Harper (1966)

Directed by Jack Smight. Starring Paul Newman, Arthur Hill, Robert Wagner, Janet Leigh, Pamela Tiffin, Julie Harris, Shelley Winters, Lauren Bacall, Robert Webber, Strother Martin, Harold Gould.

Private eye Newman takes on the case of Bacall’s missing husband and gets involved in a dangerous web of junkies, kidnappers and killers. Blatant throwback to the hardboiled mysteries from Hammett, Chandler, etc., it can’t stand alongside the film noir classics from the 40s, but emerges a solid imitation. Newman brings more humor to the detective role than Bogie typically did, but still finds room for cynical asides and single-minded tough guy walk/talk; supporting ensemble replete with myriad famous faces compliments his efforts. Early screenplay from William Goldman based on Ross Macdonald’s Lew Archer novel, “The Moving Target,” and despite the obvious material derivations, the script makes good use of the dialogue’s economical bruising and a plot that’s complex enough to keep the viewer chasing the clues but not so labyrinthine as to get lost. Unfortunately, some parts of the story don’t work as well as others, notably the California cult led by Martin, which was not in the original novel (though, since this adaptation is set on the West Coast during the 60s, it’s hardly out of place, per se). Not a classic of the genre, but fans should be quite satisfied.

71/100