The Big Sleep

Dir. Howard Hawks. 1946, 114 mins. With Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall. Hawks’s unqualified noir masterpiece, the first film version of a Raymond Chandler novel, stars Bogart as Philip Marlowe, a private detective hired to investigate a series of troubles plaguing an affluent family. Crackling wit and lushly atmospheric visuals replaced plot coherence in a brilliant film that sought to capitalize on Bogart and Bacall’s natural, sizzling chemistry.

Tickets for Friday evening screenings: $12 ($9 for senior citizens and students / free for Museum members) and includes admission to the Museum’s galleries, which are open until 8:00 p.m.