What was the purpose of the ciphers in the Big Sleep?

It may be a lost cause asking about a plot element in the Big Sleep (1946), one of the more convoluted and confusing movies ever made. However, my question is what is the function, if any of the ciphers. There are two scenes involving ciphers. Marlow recovers a book of Geiger's containing ciphers from rental house, and then later is seen attempting to decipher the codes in the book when Bernie walks in on him, at 2am in the morning. After that, no more mention is made of the ciphers. Is this something from the novel that was just dropped out? What is the purpose of the ciphers?

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Best Answer

After that, no more mention is made of the ciphers.

Technically that's not quite right.

Although not specifically referenced as a cipher the whole point is that the book is a coded list of Geiger's clients (either for blackmail or the pornography).

Although Marlowe does not break the code, he has possession of the list and it's referenced in the scene where Marlowe and Joe Brody have a confrontation.

     MARLOWE
Joe. You got Geiger's stuff. 
I got his sucker list. 
Don't you think we ought to talk things over? Now!

Hence Marlowe can use the list (even if he cant' read it) as leverage for what he wants.

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Why is it called The Big Sleep?

In The Big Sleep \u2013 the title refers to the gangster euphemism for death \u2013 Marlowe is summoned to the home of old General Sternwood whose wild daughter, Carmen, is being blackmailed by a seedy bookseller.

What is the big sleep about?

The Big Sleep checks in at about 70,000 words and 231 pages. The Long Goodbye, written 14 years later, takes 379 meandering pages before it exhausts its limits. While the prose style is unmistakably Chandler, the story feels at times like your best friend waking up and telling you about her dream.

How many words is the big sleep?

NovelDetective fictionHardboiledMysteryCrime fiction

You do sell books? - The Big Sleep (1946)

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