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IMDbPro

The Maltese Falcon

  • 19411941
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
157K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,613
412
Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor in The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Theatrical Trailer from Warner Bros. Pictures
Play trailer2:43
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Crime
  • Film-Noir
  • Mystery
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.
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
157K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,613
412
  • Director
    • John Huston
  • Writers
    • John Huston(screen play by)
    • Dashiell Hammett(based upon the novel by)
  • Stars
    • Humphrey Bogart
    • Mary Astor
    • Gladys George
Top credits
  • Director
    • John Huston
  • Writers
    • John Huston(screen play by)
    • Dashiell Hammett(based upon the novel by)
  • Stars
    • Humphrey Bogart
    • Mary Astor
    • Gladys George
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 450User reviews
    • 144Critic reviews
    • 97Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 3 Oscars
      • 5 wins & 3 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Maltese Falcon
    Trailer 2:43
    The Maltese Falcon

    Photos181

    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 Spadeas Samuel Spade
    Mary Astor
    Mary Astor
    • Brigid O'Shaughnessyas Brigid O'Shaughnessy
    Gladys George
    Gladys George
    • Iva Archeras Iva Archer
    Peter Lorre
    Peter Lorre
    • Joel Cairoas Joel Cairo
    Barton MacLane
    Barton MacLane
    • Lt. of Detectives Dundyas Lt. of Detectives Dundy
    Lee Patrick
    Lee Patrick
    • Effie Perineas Effie Perine
    Sydney Greenstreet
    Sydney Greenstreet
    • Kasper Gutmanas Kasper Gutman
    Ward Bond
    Ward Bond
    • Detective Tom Polhausas Detective Tom Polhaus
    Jerome Cowan
    Jerome Cowan
    • Miles Archeras Miles Archer
    Elisha Cook Jr.
    Elisha Cook Jr.
    • Wilmer Cookas Wilmer Cook
    James Burke
    James Burke
    • Lukeas Luke
    Murray Alper
    Murray Alper
    • Frank Richmanas Frank Richman
    John Hamilton
    John Hamilton
    • Bryanas Bryan
    Charles Drake
    Charles Drake
    • Reporteras Reporter
    • (uncredited)
    Chester Gan
    Chester Gan
    • Bit Partas Bit Part
    • (uncredited)
    Creighton Hale
    Creighton Hale
    • Stenographeras Stenographer
    • (uncredited)
    Robert Homans
    Robert Homans
    • Policemanas Policeman
    • (uncredited)
    William Hopper
    William Hopper
    • Reporteras Reporter
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • John Huston
    • Writers
      • John Huston(screen play by)
      • Dashiell Hammett(based upon the novel by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    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 reviews450

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Absorbing and worthy suspense film about blackmails , killings , corruption and strong intrigue
    This one of the all-time grand films , a classic Noir Film with gritty interpretation , atmospheric settings and powerhouse filmmaking , at John Huston's first effort directorial . This is a story as explosive as his blazing automatics . Womanizer Sam Sapade is a two-fisted and cynical private detective operating in the big city . When his secretary tells him the new customer (Mary Astor) waiting outside his office is a knockout, he wastes no time before seeing her. It turns out she's a knockout with money. And she wants to spend it on his services as a private detective . This lovely dame with dangerous lies employs the services of the notorious private detective . She has some story about wanting to protect her sister. Neither he nor his partner, Miles Archer, believes it. But with the money she's paying, who cares? The job proves to be more dangerous than either of them expected. It involves not just the lovely dame with the dangerous lies, but also the sweaty Casper Gutman (Sidney Greenstreet) , the fey Joel Cairo (Peter Lorre) , and the thuggish young Wilmer Cook (Elisha Cook Jr) . Three crooks, and all of them are looking for the statuette of a black bird they call the Maltese Falcon . Spade is quickly caught up in the mystery and intrigue of a statuette known as the Maltese Falcon . As Sam fights to get hold of a black bird ¨the stuff that dreams are made¨ (a line suggested by Humphrey Bogart was voted as the #14 movie quote by the American Film Institute) .

    This first-rate and entertaining picture draws its riveting tale and power from the interaction of finely drawn roles as well as drama , emotion and moody atmosphere . This classic mystery thriller follows Dashiell Hammett's book fairly closely otherwise , he also wrote ¨The thin man¨. Twisted film Noir about murders , troubled relationships , treason , dark secrets , including an unforgettable dialog ; being based on the novel ¨The Maltese Falcon¨¨and screen-written by the same Huston . Frustrated at seeing his script for Juárez (1939) rewritten by Paul Muni, the film's star, John Huston vowed that from then on he would direct his own screenplays and therefore not have to see them get meddled with. He was fortunate in that he had a staunch ally in the form of producer Henry Blanke who was happy to fulfill Huston's wish. Word-for-word and scene-for-scene virtually the same as the original novel. It packs a good realization , an original script , haunting atmosphere , intriguing events ; for that reason madness and murder prevail .The climactic confrontation scene lasts nearly 20 minutes, one-fifth of the entire running time of the film. It involves all five principal characters, and filming required over one full week . Here Bogart is extraordinary and as cool as ever ; he plays as the tough-talking P.I. Although George Raft was originally cast as Sam Spade , he allegedly turned it down because it was "not an important picture," taking advantage of a clause in his contract that said he did not have to work on remakes . For decades this film could not be legally shown on US television stations because of its underlying suggestions of "illicit" sexual activity among the characters (i.e., O'Shaughnessy's promiscuity, indications that Joel Cairo was a homosexual). Much of the movie is filmed over Humphrey Bogart's shoulder so that the audience can be in on his point of view. His scenes with Mary Astor are awesome and at their best compared to those he subsequently shared with Lauren Bacall in ¨Dark passage¨ , ¨Key Largo¨ , ¨The big sleep¨ and ¨To have and to have not¨ . The couple Bogart-Astor throws in enough sparks to ignite several lighters . This was the first pairing of cynical Humphrey Bogart and Femme Fatale Mary Astor . Mary Astor's off-screen notoriety was instrumental in her casting , she had been in several scandals concerning affairs she had been involved in during her marriage. And she was having an affair with John Huston during the making of the film. Magnificent support cast , here was the first pairing of Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre, who would go on to make nine more movies together. Exciting as well as complex film , possessing a mysterious and fascinating blend of gripping thriller , serenity , baroque suspense in which especially stands out the portentous performances , evocative cinematography in black and white by Arthur Edeson and magnificent musical score by the classic Adolph Deutsch . And also shown in horrible computer-colored version . The motion picture was masterfully directed by John Huston ; filming was completed in two months at a cost of less than $300,000.

    A former version in 1931 by Roy Del Ruth , it was also pretty good starred by Bebe Daniels as Ruth Wonderly , Ricardo Cortez as Sam Spade , Dudley Digges as Casper Gutman and Una Merkel as Effie Perine . In fact , Warner Bros. planned to change the name of the film to "The Gent from Frisco" because the novel's title had already been used for this The Maltese Falcon (1931) , the studio eventually agreed to keep the original title at John Huston's insistence.
    helpful•16
    6
    • ma-cortes
    • Mar 14, 2015

    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
      • The Gent from Frisco
    • Filming locations
      • Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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

    Technical specs

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

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