The Big Sleep (1978) Synopsis

In 1970s England, the American private detective Philip Marlowe (Robert Mitchum) arrives at the elegant stately home of General Sternwood (James Stewart), an elderly World War II general who hires Marlowe to learn who is blackmailing him. While at the mansion, he meets the general's spoiled and inquisitive daughter Charlotte (Sarah Miles) and wild younger daughter Camilla (Candy Clark).Marlowe's investigation leads him to a homosexual pornographer, named Arthur Geiger (John Justin), which leads him to Agnes Lozelle (Joan Collins), an employee of Geiger, and to Joe Brody (Edward Fox), a man that Agnes has taken up with.Owen Taylor (Martin Potter), the chauffeur to the Sternwoods with a criminal record, wants to call Geiger on his machinations with Camilla. He witnesses Geiger's taking nude photos of Camilla drugged and shoots him.Marlowe discovers Camilla at the scene of Geiger's murder and learns that she has posed for nude photographs. He takes her home safely to a grateful Charlotte. Marlowe figures out that Geiger is the one who had been blackmailing General Sternwood for $5,000 over Camilla's posing in the nude for him, and that Brody was the one who collected the blackmail money.Returning to the crime scene to find out who killed Geiger, Marlowe is interrupted by gambler and casino owner Eddie Mars (Oliver Reed), who owns the house where Geiger's body was found. Mars' wife Mona hasn't been seen in a while and may have run off with Rusty Regan (David Savile), Charlotte's missing husband who is a former bootlegger and IRA terrorist. Due to Charlotte Regan's gambling debts, Mars appears to have a hold over Charlotte as well.Camilla tries to get her pictures back from Brody, who is now in possession of them. Marlowe intervenes but Brody is shot and killed by someone unseen.A man named Harry Jones (Colin Blakely) comes to Marlowe with a proposition. He is working with Agnes now, and she is willing to sell information as to Mrs. Mars' whereabouts. But on the night Marlowe shows up for their meeting, Harry is poisoned by Lash Canino (Richard Boone), a hit man who is working for Eddie Mars.Marlowe pays Agnes for the address. He tracks down Canino at a remote garage, where he is overpowered and taken prisoner. Mars' supposedly missing wife Mona (Diana Quick) is there as well. At a moment when Canino is out, Marlowe persuades her to set him free. In a shootout, he then kills Canino.Camilla Sternwood appears to be grateful to Marlowe and asks him to teach her how to use the gun he just returned to her so that she can protect herself. He takes her to a wooded area so she can learn. After he sets up an empty can on the ledge of a wall of the ruins of a Roman castle for her to use as a target, she points the gun at him and begins pulling the trigger repeatedly. Marlowe was prepared for this and had given her the weapon loaded with blanks. She becomes hysterical at the ruse and he takes her home. It turns out that the emotionally disturbed Camilla had murdered her sister's husband Rusty after he refused her advances, and that Charlotte had covered everything up with Eddie Mars' help by spreading a rumor about Rusty leaving his wife.After confronting Charlotte with the facts, Marlowe tells her to have Camilla hospitalized. He then drives away from the Sternwood manor the same way he came in, hoping that the gravely ill general will never know the truth about his two wicked daughters.

In 1970s England, the American private detective Philip Marlowe (Robert Mitchum) arrives at the elegant stately home of General Sternwood (James Stewart), an elderly World War II general who hires Marlowe to learn who is blackmailing him. While at the mansion, he meets the general's spoiled and inquisitive daughter Charlotte (Sarah Miles) and wild younger daughter Camilla (Candy Clark).Marlowe's investigation leads him to a homosexual pornographer, named Arthur Geiger (John Justin), which leads him to Agnes Lozelle (Joan Collins), an employee of Geiger, and to Joe Brody (Edward Fox), a man that Agnes has taken up with.Owen Taylor (Martin Potter), the chauffeur to the Sternwoods with a criminal record, wants to call Geiger on his machinations with Camilla. He witnesses Geiger's taking nude photos of Camilla drugged and shoots him.Marlowe discovers Camilla at the scene of Geiger's murder and learns that she has posed for nude photographs. He takes her home safely to a grateful Charlotte. Marlowe figures out that Geiger is the one who had been blackmailing General Sternwood for $5,000 over Camilla's posing in the nude for him, and that Brody was the one who collected the blackmail money.Returning to the crime scene to find out who killed Geiger, Marlowe is interrupted by gambler and casino owner Eddie Mars (Oliver Reed), who owns the house where Geiger's body was found. Mars' wife Mona hasn't been seen in a while and may have run off with Rusty Regan (David Savile), Charlotte's missing husband who is a former bootlegger and IRA terrorist. Due to Charlotte Regan's gambling debts, Mars appears to have a hold over Charlotte as well.Camilla tries to get her pictures back from Brody, who is now in possession of them. Marlowe intervenes but Brody is shot and killed by someone unseen.A man named Harry Jones (Colin Blakely) comes to Marlowe with a proposition. He is working with Agnes now, and she is willing to sell information as to Mrs. Mars' whereabouts. But on the night Marlowe shows up for their meeting, Harry is poisoned by Lash Canino (Richard Boone), a hit man who is working for Eddie Mars.Marlowe pays Agnes for the address. He tracks down Canino at a remote garage, where he is overpowered and taken prisoner. Mars' supposedly missing wife Mona (Diana Quick) is there as well. At a moment when Canino is out, Marlowe persuades her to set him free. In a shootout, he then kills Canino.Camilla Sternwood appears to be grateful to Marlowe and asks him to teach her how to use the gun he just returned to her so that she can protect herself. He takes her to a wooded area so she can learn. After he sets up an empty can on the ledge of a wall of the ruins of a Roman castle for her to use as a target, she points the gun at him and begins pulling the trigger repeatedly. Marlowe was prepared for this and had given her the weapon loaded with blanks. She becomes hysterical at the ruse and he takes her home. It turns out that the emotionally disturbed Camilla had murdered her sister's husband Rusty after he refused her advances, and that Charlotte had covered everything up with Eddie Mars' help by spreading a rumor about Rusty leaving his wife.After confronting Charlotte with the facts, Marlowe tells her to have Camilla hospitalized. He then drives away from the Sternwood manor the same way he came in, hoping that the gravely ill general will never know the truth about his two wicked daughters.

Published Time: 2018-03-31 16:46:57