Maltese Falcon-Special Edition (1941)

"[1931] ...a very good film with Richard Cortez in the role of detective Sam Spade...  Classic Film Guide
"[1941] It's rare when you get everything to work so well as it does in this pic.  Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
"[Satan] ...Davis, a year after her Oscar nomination in Dangerous, shines...  Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
"[1941] ...the breakthrough role that would transform [Bogart] from perennial heavy to romantic lead.  Pam Grady, Reel.com
"[1941] Best in noir - Best in Bogie - One of the best ever.  Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

Editor's Note 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).

	Alison Skipworth
	Arthur Treacher
	Bebe Daniels
	Bette Davis
	Dudley Digges
	Humphrey Bogart
	Mary Astor
	Peter Lorre
	Ricardo Cortez
	Sydney Greenstreet
	Una Merkel
	Warren William
	Dashiell Hammett - [All] Based On Novel By
	John Huston - [1941] Director
	Roy Del Ruth - [1931] Director
	William Dieterle - [Satan] Director

"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)

Total Film
"...The real spark in this suavest of mysteries is provided by its eccentric collection of villains..." -- 5 out of 5 stars 03/01/2000 p.84

Los Angeles Times
"...Bogart was always in control....The movie is refreshingly cynical..." 09/03/1998 p.C18

Chicago Sun-Times
"...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..." 05/13/2001 p.5

Premiere
"...FALCON is the archetypal American detective yarn..." 12/01/2003 p.5

Entertainment Weekly
"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 10/06/2006 p.57

Uncut
4 stars out of 5 -- "[The film] remains enjoyable for its razor-sharp dialogue....A great example of vintage studio alchemy." 03/01/2007 p.121

Sight and Sound
"There is a spareness of style here that puts many of today's bloated thrillers to shame." 03/01/2007 p.83

Ultimate DVD
5 stars out of 5 -- "This is pure essence of film noir -- essentially starting the genre..." 03/01/2007 p.97

Crazy for Cinema 10 of 10
[1941] One of the first and best film noirs to ever come out of Hollywood. Bogart finally gets the star treatment as street smart detective Sam Spade, a man caught in a sticky web of lies, betrayal and murder...Lorre and Greenstreet are two of the best character actors to ever come out of Hollywood and prove why here. Astor is bad to the bone, but gives the usual vamp role class and intelligence. Bogart moves up to the A-list with this performance. He has an ugly mug, but no one plays hard-boiled with a heart of gold better. A must-see worth seeking out.

Ozus' World Movie Reviews 8 of 10
[1931] Roy Del Ruth adroitly directs this 1931 mystery adapted from Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel, which was the original version of The Maltese Falcon...There was also a 1936 version starring Bette Davis called Satan Met a Lady, described by her as a turkey, which was a more disguised version of the novel (a ram's horn was replaced for the black bird). The definitive version and the one that everybody remembers as one of the greatest films ever was John Huston's 1941 version of The Maltese Falcon starring Bogey as Sam Spade. It was one of the few times a remake was so much better than the original, even if the original was a solid and enjoyable work. - Dennis Schwartz

Chicago Sun-Times 10 of 10
[1941] Among the movies we not only love but treasure, ''The Maltese Falcon'' stands as a great divide...To describe the plot in a linear and logical fashion is almost impossible. That doesn't matter. The movie is essentially a series of conversations punctuated by brief, violent interludes. It's all style. It isn't violence or chases, but the way the actors look, move, speak and embody their characters. Under the style is attitude: Hard men, in a hard season, in a society emerging from Depression and heading for war, are motivated by greed and capable of murder. - Roger Ebert