Farewell, My Lovely (1975)

Farewell, My Lovely (1975) is an American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Dick Richards. In 1941 Los Angeles, private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by recently released bank robber Moose Malloy to locate his ex-girlfriend Velma. Despite not seeing her in seven years due to his incarceration, Malloy abruptly disappears after murdering the new owner of Velma’s former workplace. With the help of Velma’s old acquaintance Tommy Ray and a photo she provided, Marlowe tracks her down at an insane asylum. However, when he informs Malloy of his findings, he realizes that the picture he was given was actually of a different woman. Meanwhile, Marlowe is also approached by a man named Marriott who needs assistance in retrieving a valuable fei tsui jade necklace stolen from an unnamed female friend.

At the pay-off location, Marlowe is knocked unconscious by an unseen attacker. When he regains consciousness, the police are on scene and Marriott has been murdered. At the station, Marlowe is informed that Malloy has escaped to Mexico and given a warning to cease searching for Velma. Choosing to investigate Marriott’s death, Marlowe receives a tip about a fei tsui jade collector, Judge Baxter Grayle, who holds considerable power in Los Angeles. Arriving at Grayle’s estate, he meets with Grayle and his alluring wife Helen. Helen is curious about Marriott’s killer and hires Marlowe to uncover the truth. But before he can continue his investigation, Marlowe is abducted and taken to a brothel owned by the notorious madam Frances Amthor. In between beating him and drugging him, Amthor mentions Malloy as a possible connection to Marriott’s death.