Harper

Paul Newman memorably plays the title role in this box-office hit based on Ross MacDonald's The Moving Target. The first detective film in Newman's then 23-film career, Harper revitalized the genre. Newman's sleuth chews gum fast and slips out of jams ever faster as he unravels a twisted case of kidnapping and murder. William Goldman's clever script throws quips and a parade of LA-LA-Land characters Harper's way. There's a woman of means (Lauren Bacall), a gun-toting attorney (Arthur Hill), a poolside gigolo (Robert Wagner), a boozy ex-starlet (Shelley Winters), a jazz junkie (Julie Harris), Harper's estranged wife (Janet Leigh) and the unholy order of the Temple of the Clouds (led by Strother Martin). Each may possess a clue. Or a bullet for Harper.

• crime
• drama