The Big Sleep (1946 Film) - Plot

Plot

The plot of The Big Sleep is unusually complex. Some details remain hazy at the film's end. Private detective Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) calls on new client General Sternwood (Charles Waldron) at his Los Angeles mansion. The wealthy general wants to resolve gambling debts his daughter, Carmen Sternwood (Martha Vickers), owes to bookseller Arthur Gwynn Geiger. As Marlowe is leaving, General Sternwood's older daughter, Mrs. Vivian Rutledge (Lauren Bacall), stops him. She suspects her father's true motive for calling in a detective is to find his friend Sean Regan, who had mysteriously disappeared a month earlier.

Marlowe goes to Geiger's "rare book shop." Agnes Louzier (Sonia Darrin), Geiger's assistant, minds the shop: the front for an illegal operation. Marlowe follows Geiger to his house and hears a gunshot and a woman scream. Breaking into the house, he finds Geiger's body and a drugged Carmen, as well as a hidden camera with an empty cartridge. Marlowe picks Carmen up and brings her home. Marlowe later goes back to the house, but discovers the body is no longer there. Later, Marlowe learns that the Sternwood driver has been found dead, with his car driven off a pier.

Vivian comes to Marlowe's office the next morning with scandalous pictures of Carmen she received with a blackmail demand for the negatives. Marlowe returns to Geiger's bookstore, and discovers that they are packing up the store. Marlowe follows a car leaving the bookstore to the apartment of Joe Brody (Louis Jean Heydt), a gambler who previously blackmailed General Sternwood. Marlowe returns to Geiger's house where he finds Carmen. She initially claims ignorance about the murder of Geiger but then insists Brody killed Geiger. They are interrupted by the owner of the home, small-time gangster Eddie Mars (John Ridgely).

Marlowe follows Vivian to Joe Brody's apartment, where they join Brody and Agnes, and later, Carmen, who wants her photos. Marlowe takes the photos and sends Vivian and Carmen home. After Brody admits he was blackmailing both General Sternwood and Vivian, he is suddenly shot and killed; the assailant flees. Marlowe follows and apprehends Carol Lundgren, Geiger's former driver, who has killed Brody in revenge for Geiger's death.

Marlowe visits Mars' casino, where he asks about Regan, who is supposed to have run off with Mars' wife. Mars is evasive and tells Marlowe that Vivian is running up debts in his casino. Vivian later tells Marlowe she wants him to take her home. While Marlowe waits for her, a stooge of Mars' attempts to rob Vivian. Marlowe intervenes and punches him out. While driving home, Marlowe unsuccessfully presses Vivian on her connection with Mars, telling her he knew the money she won and subsequent robbery was a setup by Mars and her to try to show Mars and Vivian had animosity toward each other. Vivian still won't say anything. Marlowe then returns home to find Carmen waiting for him. She admits she didn't like Regan and mentions that Mars calls Vivian frequently. She attempts to seduce Marlowe, who throws her out of his apartment. In the morning, Vivian calls Marlowe to say that Regan has been found in Mexico, and that she is going to see him.

Harry Jones (Elisha Cook, Jr.), an associate of Brody's, and Agnes' lover, conveys an offer from Agnes to reveal the location of Mars' wife for $200. However, when Marlowe goes to meet Jones, Canino, a hired killer, attempts to find Agnes himself and then poisons Jones after being told of her location (which turns out to be false). Marlowe then meets Agnes himself, after she telephones the office where Jones was killed. She reveals that she's seen Mona Mars near Realito by an auto repair shop. In Realito, Canino attacks Marlowe, who wakes to find himself tied up, being watched by Mona. Vivian then comes in. Mona throws a drink at him and leaves when Marlowe tells her that Mars is a gangster and a killer. Vivian fears for Marlowe's life and frees him, allowing him to get to his car and his gun. After Vivian helps distract him, Marlowe kills Canino and they leave together. During the drive back to Geiger's bungalow, Vivian unconvincingly tries to claim she killed Sean Regan.

When they arrive, Marlowe calls Eddie Mars and says that he is still in Realito at the payphone. They arrange to meet at Geiger's house, giving Marlowe ten minutes to prepare. Mars arrives with four men, who set up ambush points outside. When Mars enters the home, Marlowe holds him at gunpoint. Marlowe reveals to him that he has discerned the truth: Mars blackmailed Vivian, saying Carmen had killed Regan. When Mars threatens Marlowe with his men outside, Marlowe begins to fire his gun near Mars, causing him to run outside where he is mistakenly shot dead by his own men. Marlowe then calls the police, telling them that Mars killed Regan. In the process, he tells them Vivian helped him with Eddie Mars, exempting her from criminal prosecution and that her sister Carmen needs a doctor's help.