*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Reinforcement: RE + in + (CE men in fort). |
| 8 | Bogart: Bog + Art (Garfunkel). Bogart played Marlowe in The Big Sleep. |
| 9 | Climbing: C[linton] + limb + in + g. Interestingly, Hillary Clinton did once claim she was named after Edmund Hillary, although it doesn’t seem to be true. |
| 10 | Fillip: (Pill + if)<. |
| 11 | Marlow: Carlow (county in Ireland) with M replacing C. |
| 15 | Gould: L in Goud[a]. Elliott Gould played Marlowe in The Long Goodbye. |
| 18 | Spark: P in Sark (writer Muriel Spark). |
| 20 | Grasmere: RA’s + m[ove] in Gere. |
| 23 | Baryta: (A brat)* around y. |
| 25 | Negate: NE gate (gate being a scandal in the sense of Watergate and the like). |
| 27 | Disowned: (Odd news I)*. |
| 28 | Exhort: Hidden in Sussex horticulturalist. |
| 29 | Underclassmen: CD/DD. |
| Down | |
| 1 | Rook: DD. |
| 2 | Iranian: Rani + a in [w]in[e]. |
| 3 | Futilely: (Tie fully)*. |
| 4 | Recap: Pacer<. |
| 5 | Enigma: (A MG in E)<. |
| 6 | Embargo: E MB argo. |
| 7 | Tonto: T[or]onto. |
| 12 | Whip: DD. |
| 14 | Rag: DD. |
| 16 | Lara: a + R[oman] in LA. “Noted centurion” refers to batsman Brian Lara. |
| 17 | Tangiers: T + Angers around I. |
| 19,13 | Raymond Chandler: (led dry anchorman)* |
| 21 | Mitchum: Mit + chum. Mitchum played Marlowe in two films. |
| 22 | Garner: DD. James Garner played Marlowe in a film of the same name. |
| 24 | Adieu: (Kate) Adie + second letter of bulletin. |
| 25 | Nadal: Nada + l. |
| 26 | Bran: Bran[d]. Refers to a bran tub, which is some sort of method of distributing presents at office parties. |
Hypnos is the pseudonym of one Philip Marlow, so this was a real tour de force. Some superb clues.
Very nice puzzle by Philip Marlow.
29A is UNDERCLASSMAN not …MEN (..one’s found).
This was indeed a tour de force, congrats to the setter. Tho not personally familiar with the films etc, managed to work all the actors out in the end, but it took ages – a real challenge. Unfortunately I too slipped with 29A in the same way as Neal H, but the clue is totally fair.