The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Dashiell Hammett (novel)
John Huston (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 October 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Mystery

Tagline:

It's thrilling . . . it's chilling . . . it's the most baffling mystery story in years !

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Partner | Murder | Police | Maltese Falcon | Statuette

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win

Cast

Humphrey Bogart	...	Sam Spade
Mary Astor	...	Brigid O'Shaughnessy
Gladys George	...	Iva Archer
Peter Lorre	...	Joel Cairo
Barton MacLane	...	Det. Lt. Dundy
Lee Patrick	...	Effie Perine
Sydney Greenstreet	...	Kasper Gutman
Ward Bond	...	Det. Tom Polhaus
Jerome Cowan	...	Miles Archer
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Wilmer Cook
James Burke	...	Luke
Murray Alper	...	Frank Richman
John Hamilton	...	District Attorney Bryan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Drake	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Chester Gan	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Creighton Hale	...	Stenographer (uncredited)
Robert Homans	...	Policeman (uncredited)
William Hopper	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Walter Huston	...	Capt. Jacobi (uncredited)
Hank Mann	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Jack Mower	...	Announcer (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Ship's mate (uncredited)

Directed by
John Huston

Writing credits
Dashiell Hammett		(novel)
John Huston		(screenplay)

Produced by
Henry Blanke	....	associate producer
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Adolph Deutsch

Cinematography by
Arthur Edeson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Thomas Richards

Art Direction by
Robert M. Haas		(as Robert Haas)

Costume Design by
Orry-Kelly		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist
Frank McCoy	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Al Alleborn	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Claude Archer	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Oliver S. Garretson	....	sound

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Arthur Lange	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Robert Foulk	....	dialogue director
Meta Carpenter	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1941) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1949) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2000) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner Bros. (2000) (Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD) (as "O Falcão Maltês")
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

The Gent from Frisco (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G (TV rating) | UK:A (original rating) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | UK:PG (video rating) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Spain:T | Iceland:L | West Germany:16 (nf) | New Zealand:PG | South Korea:12 (2003) | Brazil:12 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:16 (1945) | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #7457)

Filming Locations:

Bush Street, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The "Maltese Falcon" itself is said to have been inspired by the "Kniphausen Hawk," a ceremonial pouring vessel made in 1697 for George William von Kniphausen, Count of the Holy Roman Empire. It is modeled after a hawk perched on a rock and is encrusted with red garnets, amethysts, emeralds and blue sapphires. The vessel is currently owned by the Duke of Devonshire and is part of the Chatsworth collection.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene with Joel Cairo and O'Shaughnessy in the Spade's house, Cairo lights a match with his left hand. Between shots the match appears in his right hand.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Honey West: How Brillig, O, Beamish Boy (#1.17)" (1966)

The Fat Man Cometh

Considered by many film historians as the very first noir film, "The Maltese Falcon" is cinematically important also for making Humphrey Bogart into a Hollywood star, and for being the debut of John Huston as film Director.

The film's story is complex and convoluted, typical of detective films of that era, and involves a valuable statuette. The plot stalls and meanders throughout most of the film, as we encounter an assortment of strange characters and side issues. But this is not a plot-driven film. It is character-driven.

And the main character, of course, is PI Sam Spade (Bogart). He's not a particularly nice guy. He comes across as overconfident and egotistic. He smirks a lot. But he's tough as nails. And he knows how to nail the bad guys. A big part of the film is Spade's relationship to femme fatale Brigid (Mary Astor). They engage each other in a battle of wits. And there's more than a hint of romantic involvement between the two. But Brigid is the one who propels Spade into the deceiving and double-crossing world of bad guys who yearn with greed for the priceless Maltese Falcon.

Enter Kasper Gutman, that thoroughly rotund and intimidating (in a gentlemanly sort of way) king of greed, portrayed with verve and panache by the inimitable Sydney Greenstreet. Gutman, AKA the "Fat Man", is nothing if not erudite and self-assured. In one scene, Sam Spade makes a bold offer. Gutman responds articulately: "That's an attitude sir that calls for the most delicate judgment on both sides, because as you know sir, in the heat of action, men are likely to forget where their best interests lie ...".

And Peter Lorre is a hoot as Gutman's mischievous elf, Joel Cairo, who tries, without success, to threaten Sam Spade, but only succeeds at getting on Sam's nerves.

The film's high contrast B&W lighting renders an effective noir look and feel, one that would be copied in films for years to come. Acting varies from very good to overly melodramatic. The script is very talky. For the most part, the film is just a series of conversations that take place in interior sets.

Stylistic and cinematically innovative, "The Maltese Falcon" has endured as a film classic. I suspect the main reason for its continued popularity is the continued popularity of Bogart. But I personally prefer the performance of Sydney Greenstreet, the enticing fat man. Yet, together they would reappear in later films, one of which would follow, in 1942, as the classic of all classics.