Dolores ("with an O") Gonzales (Rita Moreno) is an exotic dancer in the 1969 movie Marlowe. It is a modern (swinging 1960s) take on a 1949 detective novel by Raymond Chandler. Chandler’s iconic hardboiled detective Philip Marlowe (James Garner) is attempting to solve a missing persons case which quickly turns into a murder.
There are any number of suspects in the back alleys and sleazy night clubs of Log Angeles. Marlowe makes friends at first with Dolores who treats his wounds after he has been beaten up. But as it turns out she is only being nice to Marlowe as a way of covering up her more sinister side.
Marlowe later finds out that Dolores had knowledge of the murder and he confronts her as she dances and strips on stage in front of a live audience. Dolores who is now wearing a blonde wig, was up to her neck in the crime which involved experimentation and manipulation with mind altering drugs.
Marlowe stands in the wings of the stage and builds the case against Dolores (with an O) as she removes her clothes one at a time. All the time giving the audience a show biz smile but giving Marlowe angry looks.
Dolores may not be the killer but she has covered for the killer. She is counting on Marlowe not to turn her in because of the friendship she attempted to build with him.
Marlowe becomes friendly with Dolores Gonzáles.
However the cold hearted Marlowe refuses to be manipulated and knows what he has to do and moves off stage and through the audience in the strip-joint to the public telephone. While calling the police he sees Ms Gonzales now dressed only in silver pasties gunned down on stage by her former husband Dr. Lagardie (Paul Stevens) who is the murderer.
Dr. Lagardie then takes his own life.
TRIVIA:
- Marlowe is a 1969 American neo-noir film starring James Garner as Raymond Chandler's private detective Philip Marlowe. Directed by Paul Bogart, the film was written by Stirling Silliphant based on Chandler's 1949 novel "The Little Sister".
- Stirling Silliphant was a friend of actor and Kung Fu expert Bruce Lee and so wrote the struggling actor a part in the movie. Bruce Lee plays mob enforcer Winslow Wong, who is wrecks Marlowe’s office with his amazing martial arts skills.
- Dolores Gonzáles was played by the very talented Rita Moreno who went on to star in the 1970s children’s television show “The Electric Company” (1971-1977) with Morgan Freeman.
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