Chandler's two weeks in a state of permanent intoxication

[Heikki Raudaskoski]

"In January 1944, Paramount discovered that their biggest star, Alan Ladd,
was due to be drafted to fight in Europe, and it was suddenly realised
that there was no vehicle ready for release which would sustain his public
image while he was away. The studio heads were delighted, therefore, when
Chandler mentioned that he had some work on hand that might be suitable,
which he called The Blue Dahlia. Casting began instantly. Veronica Lake
was chosen to play opposite Ladd, and within weeks director George
Marshall was rapidly catching up on the existing written screenplay.
Pretty soon, there were only a few pages left to shoot, but the conclusion
was nowhere in sight, and nobody - including Chandler himself - knew who
would turn out to be the villain. Chandler had designated Buzz, a
brain-damaged veteran who was subject to amnesiac blackouts, for this
fateful place, but the U.S. army vetoed the idea, not wanting to suggest
to Joe Q. Public that the returning wartime heroes were anything other
than cerebrally solid citizens. Panic ensued. The nervous heads of
production promised Ray a five thousand dollar bonus if he finished on
time. He was affronted by the offer: he had every intention of completing
his assigned and paid-for task. This insulting bribe, in the opinion of
his producer and friend John Houseman, shattered his self-confidence, and
he withdrew from the project in despair and rage. The next day however, he
decided there was only one way he could finish the script: drunk.

So it came about that Chandler spent two weeks in a state of permanent
intoxication, lounging about his house, now idly working on a couple of
pages of script, then lightly dozing for a couple of hours, maintaining
his optimum level of drunkenness with continual sips of bourbon, not
eating but receiving regular vitamin jabs from a specially-commissioned
doctor. All this required two limousines, six secretaries, and a direct
telephone line to the studio open day and night...."

http://iol.ie/~galfilm/filmwest/31chand.htm