Season 2: The Lady In The Lake

Speakeasy Noir Cast

Merry Christmas Noir Fans!

We hope you enjoy our Christmas set noir pick for this episode, in which Carly yet again confuses Jason with her pigs in blanket crisps and Jason is unveiled as a closet Downton Abby fan.

Lady in the Lake is a 1947 American film noir that marked the directorial debut of Robert Montgomery, who also stars in the film. The picture also features Audrey Totter, Lloyd Nolan, Tom Tully, Leon Ames and Jayne Meadows. The murder mystery was an adaptation of the 1943 Raymond Chandler novel The Lady in the Lake. The film was Montgomery's last for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), after eighteen years with the studio.

Montgomery's ambition was to create a cinematic version of the first-person narrative style of Chandler's Philip Marlowe novels.[notes 1] With the exception of a couple of times when Montgomery (in character) addresses the audience directly, the entire film is shot from the viewpoint of the central character. The audience sees only what he does. MGM promoted the film with the claim that it was the first of its kind and the most revolutionary style of film since the introduction of the talkies. The movie was also unusual for having virtually no instrumental soundtrack, the music in the film being instead provided by a wordless vocal chorus.

The film did not use Raymond Chandler's own 195-page screenplay adaptation dated July 5, 1945 which he wrote for MGM, but instead used a 125-page version written by Steve Fisher, which was filmed two years later.[2] The film's script changes the novel's midsummer setting to Christmastime, frequently using holiday themes as an ironic counterpoint to the grim aspects of the story. The opening credits are shown on a series of Christmas cards, which turn out to be concealing a gun.

Directed by Robert Montgomery

Screenplay by Steve Fisher

Based on The Lady in the Lake 1943 novel by Raymond Chandler

Produced by George Haight

Starring Robert Montgomery, Audrey Totter, Lloyd Nolan, Tom Tully, Leon Ames, Jayne Meadows, Richard Simmons, Morris Ankrum

Cinematography Paul Vogel

Edited by Gene Ruggiero

Music by David Snell

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