The son of famous detective Sam Spade carries on the family tradition of getting involved with the Maltese Falcon - and with the people who will stop at nothing, including murder, to get it.
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Title: The Black Bird (1975)
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Cast
| Credited cast: | |||
| George Segal | ... | Sam Spade Jr. | |
| Stéphane Audran | ... | Anna Kemidov | |
| Lionel Stander | ... | Gordon Immerman | |
| Lee Patrick | ... | Effie | |
| Elisha Cook Jr. | ... | Wilmer Cook | |
| Felix Silla | ... | Litvak | |
| Signe Hasso | ... | Dr. Crippen | |
| John Abbott | ... | DuQuai | |
 |
Connie Kreski | ... | Decoy Girl |
|
|
Titus Napoleon | ... | Hawaiian Thug |
|
|
Harry Kenoi | ... | Hawaiian Thug |
|
|
Howard Jeffrey | ... | Kerkorian |
| Ken Swofford | ... | Brad McCormack | |
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| John Alderman | ... | Patron in Ballroom | |
|
|
Eumenio Blanco | ... | Hernadez |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
After the death of private detective Sam Spade, his son, Sam Spade Jr. (who only knew his father very briefly) is forced to inherit his San Francisco detective agency, much to his chagrin. He also must keep his father's sarcastic secretary, Effie Perrine ("Godzilla"), and must continue his father's tradition of "serving minorities". One day, an obese man named Caspar Gutman is killed just outside Spade's building, his last words being "It's black and as long as your arm". Later on, Spade is given an offer by a member of the Order of St. John's Hospital to purchase his father's useless copy of the Maltese Falcon. A right-wing thug named Gordon Immerman (Spade calls him "Andrew Jackson" after he gave Spade his "calling card", a bill), has been hired to make sure Spade delivers the bird, but he quickly warms to the detective, although the feeling is not mutual. Later on, he gets an offer from a Wilmer Cook, but before they can negotiate, he is killed. Shortly thereafter, he encounters a ... Written by Joel Cairo
Plot Keywords:
sam spade | murder | private detective | second part | color in title |Taglines:
Why is everyone after George Segal's bird? See more »Genres:
ComedyParents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
15 April 1976 (UK) See more »Also Known As:
Czarny ptak See more »Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (VHS release)Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Color (Metrocolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1Frequently Asked Questions
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The one thing that becomes clear after reading comments on the IMDb (and which should come as a comfort to filmmakers out there) is that no matter how awful a film may be, it will be the "favorite' of at least one person.
I saw "The Black Bird" as a teenager when it was originally released and remember going back to see it several times, howling at the "in" "Maltese Falcon" jokes, George Segal's hilarious exasperation at everything, Lionel Stander's thick-headed assistant, Stephane Audran's priceless deadpan and mangled English, Lee Patrick's cantankerous Effie...I just found it a riot.
Now, the one thing I was sure of even then was that this wasn't a particularly "good" film, but what it had was a cock-eyed sense of humor for those with a certain awareness of the genre stereotypes.
It updated the musty clichés and made then cynically hip and funny. To this day I can watch my video of the film and crack up when George Segal (dressed in a priest's robe)playfully asks Audran, "Care to confess any sins?" and she, forever missing his jokes, responds seriously "Later, later..."
Trust me, if you found nothing humorous in that exchange, "The Black Bird" is not the film for you.