The Big Sleep, Howard Hawks, 1946
The world is full of glamour shots and portraits of Lauren Bacall. I thought
we'd look at something like this instead. Howard Hawks (on the left) reads
through a scene one last time with his players before committing it to
celluloid.
Next to Hawks is Sonia Darrin as Agnes Lowzier: 'A half-smart guy, that's
what I always draw. Never once a man who's smart all the way around the
course. Never once.'
Philip Marlowe: 'I hurt you much, sugar?'
Agnes Lowzier: 'You and every other man I've ever met.',
Next an unnamed script girl (I wish we had her name),
Then Lauren Bacall as Vivian Rutlege: 'Do you always think you can handle
people like, uh, trained seals?'
Philip Marlowe: 'Uh-huh. I usually get away with it too.'
Vivian: 'How nice for you.'
And then, of course, Bogie as Phillip Marlowe: 'She tried to sit in my lap while
I was standing up.'
The fine, stalwart supporting player Jean Louis Heydt as Joe Brody listens
intently on the right.
Warner Bros., Howard Hawks, 1946