Directed by: Robert Montgomery It may not be the strongest portrayal of Raymond Chandler's detective Philip Marlowe, but it's certainly the closest we get to him at a personal level. Robert Montgomery takes on the role of Marlowe as well as his directorial debut, and he does it from a first person perspective. That's right, before the age of GoPro or video game cut scenes, he decides to stage the entire movie from the perspective of, well, himself. You see the mystery unfold as if you were the one playing it out, only with Marlowe's cynical wisecracking. It seems like the perfect choice to present the internal perspective of Marlowe from Chandler's novels, and it's a daring move, but looking back it seems slightly like more of a novelty than brilliant direction. Still it does make it one of the more interesting noirs on the list from a creative standpoint. It's still the basic Chandler-esque criss crossing plot that you either love or hate, and it's a fresh take on Marlowe's iconic character after Dick Powell and Humphrey Bogart's portrayals. It's the most accurate portrayal of Philip Marlowe we've ever going to get, it's got my admiration for that.
