--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Philip Marlowe, 38, a private licence…" description: "\"“Philip Marlowe, 38, a private licence operator of shady reputation, was apprehended by police last night while crawling through the Ballona Storm Drai..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba9/raymond-chandler-629_last-night_philip-marlowe-38-a-private-licence-oper_636676.jpg" --- # Philip Marlowe, 38, a private licence operator of shady… ![“Philip Marlowe, 38, a private licence operator of shady reputation, was apprehended by police last night while crawling through the Ballona Storm Drain with a grand piano on his back. Questioned at the University Heights Police Station, Marlowe declared he was taking the piano to the Maharajah of…” quote by Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba9/raymond-chandler-629_last-night_philip-marlowe-38-a-private-licence-oper_636676.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba9/raymond-chandler-629_last-night_philip-marlowe-38-a-private-licence-oper_636676.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba9/raymond-chandler-629_last-night_philip-marlowe-38-a-private-licence-oper_636676.jpg) > ““Philip Marlowe, 38, a private licence operator of shady reputation, was apprehended by police last night while crawling through the Ballona Storm Drain with a grand piano on his back. Questioned at the University Heights Police Station, Marlowe declared he was taking the piano to the Maharajah of Coot-Berar. Asked why he was wearing spurs, Marlowe declared that a client's confidence was sacred. Marlowe is being held for investigation. Chief Hornside said police were not yet ready to say more. Asked if the piano was in tune, Chief Hornside declared that he had played the Minute Waltz on it in thirty-five seconds and so far as he could tell there were no strings in the piano. He intimated that someting else was. A complete statement to the press will be made within twelve hours, Chief Hornside said abruptly. Speculation is rife that Marlowe was attempting to dispose of a body.”” [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A bizarre, surreal police report mixes absurdity with mystery, highlighting the chaotic nature of crime narratives. **In simple terms:** A strange police report mixes absurdity and mystery. Key Takeaway Expect the unexpected in crime stories. Themes crime absurdity detective fiction Mood mysterious darkly humorous Type literary fictional When to use this quote - reading mystery novels - writing creative fiction - analyzing plot twists Key Concepts surrealism narrative complexity Questions to Reflect On - What does the absurdity reveal about the detective’s world? - How does surreal humor affect tension? A Different Perspective Absurd details may distract from core mystery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“They had Rembrandt on the calendar that year, a rather smeary self-portrait due to imperfectly registered color plate. It showed him holding a smeared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/they-had-rembrandt-on-the-calendar-that-year-a-rather-smeary-self/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [“No visible scars. Hair dark brown, some gray. Eyes brown. Height six feet, one half inch. Weight about one ninety. Name Philip Marlowe. Occupation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/no-visible-scars-hair-dark-brown-some-gray-eyes-brown-height-six-feet/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [“Only this mansion wasn’t cast in shadows and gray, and I wasn’t Philip Marlowe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-pawlish/only-this-mansion-wasn-t-cast-in-shadows-and-gray-and-i-wasn-t-philip/) Renee Pawlish > [I'm really enjoying the character now, but I don't want to just be Philip Marlowe. I wouldn't mind playing him every couple of years,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/powers-boothe/i-m-really-enjoying-the-character-now-but-i-don-t-want-to-just-be/) [Powers Boothe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/powers-boothe/) > [“I can just about promise you Philip Marlowe was never as dainty as I.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/i-can-just-about-promise-you-philip-marlowe-was-never-as-dainty-as-i/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [Last night I matched each star with a reason for loving you. I was doing great until I ran out of stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/last-night-i-matched-each-star-with-a-reason-for-loving-you-i-was/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [I was so drunk last night I fell down and missed the floor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-martin/i-was-so-drunk-last-night-i-fell-down-and-missed-the-floor/) [Dean Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-martin/) > [You don't merely give over your creativity to making a film - you give over your life! In theatre, by contrast, you live these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-day-lewis/you-don-t-merely-give-over-your-creativity-to-making-a-film-you-give/) [Daniel Day-Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-day-lewis/) > [Last night I looked up at the stars and matched each one with a reason why Iloveyou. I was doing great until I ran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rayy/last-night-i-looked-up-at-the-stars-and-matched-each-one-with-a/) Rayy > [“Angel clicked on a few more pictures on the screen, and Alex made small talk about the place. Then he finally walked away. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-reyes/angel-clicked-on-a-few-more-pictures-on-the-screen-and-alex-made/) [Elizabeth Reyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-reyes/) > [“Last night, as I was sleeping, I dreamt - marvellous error! - that I had a beehive here inside my heart. And the golden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-machado/last-night-as-i-was-sleeping-i-dreamt-marvellous-error-that-i-had-a/) [Antonio Machado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-machado/) > [“I seem to recall ripping your panties off last night, so tell me, Soph, whatcha got on under this little red dress?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samanthe-beck/i-seem-to-recall-ripping-your-panties-off-last-night-so-tell-me-soph/) [Samanthe Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samanthe-beck/) > [“After the news Kate had called him with last night, Grady found himself wishing there was more than coffee in his cup. There was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-ewens/after-the-news-kate-had-called-him-with-last-night-grady-found/) [Tracy Ewens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-ewens/) > [At least I'm not a celebrity and if I was, the whole world would have known that I broke up with my girlfriend last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/at-least-i-m-not-a-celebrity-and-if-i-was-the-whole-world-would-have/) [Simphiwe Scientist Dumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/) > [“Our Chasers Aren’t Cheating! That was the stunned reaction of Quidditch fans across Britain last night when the so-called “Stooging Penalty” was announced by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/our-chasers-aren-t-cheating-that-was-the-stunned-reaction-of/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) ## More by Raymond Chandler > [Television's perfect. You turn a few knobs, a few of those mechanical adjustments at which the higher apes are so proficient, and lean back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/television-s-perfect-you-turn-a-few-knobs-a-few-of-those-mechanical/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [There is no trap so deadly as the trap you set for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/there-is-no-trap-so-deadly-as-the-trap-you-set-for-yourself/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Common sense is the guy who tells you that you ought to have had your brakes relined last week before you smashed a front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/common-sense-is-the-guy-who-tells-you-that-you-ought-to-have-had-your/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [ “Hammett was the ace performer... He is said to have lacked heart; yet the story he himself thought the most of \[The Glass Key\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/hammett-was-the-ace-performer-he-is-said-to-have-lacked-heart-yet-the/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [She jerked away from me like a startled fawn might, if I had a startled fawn and it jerked away from me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/she-jerked-away-from-me-like-a-startled-fawn-might-if-i-had-a/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [A good story cannot be devised; it has to be distilled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/a-good-story-cannot-be-devised-it-has-to-be-distilled/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Dashiell Hammett took murder out of theVenetian vase and dropped it into the alley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/dashiell-hammett-took-murder-out-of-thevenetian-vase-and-dropped-it/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [ “He \[James Cain\] is every kind of writer I detest...a Proust in greasy overalls, a dirty little boy with a piece of chalk and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/he-james-cain-is-every-kind-of-writer-i-detest-a-proust-in-greasy/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [It was a blonde. A blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained-glass window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/it-was-a-blonde-a-blonde-to-make-a-bishop-kick-a-hole-in-a-stained/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [“I had been stalking the bluebottle fly for five minutes, waiting for him to sit down. He didn't want to sit down. He just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/i-had-been-stalking-the-bluebottle-fly-for-five-minutes-waiting-for/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [“A three-piece Mexican band was making the kind of music a Mexican band always makes. Whatever they play, it all sounds the same. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/a-three-piece-mexican-band-was-making-the-kind-of-music-a-mexican/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Mostly I just kill time," he said, "and it dies hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/mostly-i-just-kill-time-he-said-and-it-dies-hard/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [“The book was not new. Dates were stamped on the front endpaper, in and out dates. A rent book. A lending library of elaborate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/the-book-was-not-new-dates-were-stamped-on-the-front-endpaper-in-and/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Without magic, there is no art. Without art, there is no idealism. Without idealism, there is no integrity. Without integrity, there is nothing but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/without-magic-there-is-no-art-without-art-there-is-no-idealism/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [“The homicide skipper that year was a Captain Gregorius, a type of copper that is getting rarer but by no means extinct, the kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/the-homicide-skipper-that-year-was-a-captain-gregorius-a-type-of/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) [Explore all 430 Raymond Chandler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) ## More Last night quotes > [“Our Chasers Aren’t Cheating! That was the stunned reaction of Quidditch fans across Britain last night when the so-called “Stooging Penalty” was announced by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/our-chasers-aren-t-cheating-that-was-the-stunned-reaction-of/) [J.K. 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There was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-ewens/after-the-news-kate-had-called-him-with-last-night-grady-found/) [Tracy Ewens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-ewens/) > [“I seem to recall ripping your panties off last night, so tell me, Soph, whatcha got on under this little red dress?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samanthe-beck/i-seem-to-recall-ripping-your-panties-off-last-night-so-tell-me-soph/) [Samanthe Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samanthe-beck/) > [“Last night, as I was sleeping, I dreamt - marvellous error! - that I had a beehive here inside my heart. And the golden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-machado/last-night-as-i-was-sleeping-i-dreamt-marvellous-error-that-i-had-a/) [Antonio Machado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-machado/) > [“Angel clicked on a few more pictures on the screen, and Alex made small talk about the place. Then he finally walked away. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-reyes/angel-clicked-on-a-few-more-pictures-on-the-screen-and-alex-made/) [Elizabeth Reyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-reyes/) > [Last night I looked up at the stars and matched each one with a reason why Iloveyou. I was doing great until I ran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rayy/last-night-i-looked-up-at-the-stars-and-matched-each-one-with-a/) Rayy > [You don't merely give over your creativity to making a film - you give over your life! In theatre, by contrast, you live these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-day-lewis/you-don-t-merely-give-over-your-creativity-to-making-a-film-you-give/) [Daniel Day-Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-day-lewis/) > [I was so drunk last night I fell down and missed the floor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-martin/i-was-so-drunk-last-night-i-fell-down-and-missed-the-floor/) [Dean Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-martin/) > [Last night I matched each star with a reason for loving you. I was doing great until I ran out of stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/last-night-i-matched-each-star-with-a-reason-for-loving-you-i-was/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“Waiting for Vengeance' Well, what is this? What am I coming to? And beyond that, what am I gonna do? Now there’s blankness Where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-forman/waiting-for-vengeance-well-what-is-this-what-am-i-coming-to-and/) [Gayle Forman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-forman/) > [From the look of us, you'd never know we slept in the same bed last night and made out like the world was going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/from-the-look-of-us-you-d-never-know-we-slept-in-the-same-bed-last/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [“ misgivings , n . Last night, I got up the courage to ask you if you regretted us. 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