Monday, July 21, 2014

Movie of the Day – July 21: Murder My Sweet

Come for the stunt casting, stay for a great movie.
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Dick Powell was the essential Movie Musical “Juvenile”.  In many a musical (and all of the Busby Berkeley extravaganzas of the 1930s) there is a male and female juvenile.  They are usually the B-story lover interests.  Often younger, cuter and designed to bring in the youth audience.  Dick Powell had a corner on this role for a decade.  Such a corner, he was horribly typecast into the part and unable to get out of it.
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Murder My Sweet was his ticket out.  A good little Raymond Chandler story (it’s a quick read and well worth it), it was worked into a great Film Noir piece here.  Dick Powell plays Philip Marlowe, hard drinking detective.  Here he provides the signature voice over, copied by the studio as they tried to “fix” Blade Runner.
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Mike Muzurki and Dick Powell

Marlow is visited by Moose (character actor Mike Muzurki – who you will recognize from a zillion shows), fresh out of jail.  Moose hires him to find “Velma”, the girl he pined for in the joint.  She skipped town with his heart and his money.
Dad, Ann Shirley and Dick Powell
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with Claire Trevor
Murder is (or should be) also famous as the last movie of Anne Shirley – the gorgeous enjanouis.   Ms. Shirley was coming off an Oscar Nomination (as the daughter in Stella Dallas – which will NOT be making this list).  She retired after this, having remarried and wanting to give up the business for a quiet life.
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Like I said, there are a lot of reasons – from a historical point of view – to see this movie.  But once it gets going, all that fades away.  It is a first rate mystery and fun to boot.