Murder, My Sweet + Strangers in the Night

Murder, My Sweet
(1944) dir Edward Dmytryk w/Dick Powell, Claire Trevor, Anne Shirley, Otto Kruger, Mike Mazurki [95 min; 35mm]
Philip Marlowe, the quintessential L.A. private eye, searches for an ex-con’s girlfriend, but, as always, winds up swimming in deceit and double-crosses, all of it washing up at a lavish Malibu beach house. A brilliant studio-lot evocation of Chandler’s favorite corrupt city, featuring former hoofer Dick Powell in a career-transforming turn as Marlowe, and Claire Trevor as his fabulous femme fatale foil. Earns plenty of votes as the best adaptation ever of Chandler novel (Farewell, My Lovely).

Strangers in the Night
(1944) dir Anthony Mann w/William Terry, Virginia Grey, Helene Thimig, Edith Barrett [56 min; 35mm]
A WWII vet journeys to meet the woman whose letters helped him survive the war. But he never counted on her creepy mother … and where is her daughter, and who is mother’s odd “companion?” An atmospheric, utterly daft B, clocking a mere 56 minutes, this low-budget wonder from director Anthony Mann (T-Men, Raw Deal), features a jaw-dropping performance by actress Helene Thimig. 35mm courtesy of UCLA Film & Television Archive. Preservation funded by Paramount Pictures.