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The Maltese Falcon

  • 1941
  • PG
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
163K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,916
529
Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor in The Maltese Falcon (1941)
San Francisco private detective Sam Spade takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette, with the stakes rising after his partner is murdered.
Play trailer1:57
2 Videos
99+ Photos
CrimeFilm-NoirMystery

San Francisco private detective Sam Spade takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar and their quest for a priceless statuette, with the stakes rising ... Read allSan Francisco private detective Sam Spade takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar and their quest for a priceless statuette, with the stakes rising after his partner is murdered.San Francisco private detective Sam Spade takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar and their quest for a priceless statuette, with the stakes rising after his partner is murdered.

  • Director
    • John Huston
  • Writers
    • John Huston
    • Dashiell Hammett
  • Stars
    • Humphrey Bogart
    • Mary Astor
    • Gladys George
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    8.0/10
    163K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    4,916
    529
    • Director
      • John Huston
    • Writers
      • John Huston
      • Dashiell Hammett
    • Stars
      • Humphrey Bogart
      • Mary Astor
      • Gladys George
    • 476User reviews
    • 161Critic reviews
    • 97Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 3 Oscars
      • 5 wins & 3 nominations total

    Videos2

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:57
    Watch Official Trailer
    The Maltese Falcon
    Trailer 2:43
    Watch The Maltese Falcon

    Photos187

    Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon (1941)
    Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon (1941)
    Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon (1941)
    Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre in The Maltese Falcon (1941)
    Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon (1941)
    Humphrey Bogart, Ward Bond, and Barton MacLane in The Maltese Falcon (1941)
    Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor in The Maltese Falcon (1941)
    Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor in "The Maltese Falcon," 1941 Warner Bros.
    "The Maltese Falcon" Ward Bond and Humphrey Bogart 1941 Warner Bros.
    "The Maltese Falcon" Mary Astor, Humphrey Bogart, and Peter Lorre 1941 Warner Bros.
    "The Maltese Falcon" 1941 Warner Bros.
    "The Maltese Falcon" 1941 Warner Bros.

    Top cast

    Edit
    Humphrey Bogart
    Humphrey Bogart
    • Samuel Spade
    Mary Astor
    Mary Astor
    • Brigid O'Shaughnessy
    Gladys George
    Gladys George
    • Iva Archer
    Peter Lorre
    Peter Lorre
    • Joel Cairo
    Barton MacLane
    Barton MacLane
    • Lt. of Detectives Dundy
    Lee Patrick
    Lee Patrick
    • Effie Perine
    Sydney Greenstreet
    Sydney Greenstreet
    • Kasper Gutman
    Ward Bond
    Ward Bond
    • Detective Tom Polhaus
    Jerome Cowan
    Jerome Cowan
    • Miles Archer
    Elisha Cook Jr.
    Elisha Cook Jr.
    • Wilmer Cook
    James Burke
    James Burke
    • Luke
    Murray Alper
    Murray Alper
    • Frank Richman
    John Hamilton
    John Hamilton
    • Bryan
    Charles Drake
    Charles Drake
    • Reporter
    • (uncredited)
    Chester Gan
    Chester Gan
    • Bit Part
    • (uncredited)
    Creighton Hale
    Creighton Hale
    • Stenographer
    • (uncredited)
    Robert Homans
    Robert Homans
    • Policeman
    • (uncredited)
    William Hopper
    William Hopper
    • Reporter
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • John Huston
    • Writers
      • John Huston
      • Dashiell Hammett
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Three of the statuettes still exist and are conservatively valued at over $1 million each. This makes them some of the most valuable film props ever made; indeed, each is now worth more than three times what the film cost to make.
    • Goofs
      The opening crawl begins, "In 1539, the Knight Templars[sic] of Malta, paid tribute to Charles V of Spain, by sending him a Golden Falcon..." This confuses two different religious orders of knights, both founded in Jerusalem. The Knights Hospitallers of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, known as the Order of St. John for short, have existed since 1048; they were in fact based in Malta from 1530 to 1798 and hence were also called the Knights of Malta. On the other hand, the Knights of the Temple of Solomon, also called the Knights Templar or just Templars, were founded in 1119 and became the sworn enemies of the first order; this latter group was disbanded by 1312, after King Philip IV of France had declared them heretics so that he could confiscate their wealth.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Detective Tom Polhaus: [picks up the falcon] Heavy. What is it?

      Sam Spade: The, uh, stuff that dreams are made of.

      Detective Tom Polhaus: Huh?

    • Alternate versions
      Also available in a computer colorized version.
    • Connections
      Edited into Tales from the Crypt: You, Murderer (1995)

    User reviews476

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Entertainment defined
    "The Maltese Falcon" would be nothing without the muscular, cynical, and very entertaining lead performance from Humphrey Bogart. Well, 'nothing' maybe a bit of an overstatement- the film is inventive and interesting otherwise but Bogart's performance makes the film. This film established his career, helping him escape the dozens of cheap crime films he was in prior to this film. It's easy to see why audiences were impressed with his charismatic portrayal of no-nonsense tough guy Sam Spade. I wasn't overly impressed with Mary Astor's performance in the film; she wasn't a compelling love interest and failed to live up to the script's strong characterization. Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre, however, completely make up for Astor's performance.

    This film was John Huston's debut film, and it doesn't really feel like a debut film. It's quite accomplished, actually. The film is heavily stylized, perhaps more than any other film before it. It is also unflinching in its moral ambiguity (it was named the first film in the 'film-noir' genre by French critic Nino Frank, though I think other films qualify such as Howard Hawks' "Scarface") portraying harsh, cruel, cold individuals. Sam Spade is a realistic character, stylized perhaps, but realistic. He is not the perfect John Wayne all-American hero; he is harsh, cold, and even capable of murder. When his partner is killed Spade does not feel much of anything, reacting indifferently to the death and even kissing his widow during their first meeting after he hears the news. John Huston wanted this film to be more character-based and less plot-based than the two previous adaptations of the novel (which he called 'wretched pictures'). The care taken to provide good characterization in the script is clear to the audience. Indeed, "The Maltese Falcon" has a fairly complicated plot and it's easy to understand how a film can get bogged down in the plot and fail to entertain the audience or even tell a good story. Huston made a wise choice in reducing the plot to the background and focusing on the characters and dialogue.

    Huston also pays close attention to visual composition of shots, painstakingly recreating the sleazy underbelly of San Francisco. San Francisco is traditionally used in film as a romantic setting, and it is remarkable how drastically different Huston's portrayal of the city is from the norm and how effective it is. Huston, after writing the very fun and smart script, storyboarded every scene in the film and the attention to detail is clear to those viewing the film. Often such meticulous planning carries over to the screen and interrupts the dramatic flow, but not in this case. The film flows exceptionally well and feels much shorter than its 100 minute running time. The result of all the care that went into the film is, by all accounts, excellent entertainment. It's smart, stylish, generally well-acted, and always captivating. "The Maltese Falcon" is surely one of the most promising debut films in history, promise and potential which Huston most certainly delivered on later in his career.

    ****/4
    helpful•26
    13
    • ametaphysicalshark
    • Oct 25, 2007

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    FAQ3

    • Is the movie faithful to Dashiell Hammett's novel?
    • What is a "gunsel"?
    • Is "Maltese Falcon" the first noir film?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 18, 1941 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Le faucon maltais
    • Filming locations
      • Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $375,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $18,180
    • Gross worldwide
      • $34,691
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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