MURDER, MY SWEET (1944) Campaign book

Vintage original 12 x 18” (30 x 45 cm.) campaign book, 20 pages, USA. Dick Powell, Claire Trevor, Anne Shirley, dir: Edward Dymtryk; RKO. The book was not folded, which is rare. There are inter tears to pages 9, 10, 11 and 12 at the centers. There is no paper loss in these areas, near fine.

Private eye Phillip Marlowe is led into a complex web of deceit, perjury, theft and murder when he is hired to find an ex-con’s former girlfriend.

After years of playing the ingénue male in great WB musicals (and briefly at MGM), Dick Powell revitalized his career in film noir. RKO was on the brink of bankruptcy and signed Powell to make some musicals, his stipulation being that he played a dramatic role each year as well. So successful was the film that he need not make musicals. Even writer Raymond Chandler praised his performance. The title of Chandler’s novel, Farewell, My Lovely, was changed in fear that audiences might mistake the film for a musical with Powell starring. Teen star Anne Shirley was able to expand her career with her adult role in this film and Claire Trevor, referred to in the advertising by-line “Forget that Feeling… She’s got murder in her heart!” had become the ultimate film noir femme fatale.

This wonderful oversize campaign book includes the full run of intriguing posters, lobby displays and tie-on advertising and merchandising. There are tie-ins to the original novel, as well as magazine and newspaper articles.