dispatchesfromnoir:

Here’s a great video of Toby Stephens recording the BBC Philip Marlowe radio plays, interspersed with his commentary about the same.  He notes Ian Fleming’s affinity for Chandler.  Stephens has played not only Marlowe, but also James Bond in a series of BBC radio plays.  This makes him just about the luckiest man alive in my book.

Some people will quibble with Stephens’ accent.  I’m not sure whether it’s Southern Californian enough (and this is the Southern California c. 1940), or whether Ed Bishop is more Californian. I’m not an expert on the history of accents, so I can’t say.  But I think his accent is beautifully expressive of the character, if not the region.  His phrasing and his timing are perfect for the tough-guy dialogue.  Stephens draws the listener in the way Chandler’s words draw a reader.  

Thanks so much for this!!