The 1946 film "The Big Sleep" is a crime film about a Los Angeles private detective, Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) who becomes involved with two wealthy sisters, Vivian Sternwood Rutledge and Carmen Sternwood, and with gangsters who run an upscale casino. At one time Marlowe visits a small cafe where there are some coins on the table and he uses one of them to make a pay telephone call.

Philip Marlowe arrives at the Sternwood mansion in Los Angeles where he is greeted by the flighty Carmen Sternwood. His client is General Sternwood, her father, who wants Marlowe to take care of his daughters' gambling debts and locate a friend, Sean Regan, a former Irish soldier and bootlegger. Marlowe then talks to the general's other daughter, the divorced Vivian Rutledge.

Vivian asks Marlowe if he is looking for Sean Regan but he denies it. Marlowe visits a shady bookstore run by a Mr. Geiger and another more honest bookstore across the street.

The proprietor welcomes Marlowe and tells him that Mr. Geiger sells more than books. There are a number of killings and Marlowe is led to gangster Eddie Mars, who runs an upscale gambling casino.

Mars also questions Marlowe but gets few answers. Marlowe visits the Mars casino.

He sees a familiar face, Vivian Rutledge. The casino has a roulette wheel with plenty of customers.

The casino uses chips and not money for safety reasons. Marlow visits a police friend Inspector Bernie Ohls and then visits a cafe. The scene transitions to some coins lying on a counter table.

A hand reaches for the coins and then the scene becomes clearer.

The coins appear to be standard film prop coins of sizes matching nickels, dimes, and quarters. Marlowe decides what he is going to do.

Marlowe picks up a coin, which would have to be a nickel five-cent coin, and walks to the pay telephone.

Marlowe first talks to the butler and then to Vivian. There is some more action involving the gangsters and he ends up at the Geiger house.

Vivian and Mrs. Mars watch. Mrs. Mars leaves and Vivian unties Marlowe. Some armed gangsters show up and Philip Marlowe is ready for an especially nasty gangster.

Marlowe rescues Vivian and they discuss staying together.

Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe
Charles Waldron as General Sternwood
Lauren Bacall as Vivian Sternwood Rutledge
Martha Vickers as Carmen Sternwood
Dorothy Malone as Acme Bookstore salesperson
John Ridgely as Eddie Mars
Peggy Knudsen as Mona Mars
Regis Toomey as Chief Inspector Bernie Ohls
Bob Steele as Lash Canino
Elisha Cook, Jr. as Harry Jones
Louis Jean Heydt as Joe Brody
Director: Howard Hawks
Writers: William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, Jules Furthman
Based on the 1939 novel The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler