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: #114  (login to vote)
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Down 4% 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 | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller 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:
(208 articles)
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 (From Rope Of Silicon. 27 May 2012, 6:17 AM, PDT)
Take A Look At Usps Stamps For Frank Capra, Billy Wilder, John Ford & John Huston
 (From The Playlist. 25 May 2012, 12:35 PM, PDT)
User Reviews:
"The Greatest Movie Star of all time" and more See more (249 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 (music by)
 
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 (Turner library print) (copyright length)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
Australia:G (TV rating) | UK:A (original rating) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | UK:PG (video rating) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Spain:T | Iceland:L | West Germany:16 (nf) | New Zealand:PG | South Korea:12 (2003) | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-12 (1987) | USA:TV-PG | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 (1946) | Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:16 (1945) | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #7457)
Filming Locations:
Bush Street, San Francisco, California, USASee more »
Company:
Warner Bros. PicturesSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
The opening scroll about the history of the Maltese Falcon is entirely made up.See more »
Goofs:
Continuity: When Gutman first puts the Falcon on the table he is smoking a cigar. When he begins to scratch the Falcon there is no cigar in sight.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 Quest for Glory I: So You Want to Be a Hero (1989) (VG)See more »

FAQ

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

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
72 out of 87 people found the following review useful.
"The Greatest Movie Star of all time" and more, 28 November 2006
Author: JFHunt from Manhattan

Bogart. The coolest guy to ever live?

Have you ever wondered what makes someone possess an essence that's defined as being "cool"? They seem to have that combination between imagery and soul that few people truly have. Is it in the style of clothes you wear or one's knowledge of independence? Is it the way you comb your hair or your unkempt humility for everything out there? It could be in your talk or how you walk, but maybe it's more about what you say and where you're going. In a sense it's an attitude that seeks to define character and break the mold of control. It's the fine line between knowing when to speak up and when saying less means more. So is Bogart the coolest guy to ever live? In a single word, absolutely.

The Maltese Falcon is basically a showcase for Bogart. A role that seems to be made for him, even with two previous attempts at the film. He is and always was born to play Sam Spade. The tough guy private investigator, who always has the right things to say. More likely to fire a witty comeback than a gun. Able to fall in love, even if only for the moment, and then send her to the gallows. All in the name of doing the right thing. It's not an emotional business.

The movie itself wrote the book of the crime and mystery drama story. Probably the best written plot in it's genre. No doubt that Bogart makes the character come alive, with that infectious voice and his uncompromising demeanor. But the movie itself is, to say the least, very good. The ending just does it for me. The last couple of lines are some of the best in film history.

Although it took me a while to finally see this film, I realize that it's one of Bogart's triumphs and has all the main reasons why I love the guy so much. Please, see this film and remember Bogart as he was.

"Heavy. What is it? The, uh, stuff that dreams are made of."

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Message Boards

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
They should make a movie about John Huston geirove1
Does watching noir influence your ideas on the causes of crime? Homer_Mandrill
Mary Astor was Fantastic! PSVillas
Does the jewelled Falcon exist or just a legend? RugGuy
Spade mails locker key to himself edalweber
Fainting HushJoker
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