Movie Description
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).
| Credits | | Producer: | Henry Blanke | | Cast: | Barton MacLane, Charles Drake, Gladys George, Jerome Cowan, Murray Alper, Robert Homans, Ward Bond, William Hopper |
| Details | | Sound: | Stereo Sound |
Notes
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Pan & Scan - 1.33
Single Side - Dual Layer
Audio:
Dolby Digital Mono - English
Dolby Digital Stereo - French
Additional Release Material:
Trailers - 1.Theatrical Trailers (2)
Includes BECOMING ATTRACTIONS: THE TRAILERS OF HUMPHREY BOGART, a look back at Bogey's Warner Bros. films through trailers, hosted by Robert Osborne.
Interactive Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Text/Photo Galleries:
Production Notes
A HISTORY OF MYSTERY essay, 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.
Editorial Reviews
"...The real spark in this suavest of mysteries is provided by its eccentric collection of villains..." -- 5 out of 5 stars
Total Film - p.84 - John Wrathall (03/01/2000)
"...Bogart was always in control....The movie is refreshingly cynical..."
Los Angeles Times - Mark Chalon Smith (09/03/1998)
"...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..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (05/13/2001)
"...FALCON is the archetypal American detective yarn..."
Premiere - Premiere Staff (12/01/2003)
"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
Entertainment Weekly - Jeff Labrecque (10/06/2006)
4 stars out of 5 -- "[The film] remains enjoyable for its razor-sharp dialogue....A great example of vintage studio alchemy."
Uncut - Geoff Andrew (03/01/2007)
"There is a spareness of style here that puts many of today's bloated thrillers to shame."
Sight and Sound - Matthew Leyland (03/01/2007)
5 stars out of 5 -- "This is pure essence of film noir -- essentially starting the genre..."
Ultimate DVD - Jan Vincent-Rudzki (03/01/2007)
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