Farewell, My Lovely

'This spring was the first I felt

tired, and realised I was ageing.

'Maybe it was the rotten weather

we'd had,

'or the rotten cases I'd had -

mostly chasing missing husbands

'and then their wives

once I'd found them, to get paid.

'Or maybe it was just the plain fact

that I am tired and growing old.

'The only real pleasure

I'd had at all

'was following Joe DiMaggio

of the New York Yankees.

'Well, it's the middle of July now

and things are worse than in spring.

'In the spring, I wasn't holed up in

a dingy hotel ducking the police.'

Hello.

Let me have Richmond 4421, please.

Lieutenant Nulty, please.

Nulty!

I'm at the Casa Marina, room 502.

Is Moose there?

Come alone.

- I asked if Moose was there.

- And I said come alone.

Two more murders.

That's a total of seven.

Do you know where Marlowe is?

Casa Marina.

He asked me to come alone.

That's not a good idea.

Now, you understand why

we want him brought in, don't you?

Yes, Commissioner.

Good.

Wait here.

- How long?

- Until you make Lieutenant.

(Police siren )

(Knocking)

- Yeah?

- It's Snow White.

- With or without the dwarfs?

- Without.

Come on in.

Malloy with you?

Relax. There's nowhere

he could hide, under the bed or...

This case has busted wide open

and you're the patsy.

- I wanna tell you...

- It won't change anything.

You gonna listen or aren't you?

Sit down, will you?

Sit down!

I was working on a $25-a-day breeze,

looking for a 15-year-old runaway

from Carmel -

an honours student, majoring in men.

She had all ''A's'',

none of them on a report card.

She had only one other interest -

dancing.

# It seems to me

I've heard that song before

# It's from an old familiar score

# I know it well...

# It's funny how a theme

recalls a favourite dream

# A dream...#

You know, you remind me of Harry.

You're very much like Harry.

The same type - strong and silent.

I used to dance

with Harry like this.

I may not be the most

beautiful girl...

but I could make a man as happy...

Really upset when it ended,

but I got over it.

- What did you say your name was?

- Harry.

My parents sent you, didn't they?

I'm not going.

Look, do you want to dance your way

out, walk out, or be carried out?

Makes no difference to me.

(Tram bells)

(Music continues in distance )

Do you realise

we missed a dinner party

to drive here

from Carmel to get you?

Can't you settle that on the way?

There's the matter of $25

plus $5 in expenses.

Pay him, Charles.

And give him a tip.

I don't accept tips

for finding kids.

Pets, yes -

$5 for dogs, $10 for elephants...

Thank you.

Get in the car.

(Thump and groan )

Next time she runs away,

get somebody else.

(Deep sigh)

'I was tryin' to stabilise

below the belt

'when this guy the size of the

Statue of Liberty walks up to me.'

What are you, a cop?

No, I'm your fairy godmother.

'I started to walk away...'

Private dick, huh?

'when a hand I could have sat in

took hold of my shoulder.'

What's your name?

Marlowe, what's yours?

- Moose Malloy.

- Get down!

'He didn't bat an eye.

Fear wasn't built into his frame.'

I want you to work for me.

You want me to find the guys

who were tryin' to shoot you?

I want you to find my Velma.

I ain't seen her in seven years.

She ain't wrote in six.

Where the hell have you been

for seven years?

In the can.

The Great Bend bank robbery?

Eighty grand?

I did it solo.

Ain't that somethin'?

Yeah.

I want you to find my Velma.

Look, man,

that's a long time not to hear.

- She'll have a reason.

- Sure.

Why the hell

were they shootin' at you?

Maybe we ought to go to Florian's.

That's the last place Velma worked.

What was she like...

this, um...Velma?

Cute.

Cute as lace pants.

That's somethin' to go on.

'He walked me slowly across half

of LA until we got downtown.'

(Chatter in street)

(Man ) Hello, Momma, how you doin'?

(Woman ) You the last

of the good time Charlies...

This is a coloured neighbourhood now

it's been that way for a long time.

Let's you and me go up.

Maybe nibble a couple.

They might know something

about my Velma.

How the hell would they know

anything? It's a coloured joint.

Let's you and me go on up, huh?

OK, but leave off carryin' me.

I can walk by myself.

I go to the bathroom by myself

and everything.

(Man ) Uh-oh, look who's here.

(Moody blues )

(Indistinct chatter)

A shine palace.

(Man ) 52 years old and ain't never

had enough of nothin', but used...

What did I do this time?

I'm looking for a white girl

named Velma.

Hey, Henry.

No white boys here, brother.

Just for the coloured.

I'm looking for Velma.

Velma, you says? No Velma here.

No hooch, no girls, no nothing.

Just scram, white boy. Just scram.

Velma used to work here.

Velma USED to work here.

Velma done retired.

(Group laugh) Send him home, Henry.

You shouldn't laugh.

Maybe I should do this.

(Piano stops )

(Woman shrieks )

(Excited chatter)

(Piano starts )

Well...looks like

you just may have the lonely job

of spending that eighty grand

all by yourself.

Now, you goin' to tell me

where your boss is?

Mr Montgomery is in the back.

Big fella.

Can I speak to you a minute,

Mr Montgomery?

- What's that?

- A sawn-off.

That's illegal. Besides,

I don't think it'd stop him anyway.

(Gunshot)

All I wanted to know

was where my Velma is.

He tried to tell me with this.

Jesus! You've had a busy day.

It's a good thing you don't

get out of the slammer too often.

- I want you to find my Velma.

- Yeah, I will.

Meanwhile...ah,

maybe you'd better beat it, huh?

Because the cops might think

you've sprained your parole.

You got somethin' there.

I'll keep in touch.

- I'm in the telephone book.

- OK.

- Help me find my Velma, huh?

- Yeah.

Hey, ah...Malloy?

This Velma. She got a last name?

Valento. Velma Valento.

Velma Valento.

'The fifty bucks felt snug

against my ribs.

'The joint had emptied out,

'so I called you, Nulty,

and had a few drinks.

'Mr Montgomery didn't seem to mind.'

Right here, fellas.

Big, black and dead.

That's not bad for a killing.

Lucky it wasn't somethin' serious.

Don't worry about it Marlowe.

It's just another shine killing.

No space in the papers,

no pictures, no nothin'.

Your picture will be in the papers -

front, sideways, back, numbers,

don't you worry about it.

No sweat.

It was self-defence, Nulty.

The guy that killed him

is your...client?

Yeah, that's right.

When he gets in touch, tell him come

to the station, sign a deposition.

Oh, he can write, can't he?

Oh, yeah...he might be a little shy.

For that kind of a killing

who cares? You explain it to him.

We gotta follow procedure or I get

in trouble...with Eleanor Roosevelt.

Eleanor Roosevelt.

'I couldn't find any Florian

in the phone book

'but I had a vague hunch about

the fleabag across the street.

'I sparred with the night clerk

for a minute,

'but it was like tryin' to open

a busted sardine can.

'Abraham Lincoln's picture

loosened him up.'

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