Hard-drinking private eye Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) sleuths the backyard of San Francisco in search of an elusive black bird statuette while evading the setups of three disparate miscreants: the duplicitous Brigid, the perfumed Mr. Cairo, and the scheming Fat Man. John Huston's brilliant directorial debut is aided by first-rate performances, excellent camera work, as well as the director's acute attention to detail while shooting the film. Based on the crime novel by Dashiell Hammett. Academy Award Nominations: 3, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Sydney Greenstreet), and Best Screenplay. Previous versions of the story were filmed in 1931 (a.k.a. DANGEROUS FEMALE) and in 1936 (as SATAN MET A LADY, starring Bette Davis), and poorly redone in 1975 (THE BLACK BIRD).
THE MALTESE FALCON was an original selection to the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 1989.
Dashiell Hammett's novel was first adapted for the screen in 1931. Known alternately as "The Maltese Falcon" and "Dangerous Female," this version was directed by Roy del Ruth and starred Bebe Daniels, Ricardo Cortez, Dudley Digges, Robert Elliott, Thelma Todd, Una Merkel, and Dwight Frye.
In 1936, a second adaptation appeared. The William Dieterle film, "Satan Met a Lady," featured Bette Davis, Warren William, Alison Skipworth, and Arthur Treacher.
After years of screenwriting, John Huston made his directorial debut with "Falcon." His father, actor Walter Huston, has a cameo in the film.
Sydney Greenstreet made his sound-film debut with "Falcon." He was previously a member of the Lunt-Fontaine theater troupe.
Mary Astor and Humphrey Bogart were cited by the National Board of Review for their acting achievement in "The Maltese Falcon."
A colorized version of the film is also available.
Excerpt: "When you're slapped, you'll take it and like it!" -- Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) to Cairo (Peter Lorre)
"Don't be too sure I'm as crooked as I'm supposed to be." -- Spade to Brigid O'Shaugnessy (Mary Astor)
DVD Features:
3-Disc Set
Digipak
Special Edition
Disc 1: THE MALTESE FALCON
Full Frame - 1.33
Audio:
Dolby Digital Mono - English
Subtitles - English, French, Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary: Eric Lax - Bogart Biographer
Shorts:
1. Oscar Nominated Technicolor Music Short - The Gay Parisian
2. Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt
3. Meet John Doughboy
Trailers:
1. The Maltese Falcon
2. Seargent York (1941)
Cameo
Walter Huston: Canadian Actor/In USA
Director of Photography
Arthur Edeson:
Production Designer
Robert M. Haas:
Story
Dashiell Hammett: American Author/Screenwriter
Costume Designer
Orry-Kelly:
Review 1:
"...The real spark in this suavest of mysteries is provided by its eccentric collection of villains..." -- 5 out of 5 stars
Source: Total Film
p.84 03/01/2000
Review 2:
"There is a spareness of style here that puts many of today's bloated thrillers to shame."
Source: Sight and Sound
p.83 03/01/2007
Review 3:
5 stars out of 5 -- "This is pure essence of film noir -- essentially starting the genre..."
Source: Ultimate DVD
p.97 03/01/2007
Review 4:
"...Huston's strategy is crafty....It's all style. It isn't violence or chases, but the way the actors look, move, speak and embody their characters..."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
p.5 05/13/2001
Review 5:
"...Bogart was always in control....The movie is refreshingly cynical..."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.C18 09/03/1998
Review 6:
"...FALCON is the archetypal American detective yarn..."
Source: Premiere
p.5 12/01/2003
Review 7:
"Boldly manipulative light and shadow, utilizing drastic camera angles, and introducing Bogart's Sam Spade, the first-time director's detective classic defines film noir." -- Grade: A
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.57 10/06/2006
Review 8:
4 stars out of 5 -- "[The film] remains enjoyable for its razor-sharp dialogue....A great example of vintage studio alchemy."
Source: Uncut
p.121 03/01/2007
Shopping Cart:
