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IMDb > The Maltese Falcon (1931)

The Maltese Falcon (1931) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.5/10   1,069 votes
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Up 6% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Roy Del Ruth
Writers:
Dashiell Hammett (novel)
Maude Fulton (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Maltese Falcon on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
13 June 1931 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Drama | Romance more
Plot:
A lovely dame with dangerous lies employs the services of a private detective, who is quickly caught up in the mystery and intrigue of a statuette known as the Maltese Falcon. full summary | add synopsis
User Comments:
Sam Spade in polka-dot pyjamas? more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Dangerous Female (USA) (TV title)
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Runtime:
80 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
Norway:16

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Vitaphone production reels #4808-4816 and #4781 (trailer) more
Goofs:
Continuity: Visiting Wonderly, Spade finds that she has been reading a book. In close-up, its title is shown as "The Strange Case of the Little Black Bird", with a picture of the eponymous falcon on the jacket. But in other shots, it is "Famous Criminals and their Trials" (possibly the 1926 book by Sidney Theodore Felstead), with human portraits on the jacket. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Sam Spade: Bye-bye, honey. I'll see you later... Effie!
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man: Noir Gang (#3.1)" (1996) more

FAQ

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27 out of 29 people found the following comment useful:-
Sam Spade in polka-dot pyjamas?, 1 April 2002
Author: JoeytheBrit from www.moviemoviesite.com

This, the original movie version of Dashiell Hammett's story, was far better than I expected, and stands up well against its more famous remake. Ricardo Cortez, in a smooth, assured performance is more of a ladies man and a little more unprincipled than Bogart's version (he is having an affair with his partner's wife) which adds a little spice to what is still less of a rounded character than the 1941 version.

Dudley Digges and Oscar Matieson are terrific as Gutman and Cairo respectively. Lorre's version of Cairo is virtually a carbon-copy of Matieson's, while Digges' Caspar Gutman is much sleazier than Sidney Greenstreet's.

It's a shame that this movie has been overshadowed by the 1941 version, because it deserves a wider audience. For the early-talkie period, the performances are excellent throughout, and the atmosphere of greed and desperation in this version are equal to that in the 1941 film. Bogie, however, wouldn't have been found dead in those polka-dot pyjamas!

Don't pass up the chance to view this movie - you won't be disappointed.

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Compare to Bogart's version? shopbuyshop
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The End *Spoiler* torq89
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Pre-code in another way (besides sex) willieboyd8
1931 Version on DVD Wilhelm-Zwei
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