The lurid, excessive and semi-vulgar film for its ime was a major box-office flop, but has since become an indelible reminder of its time period - and the desperation of an American domestic housewife following the war who had everything (a fine house and pleasant husband), but felt constrained and wanted so much more.The creature asked: "Why wish you become Jedi?" and Luke answered: "Mostly because of my father, I guess.[Note: The notorious character of Mike Hammer first appeared in Spillane""sI, he Juryin 1947.] It was adapted from a screenplay by A.I.Bezzerides.The film is a low-budget, B-grade film (at a cost of about $400,000) without recognizable actors.As a counterpoint to he hard-boiled film, cultural allusions abound: the Christina Rossetti poem "Remember," and a Caruso vocal recording - to name a few.A 16 year-old female teen, later identified as Jane Burnham (Thora Birch), was being filmed by her next-door neighbor and boyfriend - obsessed video cam-corder documentarian Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley).Bogart had just finished another Warner Bros.filmHigh Sierra (1941), in a role that was also turned down by WB""s contract player George Raft.Geraldine Fitzgerald was originally chosen to play the role that Mary Astor eventually portrayed.The film received three nominations, but no Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (almost 300 lb.