Mrs. Elizabeth Bright Murdock hires Marlowe to find an old rare coin, the Brasher Doubloon, that belonged in her deceased husband's collection. Marlowe begins investigating, but quickly finds himself entangled in a series of unexplained murders.
Now I know this is going to sound kind of radical, but did it ever occur to you that it might make things easier if you told the truth occasionally?
The Brasher Doubloon is directed by John Brahm and adapted to the screen by Dorothy Hannah and Leonard Praskins. It stars George Montgomery, Nancy Guild, Conrad Janis, Roy Roberts, Fritz Kortner and Florence Bates. Music is by David Buttolph and Alfred Newman and cinematography by Lloyd Ahern.
Adapted from Raymond Chandler's novel "The High Window", plot has Montgomery as Private Investigator Philip Marlowe. Marlowe is hired to find a missing gold coin known as The Brasher Doubloon, but soon he finds himself in the middle of a blackmail and murder case that puts him in jeopardy.
The lesser light of the Marlowe filmic adaptations, that should not however deter anyone from seeking this out. The novel has obviously been condensed down and simplified for ease of viewing, but it maintains the sharp dialogue touches so beloved by Marlowe's fans, whilst the characterisations are splendidly noir in substance.
The look and feel is suitably atmospheric, where in Brahm's and Ahern's hands the mansion at the heart of the story is ominously photographed. Both men compliment each other, where one tilts the angles the other brings the shadow bars, these tech touches bring alive the key scenes in the story. Also nice to get some Los Angeles locations in the production, while the sound mix is a sneaky accompaniment as the wind features prominently throughout.
Montgomery is just fine if you accept his more breezy portrayal of Marlowe, managing to be suave and sharp enough to deliver the killer lines for entertainment impact. Guild is lovely and does enough to bring out her character's troubled vulnerability. Bates grand-dame's it with suspicious glee, while Kortner is the stand out performer from the roll call of sinister baddies.
Good solid entrant into the film noir pantheon, arguably stronger on visual terms than actual plot devices, but enjoyable either way. 6.5/10
Footnote: The High Window was previously adapted into Time to Kill (1942) and starred Lloyd Nolan and Heather Angel.
