The third of 16 movies for the suave detective nicknamed "The Falcon," released from 1941 to 1949, and the third of four starring George Sanders.
The novel "Farewell, My Lovely" by Raymond Chandler has been made by major studios three times over the years --- first The Falcon Takes Over (1942) with George Sanders. The second film done only two years later was Murder, My Sweet (1944) starring Dick Powell. The third film 31 years later Farewell, My Lovely (1975) starring Robert Mitchum.
In the novel and Farewell, My Lovely (1975), Velma's character is of a rich girl who changed her name because she used to be a prostitute, but in this film, because of the Code, the script was changed.
Although the story is supposed to take place in contemporaneous 1942, the stock footage of Times Square was evidently shot two years earlier as the first-run marquee shows The Boys from Syracuse (1940). Another shot shows a marquee for Pygmalion (1938) with Leslie Howard.