Navigate to Arts & Letters section

No. 69: The Long Goodbye

A freewheeling anthem to freedom

by
Matthew Fishbane
December 06, 2011

1973, dir. Robert Altman. By casting Elliott Gould’s curls and clumpy features as Marlowe, Robert Altman liberally transmigrated Raymond Chandler into Seventies-land, where Arnold Schwarzenegger played minor thugs. Gould’s Marlowe is a cynical, give-a-shit, wise-ass—and he gets the girl (Nina Van Pallandt): a tough with no tribal ties, free in free California. Also, true story, Gould once changed a light bulb over Groucho Marx’s bed. How cool is that?

Matthew Fishbane is Creative Director at Tablet magazine.