Murder, My Sweet
Edward Dmytryk - 1944

Moose Malloy hires Philip Marlowe to find Malloy's girfriend. The trail leads to a complex world of deceit and violence.

Claire Trevor is a great favorite of mine for this as well as Born to Kill ('47), Raw Deal ('48), and Key Largo ('48).

Murder, My Sweet is a major entry in the noir canon, made in the pivotal year of '44.