This, the second adaptation of Raymond Chandler's novel, is much closer to the source text than the original - Murder, My Sweet (1944), which tended to avoid some of the sleazier parts of the plot - but still concerns private eye Philip Marlowe's attempts to locate Velma, a former dancer at a seedy nightclub and the girlfriend of Moose Malloy, a petty criminal just out of prison. Marlowe finds that once he has taken the case, events conspire to put him in dangerous situations, and he is forced to follow a confusing trail of untruths and double-crosses before he is able to locate Velma.

The dark pin-striped suit worn by Robert Mitchum in the film was the only one available from the wardrobe department, with no backup suit available if needed. Originally made for Victor Mature during the 1940s, Mitchum hated the outfit, and complained constantly during production about having to wear "Victor Mature's old farted-up suit."

Moose Malloy:
She's cute, cuter than lace pants.

Words and Music by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn