IMDb > The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Maltese Falcon
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The Maltese Falcon (1941) More at IMDbPro »

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The Maltese Falcon -- Sam Spade, a private detective, gets involved in a murderous hunt for a valuable statuette.

Overview

User Rating:
Top 250: #121  (login to vote)
8.3/10   74,562 votes »
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Down 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Huston
Writers:
John Huston (screenplay)
Dashiell Hammett (based upon the novel by)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Maltese Falcon on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 October 1941 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery See more »
Tagline:
It's thrilling . . . it's chilling . . . it's the most baffling mystery story in years ! See more »
Plot:
A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win See more »
NewsDesk:
(263 articles)
Apres Cannes, a Retreat From the Madness
 (From Variety - Film News. 11 May 2013, 3:00 PM, PDT)
From Kinky Boots to Virginia Woolf? More Potential Tony Nominees
 (From Alt Film Guide. 29 April 2013, 11:43 PM, PDT)
Humphrey Bogart Film Fest to Honor Jack Huston (Exclusive)
 (From The Hollywood Reporter. 24 April 2013, 6:00 AM, PDT)
User Reviews:
The best detective story. See more (276 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Humphrey Bogart ... Samuel Spade

Mary Astor ... Brigid O'Shaughnessy
Gladys George ... Iva Archer

Peter Lorre ... Joel Cairo

Barton MacLane ... Lt. of Detectives Dundy
Lee Patrick ... Effie Perine

Sydney Greenstreet ... Kasper Gutman

Ward Bond ... Detective Tom Polhaus
Jerome Cowan ... Miles Archer

Elisha Cook Jr. ... Wilmer Cook
James Burke ... Luke
Murray Alper ... Frank Richman
John Hamilton ... Bryan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Drake ... Reporter (uncredited)
Chester Gan ... Bit Part (uncredited)
Creighton Hale ... Stenographer (uncredited)
Robert Homans ... Policeman (uncredited)

William Hopper ... Reporter (uncredited)

Walter Huston ... Captain Jacoby (uncredited)
Hank Mann ... Reporter (uncredited)
Jack Mower ... Announcer (uncredited)
Emory Parnell ... Ship's Mate (uncredited)
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Directed by
John Huston 
 
Writing credits
John Huston (screenplay)

Dashiell Hammett (based upon the novel by)

Produced by
Henry Blanke .... associate producer
Hal B. Wallis .... executive producer
 
Original Music by
Adolph Deutsch 
 
Cinematography by
Arthur Edeson (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Thomas Richards (film editor)
 
Art Direction by
Robert M. Haas  (as Robert Haas)
 
Costume Design by
Orry-Kelly (gowns)
 
Makeup Department
Perc Westmore .... makeup artist
Frank McCoy .... makeup artist (uncredited)
Jean Udko .... hair (uncredited)
 
Production Management
Al Alleborn .... unit manager (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Claude Archer .... assistant director (uncredited)
John Prettyman .... second assistant director (uncredited)
Jack Sullivan .... assistant director (uncredited)
 
Art Department
John Gilbert Kissel .... props (uncredited)
Keefe Maley .... assistant props (uncredited)
William McConnell .... scenic artist (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Oliver S. Garretson .... sound
 
Camera and Electrical Department
William Conger .... gaffer (uncredited)
E.F. Dexter .... grip (uncredited)
Mack Elliott .... stills (uncredited)
Mike Joyce .... second assistant camera (uncredited)
Wally Meinardus .... assistant camera (uncredited)
William Steudeman .... best boy (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Burrell Kring .... wardrobe man (uncredited)
Cora Lobb .... wardrobe woman (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein .... musical director
Arthur Lange .... orchestrator (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Robert Foulk .... dialogue director
Meta Carpenter .... script clerk (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
100 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 (1946) | Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:16 (1945) | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #7457) | Australia:G (TV rating) | UK:A (original rating) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | UK:PG (video rating) | Spain:T | Iceland:L | West Germany:16 (nf) | New Zealand:PG | South Korea:12 (2003) | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-12 (1987) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | USA:Not Rated | Argentina:13
Filming Locations:
Bush Street, San Francisco, California, USASee more »
Company:
Warner BrosSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
When he completed the screenplay, John Huston storyboarded it, allowing him the chance to give great thought to pictorial composition and camera movement. This whole set-up took two days to rehearse.See more »
Goofs:
Factual errors: The opening crawl tells a story about "Charles V of Spain" in 1539. This king was Charles I of Spain; Charles V was his title as Holy Roman Emperor.See more »
Quotes:
[first lines]
Sam Spade:Yes, sweetheart?
Effie Perine:There's a girl wants to see you. Her name's Wonderly.
Sam Spade:A customer?
Effie Perine:I guess so. You'll want to see her anyway. She's a knockout.
See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Dead Reckoning (1947)See more »

FAQ

What is a "gunsel"?
Elisha Cook Jr.---Did Hitchcock Want Him For A Film?
See more »

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
31 out of 47 people found the following review useful.
The best detective story., 19 November 2003
Author: Robert J. Maxwell (rmax304823@yahoo.com) from Deming, New Mexico, USA

I love this movie. I didn't love it until I'd watched it a couple of times.

And I didn't love it quite so much until I'd read Harvey Greenberg's "Movies on Your Mind."

But I now think that, within the strictures of its budget, it's about as good as it can get. Sam Spade is a marvelous character in this film. He gives practically nothing away, while gathering information from others simply by letting them talk, kind of like a shrink.

And it's hard to believe that they could have found a cast that fit the templates of the novel so perfectly. Sidney Greenstreet IS the "fat man." Peter Lorre IS the queer. My nomination for best scene: When Greenstreet attempts to peel off the black enamel from the captured bird and finds that it's nothing but lead and begins to hack away at it, as if it were alive and he were trying to kill it. Nothing is more amusing than a fat man lipid with rage.

If you see this one, and I hope you do, make note of the phenomenal black and white photography. (I hope you have a good connection.) Watch, for instance, the glissade of the camera when Bogart says, "You have brains. Yes, you do."

In case you're worried about this being too sophisticated for enjoyment by an ordinary audience, I should mention that I showed this (in one connection or another, I forget) to a class of Marines at Camp Lejeune. They enjoyed the hell out of it, especially the scene in which Mary Astor kicks Peter Lorre in the shins.

Don't miss it.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Joel Cairo's first appearance brian_wolf_06
Should a remake be made? noonebutnotthatnoone
What PROOF does Spade have that XXX killed XXX? SPOILERS! hipdadiddy
Amazing film, even better book, but one critical plot hole (spoilers)... noirlethal
Buying a Fake Maltese Falcon retsevlis
People sure do talk fast in this movie! Justin C
See more »

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