Movies that feature Raymond Chandler's Marlowe are legion.
Humphrey Bogart personified the character on screen in Howard Hawks' The Big Sleep (1946) as a wisecracking private detective in Los Angeles, while Elliot Gould updated him in Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye (1973), though both eras saw other actors, including Dick Powell, Robert Montgomery, and Robert Mitchum, putting their own distinctive stamps on Mr. Marlowe.
Among these varied approaches, Marlowe (1969) stands out for two reasons: James Garner, in a precursor private detective role to The Rockford Files, and Bruce Lee.
Adapted by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Sterling Silliphant (In the Heat of the Night, another detective-novel adaptation) from Raymond Chandler's The Little Sister, the film was directed by Paul Bogart, whose career began in the live-TV era in the 1950s and continued into the 1990s. He made only a few feature films, so don't expect much in the way of auteurial flourishes.
Instead, this is a meat-and-potatoes narrative directed in workmanlike fashion, bolstered immeasurably by James Garner's star performance as the weary yet also insightful detective, surrounded by a great cast of reliable supporting actors, including Gayle Hunnicut, Carroll O'Connor, Rita Moreno, Sharon Farrell, William Daniels, Kenneth Tobey, and Jackie Coogan.
And Bruce Lee! Coming off his role as Kato in TV's The Green Hornet, Lee makes his American feature-film debut. He applies his martial-arts skills as Winslow Wong. He destroys a room! (That was my favorite scene in the movie.) He displays his talents in other scenes, too.
Soon, Marlowe will be available on Blu-ray, courtesy of Arrow Video, starting on June 9, 2026. Per the official verbiage: "The release also includes a brand new restoration from the original 35mm negative." Here are details on the new edition:
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
-- Brand new restoration from the original 35mm camera negative by Arrow Films
-- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
-- Original lossless mono audio
-- $100 A Day (Plus Expenses), a brand new appreciation by film historian Howard S. Berger
-- Theatrical trailer
-- Image gallery
-- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by John Pearson
-- Collectors' booklet containing new writing by critics Jeff Chang and Priscilla Page
Here is a purchase link for the release. If you need more convincing, cast your eyes upon the beautiful trailer, which looks spectacular.