The Maltese Falcon (1941)

A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

John Huston (screen play by), Dashiell Hammett (based upon the novel by)

Stars:

Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 5 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
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

Storyline

Spade and Archer is the name of a San Francisco detective agency. That's for Sam Spade and Miles Archer. The two men are partners, but Sam doesn't like Miles much. A knockout, who goes by the name of Miss Wonderly, walks into their office; and by that night everything's changed. Miles is dead. And so is a man named Floyd Thursby. It seems Miss Wonderly is surrounded by dangerous men. There's Joel Cairo, who uses gardenia-scented calling cards. There's Kasper Gutman, with his enormous girth and feigned civility. Her only hope of protection comes from Sam, who is suspected by the police of one or the other murder. More murders are yet to come, and it will all be because of these dangerous men -- and their lust for a statuette of a bird: the Maltese Falcon.

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Plot Keywords:

private detective | murder | directorial debut | maltese falcon | private investigator | 

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Taglines:

He's as fast on the draw as he is in the drawing room!

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

The unusual cigarette lighter that graces the desk of Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) is a Ronson Touch-Tip table model. Made by the Ronson Co. from 1935-51, it is a classic example of the "art deco" style that dominated that era. Originals are so sought after by collectors that at least one company now exists that is entirely dedicated to restoring original examples to full working order.

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Goofs

(at around 54 mins) In their first meeting, Spade tells Gutman that he has until 5:00 to make up his mind. Later, when Wilmer lets Spade know that Gutman is ready to talk, Spade says "I didn't expect you until 5:25," which would have been twenty-five minutes after the deadline had passed (in the novel, the deadline is 5:30).

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sam Spade: Yes, sweetheart?
Effie Perine: There's a girl wants to see you. Her name's Wonderly.
Sam Spade: Customer?
Effie Perine: I guess so. You'll want to see her anyway. She's a knockout.
Sam Spade: Shoo her in, Effie darling, shoo her in.

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Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer colorized version.

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Connections

Referenced in Youth Without Youth (2007)

User Reviews

One of the Most Entertaining Films of Its Kind

With a fine combination of cast, characters, story, and atmosphere, this classic is one of the most entertaining films of its kind, enjoyable even after several viewings. It gets you right into the action and introduces you to a list of interesting personalities, who mesh together nicely and who are also matched well with the cast members. Beyond that, it's also effective as a character study involving greed, trust and distrust, and conflicting ethics.

Sam Spade is an ideal role for Bogart, giving him plenty to work with and some very good dialogue as well. Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet are very entertaining, providing suitable foils for Bogart, and they really take the film up a notch. The rest of the cast also works well (worth mentioning is Elisha Cook, Jr., whose character doesn't do a lot, but who provides Bogart with some very amusing moments at his expense). The story is nicely adapted from the novel, and each scene is constructed well, with everything moving along nicely from start to finish.

If you are a fan of either film noir or mysteries, make this a must-see. There are very few films that work as well as "The Maltese Falcon".

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 October 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Gent from Frisco

Filming Locations:

Bush Street, San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$375,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,330

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1