MysteryThrillerCrime

Lady in the Lake

- You and Robert Montgomery Solve a Murder Mystery Together!

Private eye Phillip Marlowe wants to get out of the detective racket and into crime writing. But when he's called to the office of editor Adrienne Fromsett, it's not to talk about his story ideas — she wants him to locate the missing wife of her boss, Mr. Kingsby. The assignment quickly becomes complicated when bodies start turning up.

Release Date : 1946-12-19

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : La Dame du Lac

Cast

Character Name : Phillip Marlowe

Original Name : Robert Montgomery

Gender : Male

Character Name : Adrienne Fromsett

Original Name : Audrey Totter

Gender : Female

Character Name : Lieutenant DeGarmot

Original Name : Lloyd Nolan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Captain Kane

Original Name : Tom Tully

Gender : Male

Character Name : Derace Kingsby

Original Name : Leon Ames

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mildred Haveland

Original Name : Jayne Meadows

Gender : Female

Character Name : Chris Lavery

Original Name : Dick Simmons

Gender : Male

Character Name : Eugene Grayson

Original Name : Morris Ankrum

Gender : Male

Character Name : Receptionist

Original Name : Lila Leeds

Gender : Female

Character Name : Artist

Original Name : William Roberts

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Grayson

Original Name : Kathleen Lockhart

Gender : Female

Character Name : Crystal

Original Name : Ellay Mort

Gender : Male

Character Name : Elevator Girl (Uncredited)

Original Name : Ellen Ross

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ed, Coroner (Uncredited)

Original Name : Eddie Acuff

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Bradstreet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : David Cavendish

Gender : Male

Character Name : Property Clerk (Uncredited)

Original Name : Wheaton Chambers

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : Roger Cole

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Dae

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman (Uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Davis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman (Uncredited)

Original Name : John Webb Dillion

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sergeant (Uncredited)

Original Name : Ralph Dunn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman (Uncredited)

Original Name : Budd Fine

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman (Uncredited)

Original Name : John Gallaudet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : Nina Garson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : Sherry Hall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jailer (Uncredited)

Original Name : Cy Kendall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : Ann Lawrence

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman (Uncredited)

Original Name : George Magrill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : Bert Moorhouse

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : Sandra Morgan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman (Uncredited)

Original Name : Thomas Murray

Gender : Male

Character Name : Drunk (Uncredited)

Original Name : William Newell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : James Nolan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : William O'Leary

Gender : Male

Character Name : Floyd Greer (Uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Orth

Gender : Male

Character Name : Buster (Uncredited)

Original Name : William McKeever Riley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Charlie (Uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Santley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter (Uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Sherman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : Florence Stephens

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : George Travell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : Laura Treadwell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (Uncredited)

Original Name : Kay Wiley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Detective (Uncredited)

Original Name : Robert B. Williams

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

If I should die before I live! Lady in the Lake is directed by Robert Montgomery and adapted to the screen by Steve Fisher from the novel The Lady in the Lake written by Raymond Chandler. It stars Montgomery, Audrey Totter, Lloyd Nolan, Tom Tully, Leon Ames and Jayne Meadows. Music is by David Snell and cinematography by Paul Vogel. It's the Christmas Holidays and private detective and part time writer Phillip Marlowe (Montgomery) strolls into Kingsby Publications to submit his latest novel. Although he didn't know it at the time, his reason for being there is for different matters, and soon he is involved in missing persons and dead bodies... Famous for being the film that used a first person gimmick (the camera is Marlowe for most of the picture), Lady in the Lake has a very divisive reputation for a number of reasons. Be it the gimmick or the portrayal of Marlowe (a much loved character to Chandler and film noir fans) by Montgomery, you will find for every person who likes the film greatly, the next person hates it. So with that you have to roll the dice and take your chance. I have an allergy against getting mixed up with tricky females who want to knock off the boss' wife and marry him for themselves. If able to leave aside Chandler's novel (and the writer's agitation about the film in general) , and to not let the camera as the active protagonist trick take you out of the story, then there's a good picture here. As is the Chandler way, there's a pot boiler at work as Marlowe tries to solve the cases at hand. He gets punched and slapped about, drops sarcasm quips a plenty, flirts roughly with Adrienne Fromsett (Totter) and jousts with the police as a course of nature. The mystery element is delightfully strong, suspicious behaviours and dubious motives are prominent, all of which reach a satisfying conclusion at pics end. When it comes to women, does anybody really want the facts? Montgomery's take on Marlowe isn't for everyone, and coming as it did just a year after Bogart had laid down a considerable marker in The Big Sleep, he was up against it. He actually does well in my book, stentorian like in delivery, wonderfully brusque of manner, and a filthy laugh to boot! His interactions with the yummy Totter and battle of wills with the cops are what make the picture worthwhile. Perhaps you'd better go home and play with your fingerprint collection. Unfortunately, with the gimmick in such loaded prominence, it does get a bit weary come the mid-point. The film also lacks some biting noir visuals, the story and its plotting screams out for dark shadow play and chilly chiaroscuro, but no joy in that department here. So some various irks for sure. It starts off with Christmas carols for the opening credits, and finishes on an u-noirish note, but everything in between - gimmick be damned - makes this an intriguing and entertaining Marlowe noir piece. 7/10