The Big Sleep
“The picture they were born for!”
Synopsis
Private Investigator Philip Marlowe is hired by wealthy General Sternwood regarding a matter involving his youngest daughter Carmen. Before the complex case is over, Marlowe sees murder, blackmail, deception, and what might be love.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Marlowe Follows Geiger From Acme BooksOfficial
Type: Clip • Published 2024-08-02
Top Cast
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Humphrey Bogart
Philip Marlowe
Lauren Bacall
Vivian Sternwood Rutledge
John Ridgely
Eddie Mars
Martha Vickers
Carmen Sternwood
Louis Jean Heydt
Joe Brody
Charles Waldron
General Sternwood
Regis Toomey
Chief Inspector Bernie Ohls
Sonia Darrin
Agnes Lowzier (uncredited)
Elisha Cook Jr.
Harry Jones
Bob Steele
Lash Canino
Dorothy Malone
Acme Bookstore Proprietress
Peggy Knudsen
Mona Mars
Charles D. Brown
Norris the Butler
Trevor Bardette
Art Huck (uncredited)
Joy Barlow
Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Max Barwyn
Max - Head Waiter (uncredited)
Deannie Best
Waitress (uncredited)
Tanis Chandler
Waitress (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Festival / Special Debut
August 23, 1946
Wide Cinema Exhibition
July 26, 2000
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$250K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$10.7M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
42.73x
+$10.4M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Howard Hawks
- Screenplay & Story
- William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, Jules Furthman, Howard Hawks
- Original Score
- Max Steiner
- Original Title
- The Big Sleep
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 54m
- Production Budget
- $250K
- Worldwide Gross
- $10.7M
- Production Studios
- Warner Bros. Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Howard Hawks
William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, Jules Furthman, Howard Hawks, Raymond Chandler
Max Steiner
Sidney Hickox
Christian Nyby
Howard Hawks, Jack L. Warner
Department Leadership Roster
Howard Hawks
Director
William Faulkner
Screenplay
Leigh Brackett
Screenplay
Jules Furthman
Screenplay
Howard Hawks
Producer
Max Steiner
Original Music Composer
Sidney Hickox
Director of Photography
Christian Nyby
Editor
Howard Hawks
Screenplay
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Big Sleep.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Big Sleep.
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1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:40:36 UTC+8)*
Roger Ebert's Great Movies
Every film from Roger Ebert's 'Great Movies' essays. 罗杰·伊伯特的伟大电影： 收录了已故美国著名国民级影评人罗杰·伊伯特（Roger Ebert）在其经典的《伟大电影》（Great Movies）系列专栏文章中推荐、评论过的所有影史经典佳作。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#092] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:30:01 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Big Sleep
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Big Sleep about?
Private Investigator Philip Marlowe is hired by wealthy General Sternwood regarding a matter involving his youngest daughter Carmen. Before the complex case is over, Marlowe sees murder, blackmail, deception, and what might be love.
Who directed The Big Sleep?
The Big Sleep was directed by Howard Hawks.
Who stars in The Big Sleep?
The principal cast of The Big Sleep includes Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Ridgely, Martha Vickers, Louis Jean Heydt.
When was The Big Sleep released and how long is it?
The Big Sleep was released in 1946 with a total runtime of 1h 54m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Big Sleep?
The Big Sleep had a reported production budget of $250K and grossed $10.7M at the worldwide box office (42.73 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for The Big Sleep?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Big Sleep was composed by Max Steiner.
Is The Big Sleep based on a book or true story?
The Big Sleep is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Raymond Chandler".
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Big Sleep?
The Big Sleep holds official age classifications: DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).