The undeniable chemistry between Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall has always been loved by viewers. Although the pair made history in the screen more than once, they were loved and famous the most in this adaptation of the novel by Raymond Chandler. Directed by Howard Hawks (To Have and Have Not) in 1946, The Big Sleep features Bogart as a freelance spy named Philip Marlowe, hired by an affluent socialite (Bacall) to keep an eye on the bothersome situations that her wild younger sister (Martha Vickers) left in her wake. The film is alarmingly great despite a really complicated plot that even Chandler had difficulty following. With the help of William Faulkner who was responsible for the screenplay, it offers a uniquely thrilling plunge into the authenticity of what detective-fiction is all about. –Tom Keogh