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Owen Taylor
“Burly” Captain Gregory works at the Missing Persons Bureau, and is assigned the case of missing person Rusty Regan. He helps Philip Marlowe in his investigation into why Arthur Gwynn Geiger is blackmailing Regan’s father-in-law, General Sternwood. Gregory later implies to Marlowe he knew that Eddie Mars’s story that his wife Mona Mars and Regan ran off together was a lie. Gregory tells Marlowe he is being as “honest” as he can “in a world where it’s out of style.” But Marlowe learns from Eddie that Gregory is friendly with the racketeer, suggesting the Captain is corrupt.
Captain Al Gregory Quotes in The Big Sleep
The The Big Sleep quotes below are all either spoken by Captain Al Gregory or refer to Captain Al Gregory. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 20 Quotes
“General Sternwood’s a rich man,” I said. “He’s an old friend of the D.A.’s father. If he wants to hire a fulltime boy to run errands for him, that’s no reflection on the police. It’s just a luxury he is able to afford himself.”
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Marlowe serves the interests of his wealthy client General Sternwood, as Marlowe explains here to Captain Gregory of the Missing Persons Bureau. This characterizes Marlowe as the rich man’s knight, sent out on dangerous “errands” for his lord. This reveals the social structure of L.A.’s dark underworld. While Sternwood is not directly involved in illegal activity himself, he is nevertheless caught up in that world as blackmailers seek his money. At the top of the social ladder, Sternwood can hire protection in the form of Marlowe, rather than getting his own hands dirty. Marlowe, meanwhile, has a wide skill set, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam volupta
He’s got friends in town, or he wouldn’t be what he is.
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At the Missing Persons Bureau, private detective Philip Marlowe and Captain Al Gregory are discussing a missing persons case that involves Eddie Mars—his wife Mona is one of the missing people, along with Rusty Regan. Eddie has not been completely cooperative with the police investigation, because, as Gregory notes, Eddie is effectively above the law. Eddie’s wealth, earned from his criminal empire, gives him the resources to buy many “friends” across the city. Here, Gregory ties Eddie’s resources and network with the criminal’s very identity—it is Eddie’s security and social standing that allows him to operate in the way he Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea susc
Chapter 21 Quotes
I have my pipe line into headquarters, or I wouldn’t be here. I get them the way they happen, not the way you read them in the papers.
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Career criminal Eddie Mars has invited Marlowe into his office at his illegal casino. The two men are now on good terms, as Marlowe has kept Mars’s name out of his statement to the police regarding Geiger’s murder. Mars’s arrogant boasting here, phrased in similar terms to Captain Gregory’s earlier statement, reveals the interconnected layers of corruption between L.A.’s criminal world and the city’s police. Yet Mars adds another layer into this immoral world, hinting that the newspapers also hide the truth of the city’s depravity. Mars benefits from his connections, which keep him in higher social circles and protect Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. O
Chapter 30 Quotes
Being a copper I like to see the law win. I'd like to see the flashy well-dressed mugs like Eddie Mars spoiling their manicures in the rock quarry at Folsom, alongside of the poor little slum-bred hard guys that got knocked over on their first caper and never had a break since. That’s what I’d like. You and me both lived too long to think I’m likely to see it happen. Not in this town, not in any town half this size, in any part of this wide, green and beautiful U.S.A. We just don’t run our country that way.
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After solving the case, private detective Philip Marlowe returns to the Missing Persons Bureau in part to see why Captain Gregory had not found the missing Mona Mars himself. Gregory’s speech about the realities of 1930s L.A., including police corruption and the powerful influence of racketeers such as Eddie Mars, highlights a cynicism that pervades the novel. Gregory believes his wishes for law and order cannot be fulfilled, and cannot imagine a town in the USA where justice is served fairly. Wider society has abandoned morality, and those with money get away with it, while those without the resources are Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolo
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Captain Al Gregory Character Timeline in The Big Sleep
The timeline below shows where the character Captain Al Gregory appears in The Big Sleep. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 20
At the Missing Persons Bureau, Captain Gregory is considering Marlowe, who sits across a desk from him. Marlowe is asking the Captain...
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Gregory asks if Marlowe knows District Attorney Wilde. Marlowe explains he’s an ex-cop who used to...
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Looking back at Marlowe, Gregory asks if he’s after information on Rusty Regan. Marlowe replies “sure.” Gregory thinks General Sternwood...
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Gregory tells Marlowe that Rusty is missing and won’t be found. The Captain then asks an...
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...was a former alcohol smuggler during Prohibition, and kept $15,000 on him at all times. Gregory doesn’t think Rusty was killed for the money though—he was too tough.
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Marlowe asks for a photo of Eddie Mars’s wife, but the police don’t have one. Gregory offers Marlowe a picture of Rusty instead. Gregory explains they questioned Eddie Mars at the...
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Gregory’s theory is Mars’s wife and Regan ran off together, as they never found her car....
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...really thinks Eddie Mars killed both his own wife (Mona) and Rusty. Marlowe agrees with Gregory that the two missing people likely ran away together.
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Chapter 21
...to admit he had gone to the police in the first place. Marlowe agrees with Gregory that Mars is probably too smart to kill both Rusty and his own wife (Mona)...
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...and Marlowe agrees. Mars offers Marlowe a favor in future, without needing to go through Gregory. Marlowe says he knew Mars had him paid off.
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Chapter 25
...cash his check. Marlowe then sits in his office thinking it through, wondering why Captain Gregory hadn’t found Mona yet. Maybe he hadn’t tried, he wonders, as the rain falls.
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Chapter 30
Marlowe is sitting across from Captain Gregory at the Missing Persons Bureau. The cop has heard all about Marlowe’s encounter with Canino....
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Gregory says maybe he left Eddie and Mona to “play a little game like that.” Marlowe...
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Captain Gregory raises his eyebrows and says he’s as honest as policemen come in this world. He...
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Gregory continues that he doesn’t think Eddie killed Regan, and that Regan will likely appear sometime...
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Captain Gregory tells Marlowe that the private detective “played it smart” by telling the police everything about...
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Sighing, Gregory tells Marlowe he’s “too rough” for the Sternwoods. Marlowe gets up to leave, and Gregory...
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The General asks Marlowe why he went to see Captain Gregory. Marlowe tells Sternwood he thought the old man was afraid Rusty was involved in Geiger’s...
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