Lady in the Lake (1947)

The Lady in the Lake is a revolutionary 1947 film noir murder mystery for MGM Studios starring (and directed by) as Philip Marlowe. Set just days before Christmas, Marlowe gets tangled up in a web of mystery as he tries to solve the disapperance of Crystal Kingsby, and later Muriel Chess.

This movie was excecutedly beautifully, all in 1st person point of view. The idea was to make the audience feel as if we are Philip Marlowe, and that we have been hired to solve some cases that have popped up in the Bay City area in California.

The atmospheric music in combination with the 1st person point-of-view were perfect for this movie, as it kept me as a viewer on the edge of my seat, piecing together hints and clues as to "whodunit". One scene in particular (walking around inside Chris Lavery's [Richard Simmons] house) was unsettling, with the mysterious sounds played, and the gut churning idea that someone could be around a corner at any minute.

Audrey Totter is certainly a bright spot in this film. Her portrayal as Adrienne Fromsett is beautifull executed. As a viewer, she kept me questioning the entire time her guilt or innocense.

The one major con I have to give this movie, sadly, is Robert Montgomery's performance. While I liked the idea of a hardened Private Detective, the way it was portrayed came across a little too much like a charicature rather than a series way of speaking.

All in all, I think it's a great movie and one worth watching- even if it's not as sophisticated of a plot as modern mystery films go.

4/5