cigarette smoking   private detective   double cross   screwball   based on novel   dream   christmas   family relationships   title ends with period   satire   missing person   car chase   marriage   criminal   ghost writer   brother sister relationship   political corruption   dancing   film within a film   face slap   father son relationship   movie studio   hollywood california   los angeles california   screenwriter   corpse   new york city   mansion   writing   urban setting   character appears in newspaper   corsage   new year's eve   opening narration   manhattan new york city   male female relationship   flashback   dance   bare chested male   father daughter relationship   suicide attempt   lifting someone into the air   private eye   alcohol   convertible   deceit   black and white   1930s   impersonation   detective   taxi   ex husband ex wife relationship   beautiful woman   beverly hills california   lawyer   cuckold   tragedy   suicide by gunshot   divorce   actor   cosmetic surgery   dinner party   main character dies   assassin   famous line   depression   dinner   mysterious man   amateur detective   obsession   melancholy   blonde   domineering mother   nervous breakdown   mental illness   cocktail party   boyfriend girlfriend relationship   automobile   seduction   film making   director   dead body   behind the scenes   engagement   period in title   filmmaking   showbiz   street in title   silent   debt   honeymoon   dead woman   new year's eve party   christmas tree   denial   price of fame   interrogation   manipulation   flat tire   central park manhattan new york city   camera   murder victim   politics   three word title   macguffin   military officer   assassination   aging   band   dying words   sniper rifle   snake bite   cigarette holder   lighting cigarette for woman   lieutenant   movie projector   cigarette case   madison square garden manhattan new york city   delusion   washed up star   comeback   pool   fame   wanted poster   high society   shopping   movie camera   inventor   narrated by character   city   reference to james joyce   nostalgia   overcoat   tuxedo   love affair   financial crisis   gift   script writer   laughing   script   narcissism   rehearsal   beauty   innuendo   garage   older woman younger man relationship   narration from the grave   vanity   ashtray   sophisticated comedy   grudge   brainwashing   mistress   melodrama   chimpanzee   casket   veil   playing piano   government corruption   whodunit   politician   camera crew   finding a dead body   tow truck   cocktail   orchestral music score   christmas eve   newsreel   bach's toccata and fugue   medal of honor   mob of reporters   film camera   has been   classic car   stepfather stepson relationship   paramount pictures   political assassination   stubbornness   long distance call   neurotic   domestic dispute   bigamy   oedipus complex   pouring alcohol down someone's throat   recluse   pressure from mother   post hypnotic suggestion   ballroom dancing   chauffeur   repossession   korean war   brainwashed assassin   sing along   motion picture industry   motion picture studio   firearm   murder of daughter   hotel suite   abbreviation in title   silent film star   election campaign   mother's boyfriend   film studio   booze   bald   political persecution   cufflink   playing cards   refuge   chorus line   booze drinking   couple sleep in separate beds   fox terrier   grant's tomb manhattan new york city   hidden safe   husband and wife sleuths   married detective   mutt   nick and nora charles   pet owner relationship   sparse music score   wiseguy dialogue   sophistication   title same as book   pet dog   wit   gigolo   death star   assistant director   astrology   auto repossession   beauty treatment   body in pool   bridge card game   charlie chaplin spoof   dead chimpanzee   eccentric woman   funeral for pet   garage apartment   garage door   gone with the wind   gun fire   kept man   movie script   nose job   parasol   reference to great expectations   reference to rudolph valentino   retired actress   rich old lady   screenwriting   silent movie actor   trashcan   youthfulness   son killing mother   cold war era   lifting adult in air   anti communism   political conspiracy   committing suicide   red scare   death of stepfather   married couple   right wing extremist   man murders a woman   family relationship   deck of cards   actress   dog   cult favorite   famous entrance   funeral   death   loyalty   military   conspiracy   murder   shot in the back   mistaken identity   martini   parody   irreverence   writer   butler   hand to hand combat   mother son relationship   manipulative woman   nipples visible through clothing   cynicism   cane   voice over narration   husband wife relationship   telephone call   title spoken by character   newspaper headline   reporter   rain   extramarital affair   gun   drunkenness   femme fatale   martial arts   swimming pool   korean war veteran   senator   war hero   party   press conference   portrait painting   typewriter   mother daughter relationship   army intelligence   communist infiltrator   death of killer   department of defense   manipulative mother   military budget   political convention   political puppet   queen of diamonds   recurring nightmare   soviet agent   suppressed memory   red china   police   political thriller   shooting   sex   self hatred   staircase   madness   american politics   murderer   wisecrack humor   wedding   pistol   police detective