Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
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
    • 451User 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

    More like this

    The Big Sleep
    7.9
    The Big Sleep
    The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
    8.2
    The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
    Key Largo
    7.7
    Key Largo
    To Have and Have Not
    7.8
    To Have and Have Not
    The African Queen
    7.7
    The African Queen
    Double Indemnity
    8.3
    Double Indemnity
    The Maltese Falcon
    6.8
    The Maltese Falcon
    Touch of Evil
    8.0
    Touch of Evil
    In a Lonely Place
    7.9
    In a Lonely Place
    The Third Man
    8.1
    The Third Man
    Strangers on a Train
    7.9
    Strangers on a Train
    Notorious
    7.9
    Notorious

    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 reviews451

    Review
    Top review
    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".
    helpful•53
    17
    • Snow Leopard
    • Sep 21, 2001

    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

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor in The Maltese Falcon (1941)
    Top Gap
    What is the Hindi language plot outline for The Maltese Falcon (1941)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in July
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    The Best Movies Coming This Summer
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.