In 1970s Hollywood, Detective Philip Marlowe tries to help a friend who is accused of murdering his wife.

Carefree single guy Charlie Waters rooms with two lovely prostitutes, Barbara Miller and Susan Peters, and lives to gamble. Along with his glum betting buddy, Bill Denny, Charlie sets out on a gambling streak in search of the ever-elusive big payday. While Charlie and Bill have some lucky moments, they also have to contend with serious setbacks that threaten to derail their hedonistic betting binge.

Hollywood. 1955. Faced with two inexperienced actors, a film director encourages the leading lady and leading man to fall in love in real life so as to provide the heat needed for the inner film's romance, which enrages the actress' possessive gangster boyfriend, who happens to be the film's financier.

A portrait of Michael, a man 'intrigued' by death and drawn to it. Late one Christmas Eve, Michael's closest buddy Louis joins him for an adventure in Hollywood.

16 year old Tobi has just lost her father, whom she has been living with. She finds her mother's address in his papers. So Tobi builds up a fantasy of what her mother, Ellen Blake, must be like. But when she goes to see her, she finds out her mother is a high priced call-girl.