It was adapted for the screen by director Billy Wilder and detective novelist Raymond Chandler (who was best known for his character Philip Marlowe, played by Dick Powell inMurder, My Sweet (1944), Humphrey Bogart inThe Big Sleep (1946), and Robert Montgomery inLady in the Lake (1946), among others).The well-directed film, originally titledPilot Number 4, was based upon and recalled Hawks"" previous aviation films -The Dawn Patrol (1930),Ceiling Zero (1936), and other films of the 30s: John Ford""sAirmail (1932),Night Flight (1933),Flight From Glory (1937)and director Edmund Goulding""s remakeThe Dawn Patrol (1938)with Errol Flynn.You""re good.It""s chiefly your eyes, I think, and that throb you get in your voice when you say things like ""Begenerous, Mr.Meanwhile, ambitious LA TV reporter Richard Thornburg (William Atherton) tracked down Holly""s address and forced his way in to interview Holly and John""s two children.Doyle and Russo""s Hunch to Follow "Big Spender" Sal Boca in Nightclub:Shortly later in the police station, Doyle also makes a shocking (for-its-time) statement to his injured partner:Doyle: "You dumb guinea!"Russo: "How he hell did I know he had a knife?"Doyle: "Never trust a n----r.