Rock" by Julie Smith ** "The Deepest South" by

Paco Ignacio Taibo II Paco Ignacio Taibo II (born Francisco Ignacio Taibo Mahojo; on January 11, 1949), also known as Paco Taibo II or informally as PIT is a Spanish- Mexican writer, novelist and political activist based in Mexico City. He is most widely known as the ...

** "Consultation in the Dark" by

Francis M. Nevins Jr. Francis may refer to: People and characters *Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church (2013–2025) *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Francis (surname) * Francis, a character played by YouTuber Boogie29 ...

** "In the Jungle of Cities" by

Roger L. Simon Roger Lichtenberg Simon (born November 22, 1943) is an American novelist and screenwriter. He was formerly CEO of PJ Media (formerly known as Pajamas Media) and is now its CEO Emeritus. He is the author of eleven novels, including the Moses Win ...

** "Star Bright" by

John Lutz John Michael Lutz (born April 23, 1973) is an American actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is best known for playing J. D. Lutz on the NBC sitcom ''30 Rock'', and for his work as a writer on the NBC series ''Saturday Night Live'' for seven ...

** "Stardust Kill" by

Simon Brett Simon Anthony Lee Brett Order of the British Empire, OBE Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, FRSL (born 28 October 1945 in Worcester Park, Surrey, England) is a British author of detective fiction, a playwright, and a producer-writer for ...

** "Locker 246" by Robert J. Randisi ** "Bitter Lemons" by Stuart M. Kaminsky ** "The Man Who Knew Dick Bong" by

Robert Crais Robert Crais (pronounced ; born June 20, 1953) is an American author of detective fiction and former screenwriter. Crais began his career writing scripts for television shows such as '' Hill Street Blues'', '' Cagney & Lacey'', '' Quincy'', '' M ...

** "Essence D'Orient" by

Edward D. Hoch Edward Dentinger Hoch (February 22, 1930 – January 17, 2008) was an American writer of detective fiction. Although he wrote several novels, he was primarily known for his vast output of over 950 short stories. He was one of the few Ame ...

** "In the Line of Duty" by Jeremiah Healey ** "The Alibi" by Ed Gorman ** "The Devil's Playground" by

James Grady James Grady may refer to: * James Grady (footballer) James Grady (born 14 March 1971) is a Scottish former professional footballer who spent the majority of his career in the top two divisions in Scottish football. He played as a striker, and ...

** "Asia" by

Eric Van Lustbader Eric Van Lustbader (born December 24, 1946) is an American author of thriller and fantasy novels. He has published as Eric Lustbader, Eric V. Lustbader, and Eric Van Lustbader. He is a graduate of New York's Stuyvesant High School and Columb ...

** "Mice" by Robert Campbell ** "Sixty-Four Squares" by J. Madison Davis (1999 edition) ** "Summer in Idle Valley" by Roger L. Simon (1999 edition)

Authorized novels by other writers

* '' Poodle Springs'' (1989, ), by Robert B. Parker. An authorized completion of Chandler's unfinished last work; the original text 'The Poodle Springs Story' had been published alongside excerpts from Chandler's letters, notes and essays in '' Raymond Chandler Speaking'' (1971), by Dorothy Gardener and Katherine Sorley Walker. New York: Books for Library Press. * '' Perchance to Dream'' (1991, ), by Robert B. Parker. An authorized sequel to Chandler's ''The Big Sleep''. * ''The Black-Eyed Blonde'' (2014), by

John Banville William John Banville (born 8 December 1945) is an Irish novelist, short story writer, Literary adaptation, adapter of dramas and screenwriter. Though he has been described as "the heir to Marcel Proust, Proust, via Vladimir Nabokov, Nabokov", ...

writing as "Benjamin Black," is an authorized sequel to ''The Long Goodbye'', and reuses the title of Benjamin M. Schutz's otherwise-unrelated Marlowe story. * ''Only to Sleep'' (2018), by

Lawrence Osborne Lawrence Osborne (born 1958) is a British novelist and journalist who is currently residing in Bangkok. Osborne was educated at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, and at Harvard University, and has since led a nomadic life, residing for years i ...

, finds the elderly Marlowe in Mexico in 1988, investigating the “accidental” swimming death of a debt-ridden con man/developer. * ''The Goodbye Coast'' (2022), by Joe Ide, a reimagining of the character, set in present day Los Angeles. * ''The Second Murderer'' (2023), by

Denise Mina Denise Mina is a Scottish writer active since 1996. Her debut novel ''Garnethill'' (1998 Transworld) was a bestseller and won the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey Award for best debut. It was followed by ''Exile'' and ''Resolution'', c ...

Film adaptations

* ''

The Falcon Takes Over ''The Falcon Takes Over'' (also known as ''The Falcon Steps Out''), is a 1942 black-and-white mystery film directed by Irving Reis. Although the film features the Falcon and other characters created by Michael Arlen, its plot is taken from the Ra ...

'' (1942) – (adaptation of ''Farewell, My Lovely'' with detective " The Falcon" substituting for Marlowe)

George Sanders George Henry Sanders (3 July 1906 – 25 April 1972) was a British actor and singer whose career spanned over 40 years. His heavy, upper-class English accent and smooth bass voice often led him to be cast as sophisticated but villainous charac ...

as The Falcon. * '' Time to Kill'' (1942) – (adaptation of ''The High Window'' with detective

Michael Shayne Michael "Mike" Shayne is a fictional private detective character created during the late 1930s in a series of novels written by writer Brett Halliday, a pseudonym of Davis Dresser. The character appeared in a series of seven films starring Llo ...

substituting for Marlowe)

Lloyd Nolan Lloyd Benedict Nolan (August 11, 1902 – September 27, 1985) was an American stage, film and television actor who rose from a supporting player and B-movie lead early in his career to featured player status after creating the role of Captain Qu ...

as Shayne. * ''

Murder, My Sweet ''Murder, My Sweet'' (released as ''Farewell, My Lovely'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1944 American film noir, directed by Edward Dmytryk and starring Dick Powell, Claire Trevor and Anne Shirley (in her final film before retirement). The fi ...

'' (1944) – (adaptation of nd released in the UK as''Farewell, My Lovely'')

Dick Powell Richard Ewing Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility and successfully transform ...

as Marlowe. * ''

'' (1946) –

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...

as Marlowe. * ''

Lady in the Lake ''Lady in the Lake'' is a 1947 American film noir starring Robert Montgomery, Audrey Totter, Lloyd Nolan, Tom Tully, Leon Ames and Jayne Meadows. An adaptation of the 1943 Raymond Chandler murder mystery '' The Lady in the Lake'', the pictu ...

'' (1947) – Robert Montgomery as Phillip Marlowe ("Phillip" is spelled with two "l"s in this film.) * ''

The Brasher Doubloon ''The Brasher Doubloon'' (known in the UK as ''The High Window'') is a 1947 American crime film noir directed by John Brahm and starring George Montgomery and Nancy Guild. It is based on the 1942 novel '' The High Window'' by Raymond Chandler. ...

'' (1947) – (adaptation of nd released in the UK as''The High Window'') George Montgomery as Marlowe. * ''

Marlowe Marlowe may refer to: Name * Marlowe (name), including list of people and characters with the surname or given name * Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593), English dramatist, poet and translator * Pat Marlowe (1933–1962), English socialite * Phili ...

'' (1969) – (adaptation of ''The Little Sister'')

James Garner James Scott Garner (né Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, which included ''The Great Escape (film), The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy Ch ...

as Marlowe. This became the partial inspiration for ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner, aired on NBC from September 13, 1974, to January 10, 1980. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator Jim Rockford, with Noah Beery Jr. in th ...

'', the other being the series ''

Maverick Maverick or Maveric may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bureau T-32 M ...

''. * '' The Long Goodbye'' (1973) –

Elliott Gould Elliott Gould (; né Goldstein; born August 29, 1938) is an American actor. Gould's breakthrough role was in the film ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' (1969), for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The ...

as Marlowe. * ''

'' (1975) –

Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He is known for his antihero roles and film noir appearances. He received nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He received a star on the Holl ...

as Marlowe. * ''

'' (1978) – Robert Mitchum as Marlowe. * ''

'' (2022) – (adaptation of ''The Black-Eyed Blonde'' by

Benjamin Black William John Banville (born 8 December 1945) is an Irish novelist, short story writer, adapter of dramas and screenwriter. Though he has been described as "the heir to Proust, via Nabokov", Banville himself maintains that W. B. Yeats and Henry ...

)

Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Liam Neeson, several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, BAFT ...

as Marlowe.

Radio and television adaptations

Radio

* ''

Lux Radio Theater ''Lux Radio Theatre'', sometimes spelled ''Lux Radio Theater'', a old-time radio, classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the Blue Network, NBC Blue Network (1934–35) (owned by the National Broadcasting Company, later predecessor of A ...

'', "Murder My Sweet", adapted from the 1944 film, CBS Radio, June 11, 1945 (Dick Powell as Marlowe) * '' The New Adventures of Philip Marlowe'', NBC Radio series, June 17, 1947 to September 9, 1947 (

Van Heflin Emmett Evan "Van" Heflin Jr. (December 13, 1908 – July 23, 1971) was an American theatre, radio, and film actor. He played mostly character parts over the course of his film career, but during the 1940s had a string of roles as a leading man. ...

as Marlowe) * ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of anxiety or excitement caused by mysteriousness, uncertainty, doubt, or undecidedness. In a narrative work, suspense is the audience's excited anticipation about the plot or conflict (which may be heightened by a viol ...

'', CBS radio, January 10, 1948 (cameo by series host Robert Montgomery in ''

The Adventures of Sam Spade ''The Adventures of Sam Spade, Detective'' was a radio series based loosely on the private detective character Sam Spade, created by writer Dashiell Hammett for '' The Maltese Falcon''. The show ran for 13 episodes on ABC in 1946, for 157 epis ...

'' cross-over, "The Kandy Tooth") * ''

'', "Lady in the Lake", adapted from the 1947 film, CBS Radio, February 9, 1948 (Robert Montgomery as Marlowe) * '' Hollywood Star Time'', "Murder My Sweet", adapted from the 1944 film, CBS Radio, June 8, 1948 (Dick Powell as Marlowe) * ''

The Adventures of Philip Marlowe ''The Adventures of Philip Marlowe'' was a radio series featuring Raymond Chandler's private eye, Philip Marlowe. Robert C. Reinehr and Jon D. Swartz, in their book, ''The A to Z of Old Time Radio'', noted that the program differed from most othe ...

'', CBS Radio series, September 26, 1948 to September 15, 1951 (

Gerald Mohr Gerald Mohr (June 11, 1914 – November 9, 1968) was an American radio, film, and television character actor and frequent leading man, who appeared in more than 500 radio plays, 73 films, and over 100 television shows. Early years Mohr wa ...

as Marlowe) * '' The BBC Presents: Philip Marlowe'', BBC Radio series, September 26, 1977 to September 23, 1988 (

Ed Bishop George Victor Bishop (June 11, 1932 – June 8, 2005), known professionally as Ed Bishop or Edward Bishop, was an American actor, predominantly based in the UK. He was known for playing Commander Ed Straker in '' UFO'', Captain Blue in '' Cap ...

as Marlowe) * In 2011 the BBC started a series of radio adaptations of all the Philip Marlowe novels under the heading ''Classic Chandler''.

Toby Stephens Toby Stephens (born 21 April 1969) is an English actor who has appeared in films in the United Kingdom, United States, and India. He is known for the roles of Bond villain Gustav Graves in the 2002 James Bond film '' Die Another Day'', for whic ...

played Philip Marlowe throughout. The series started on February 5, 2011, on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

with a 90-minute adaptation of ''

'' and continued with adaptations of ''

'' (February 12, 2011), ''

'' (February 19, 2011) and a 60-minute version of '' Playback'' (February 26, 2011). The series continued later that year with 90-minute adaptations of '' The Long Goodbye'' (October 1, 2011), ''

'' (October 8, 2011), ''

'' (October 15, 2011) and a 60-minute version of '' Poodle Springs'' (October 22, 2011).

Television

* ''

Robert Montgomery Presents ''Robert Montgomery Presents'' is an American drama (film and television), drama television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950, until June 24, 1957. The Live television, live show had several sponsors during its eight-year run ...

'', "The Big Sleep", adapted from the novel, NBC Television, September 25, 1950 (

Zachary Scott Zachary Scott (February 21, 1914 – October 3, 1965)Obituary '' Variety'', October 6, 1965. was an American actor who was known for his roles as villains and "mystery men". Early life Scott was born in Austin, Texas, the son of Sallie L ...

as Marlowe) * ''

Climax! ''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS pro ...

'', "The Long Goodbye", adapted from the novel, CBS Television, October 7, 1954 (Dick Powell as Marlowe) * ''

Philip Marlowe Philip Marlowe ( ) is a fictional character created by Raymond Chandler who was characteristic of the hardboiled crime fiction genre. The genre originated in the 1920s, notably in '' Black Mask'' magazine, in which Dashiell Hammett's The Cont ...

'', ABC Television series, October 6, 1959 to March 29, 1960 (

Philip Carey Philip Carey (born Eugene Joseph Carey, July 15, 1925February 6, 2009) was an American actor, well-known for playing the role of Asa Buchanan on the soap opera ''One Life to Live'' for nearly three decades. Early life and education On July 15 ...

as Marlowe) * ''

'', HBO/London Weekend Television series, April 16, 1983 to May 14, 1983, April 27, 1986 to June 3, 1986 (

Powers Boothe Powers Allen Boothe (June 1, 1948 – May 14, 2017) was an American actor known for his commanding character actor roles on film and television. He received a Primetime Emmy Award and nominations for two Screen Actors Guild Awards. He won ...

as Marlowe) * '' Fallen Angels'', " Red Wind", adapted from the short story,

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

Television, November 26, 1995 (

Danny Glover Danny Glover ( ; born July 22, 1946) is an American actor, producer, and political activist. Over his career he has received List of awards and nominations received by Danny Glover, numerous accolades including the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian A ...

as Marlowe) * '' Poodle Springs'', adapted from the

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

(a fragment completed by

), HBO Television movie, July 25, 1998 (

James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...

as Marlowe) * ''Marlowe'', a 2007 ABC TV pilot (

Jason O'Mara Jason O'Mara (born 6 August 1972) is an Irish-American actor. He has starred in American television series '' Terra Nova'' (2011), '' Vegas'' (2012–13), '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2016–17) and '' The Man in the High Castle'' (2018–19). Fo ...

as Marlowe) * Upcoming series from

Bad Robot Productions Bad Robot is an American film and television production company founded on May 27, 1999, and led by Katie McGrath and J. J. Abrams as Co-CEO. Under its Bad Robot Productions division, the company is responsible for the Television show, televisio ...

Theater adaptations

Marlowe has appeared on stage at least twice. An adaptation of ''The Little Sister'' in 1978 in Chicago starred

Mike Genovese Mike Genovese (born Peter Michael Genovese on April 26, 1942 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American actor. Career Genovese was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri to an Italian American family. Genovese earned a master's degree in drama at ...

as Marlowe. In 1982,

Richard Maher Richard Maher is a British screenwriter, author and playwright. Born in Bristol in 1957, he graduated from Queens' College, Cambridge in 1979. His television work includes writing for '' Pie in the Sky'' and ''Taggart'', and co-creating the ITV1 ...

and

Roger Michell Roger Harry Michell (5 June 1956 – 22 September 2021) was a British theatre, television and film director. He was best known for directing films such as ''Notting Hill'' and ''Venus'', as well as the 1995 made-for-television film ''Persuasi ...

wrote ''Private Dick,'' in which Chandler has lost the manuscript for a novel, and calls in Marlowe to help find it. The production played in London, with

Robert Powell Robert Thomas Powell ( ; born 1 June 1944) is an English actor who is known for the title roles in '' Mahler'' (1974) and '' Jesus of Nazareth'' (1977), and for his portrayal of secret agent Richard Hannay in '' The Thirty Nine Steps'' (1978) ...

as Marlowe.

Video game adaptations

* '' Philip Marlowe: Private Eye'', Byron Preiss (developer),

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...

(publisher), 1996–1997

References

External links

Philip Marlowe
on

IMDb IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

BBC Radio 4 Presents: Classic Chandler

Audio

OTR Network Library: ''The Adventures of Philip Marlowe'' (63 episodes)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marlowe, Philip Fictional American detectives Fictional characters from Los Angeles Fictional private investigators Book series Characters in pulp fiction Characters in American novels of the 20th century Characters of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction Literary characters introduced in 1939 Thriller film characters Crime film characters Characters in short stories Detective fiction short stories Male characters in literature Male characters in film Fictional characters from the 20th century

Inspiration

Biographical notes

Marlowe bibliography

Original short stories by Raymond Chandler

Original Philip Marlowe works by Raymond Chandler

Authorized works by other writers

Authorized novels by other writers

Film adaptations

Radio and television adaptations

Radio

Television

Theater adaptations

Video game adaptations

See also

References

External links

Audio