He's not in The Big Sleep for very long, but the little man makes a big impression. Of all the murders in that convoluted movie, his is the most memorable and poignant; not only is it one of the film's few homicides that happen on-screen, but it is also a temporary oasis from the kaleidoscope of intrigues, plots and secrets.
Of all the "big sleeps," Jones' death is voluntary, an act of self-sacrifice to save the woman he loves, viper though she may be. Jones stands out as a somewhat tarnished knight in a world creaking with rust and corruption. He even wins the respect of the film's protagonist, detective Phillip Marlowe, who doesn't dole out that attribute as a habit.
Raymond Chandler describes him in the novel on which the film is based: "He was a very small man, not more than five feet three and would hardly weigh as much as a butcher's thumb. He had tight brilliant eyes that wanted to look hard, and looked as hard as oysters on the half shell. He wore a double-breasted dark gray suit that was too wide in the shoulders and had too much lapel. Over this, open, an Irish tweed coat with some badly worn spots. A lot of foulard tie bulged out and was rainspotted above his crossed lapels."
Jones is played by Elisha Cook, Jr., a character actor, here at the age of 42, 16 years into his 58-year career supporting in horror films, drama, and noir for directors as diverse as Robert Wise, John Huston, Stanley Kubrick, William Castle, George Stevens, Dorothy Arzner, Otto Preminger, Tay Garnett, Robert Siodmak, Don Siegel, Roman Polanski, Philip Kaufman, Sam Peckinpah, Steven Spielberg, even John Ford. And Hawks, more than any other. In his time, he was on the receiving end of some of Bogart's Sam Spade's violence in The Maltese Falcon, gunned down in the street by Jack Palance in Shane. He even defended Captain Kirk in his court-martial in "Star Trek."
Some of the dialog from the scene comes from Chandler, but the line that haunts most isn't his, but could have come from Faulkner or Brackett or Furthman, or Hawks, for that matter. Right after he swigs his shot of poison, Jones laughs, a strangled, painful laugh. "What's funny?" his killer asks him.
"Nothing's funny," Jones says without the hint of a smile.
"Nothing" here isn't just the absence of something. It's much more nihilistic than that and as black as pitch in an already dark-hearted film-noir. "Nothing" is a metaphor for death, and a far more powerful one than even "the big sleep" of the author's.
"Nothing's funny:" the line is as cold as a tombstone and as cold as Jones will be in a few minutes...and as cold as the heart that Jones is taking the hit for. Whatever it is he drinks here, it probably isn't as bitter as that.
The Set-Up: Shamus Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) has had a bad few days. He's been in the employ of one General Sternwood, who has lived long enough to see his family spoiled by the rewards of his life. His concern: the blackmail of his daughter Carmen (Martha Vickers) by one A. G. Geiger over gambling debts...and other things...a job that would usually be handled by the general's other concern: his "whatever-he-was" employee Sean Regan, who has gone missing for a month without so much as a "fare-thee-well."
Seems easy enough. Find the blackmailer and pay him off. But, Regan disappeared for a reason and Marlowe has to find that reason or else he'll suffer the same fate. It's easy enough to find a guy who can't be found, but not when you're surrounded by those who don't want him to be found. Marlowe has been feeling a little crowded lately and he notices a car he's noticed before. And Marlowe does what Marlowe always does—he looks where he shouldn't be looking.
Action!
the same car which was following Marlowe yesterday.
as he passes the mouth of a narrow alley two men step out quickly.
THUG Say, mister, would ya please...
EXT. ALLEY - A DEEP DOORWAY (RAIN)
JONES Yeah. My name's Jones. Harry Jones. I want to see you.
JONES I didn't care one way or the other.
MARLOWE You could've yelled for help.
JONES A guy's playing a hand, I let him play it. I'm no kibitzer.
Marlowe removes his coat and hat, hangs them up. Jones watches him. Marlowe is reasonably steady now, gradually getting his wind back.
MARLOWE Terrible!
JONES Maybe you don't believe me.
MARLOWE What do you want?
JONES(approvingly, man to man fashion) That's better. I've got something to sell, cheap. For a couple of C's.
JONES (baffled) Don't you want to even know who I am?
JONES (taken aback) How'd you know that? She's a nice girl. We're talking about getting married.
JONES That's a dirty crack, brother.
MARLOWE I suppose you're right.
MARLOWE If it does what?
JONES Helps you find Regan.
MARLOWE I don't know. Two C's buys a lot of information in my circle.
JONES Would you pay it to know where Eddie Mars' wife is? Would you pay $200 for that, shamus?
MARLOWE I think I might. -
MARLOWE Where? -
JONES Agnes found her.
MARLOWE You might tell the cops for nothing.
JONES (quietly) I ain't so brittle.
MARLOWE (speculatively) Agnes must have something I didn't notice.
MARLOWE Where's Agnes?
JONES You know Puss Walgreen's office? Fulwider Building?
MARLOWE No, but I can find it.
JONES Will you be in shape to meet me there in an hour? -
MARLOWE I guess so. -
JONES You bring the dough. I'll take you to Agnes.
JONES Okay.
He exits.
INT. FULWIDER BUILDING - LOBBY - MARLOWE
CLOSE SHOT - AT FIRE DOOR - MARLOWE
standing flattened against a wall beside a door lettered
L.D. WALGREEN -- INSURANCE
CANINO'S VOICE I wanted to see you.
CANINO'S VOICE I work for Eddie Mars. My name is Canino. Canino? -
CANINO'S VOICE (purring) I thought you would remember.
INT. OFFICE - (DIM) - MARLOWE
CANINO'S VOICE Why have you been following that detective, Marlowe?
JONES' VOICE Who says I've been? -
CANINO'S VOICE I do! That was a mistake, your mistake. Eddie Mars don't like it. Sit down and quit stalling!
JONES All right, there's no harm telling. It was for Joe Brody's girl. She's got to get out of town, that takes dough. She figured she could get it through Marlowe.
CANINO'S VOICE Why would he pay?
CANINO'S VOICE Sure I get it. -
CANINO'S VOICE Where's this Agnes? -
JONES What do you care?
As Canino's hand comes into sight setting a whiskey bottle on the desk, Marlowe steps quickly back.
JONES I don't think so...
CANINO'S VOICE You got a glass?
ANOTHER ANGLE - MARLOWE FLATTENED AGAINST THE WALL
Jones' breathing can be heard as he pants. When Canino speaks next, his voice is a little sharper.
SOUND as Jones drinks, dies, the glass CLINKS as he drops it, his body thuds as he falls forward, gasps, chokes. Marlowe starts forward, catches himself. The other room goes dark.
OPERATOR: One moment, please.
MARLOWE Office, this is Police Identification Bureau, Wallace speaking. You got a girl living there named Agnes Lowzier?
OPERATOR: Nobody by that name here.
MARLOWE Have you got a brunette with green eyes, kind of slanted... ...either alone
OPERATOR: Sorry. Nothing like that.
Agnes Who is this? -
MARLOWE What did you say? -
Agnes I said, "Who is this?"
MARLOWE Hello, Agnes. This is Marlowe. Marlowe, the man you want to see.
Agnes Is Harry there?
Agnes Put him on, will you? -
Agnes Why? -
MARLOWE Because he's dead. Your little man died to keep you out of trouble. I got your money for you. Do you want it? -
Agnes Yeah, I want it. -
MARLOWE Have you got a car? Where can I meet you?
Agnes Rampart and Oakwood.
MARLOWE I'll be there in half an hour.
Words by William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, Jules Furthman, Howard Hawks (after Raymond Chandler)
Pictures by Sidney Hickox and Howard Hawks
The Big Sleep is available on Warner Bros. DVD and Blu-Ray.
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