Introducing the first film noir to enter the big screen! The Maltese Falcon is when a detective is tangled up in a case that involves the chase of sinister characters after a valuable Maltese falcon statue.
The Maltese Falcon is when detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) gets roped into helping out this femme fatale (Mary Astor). After stealing an expensive statue, she is under a microscope by two other men. Sam’s partner gets murdered while trying to investigate. Sam must find out who is responsible for this and who is telling the truth. In this first film noir, you get detectives in top hats smoking a cigarette to calm their nerves, the dark setting, and the femme fatale. This film is not necessarily the most violent as the poster may suggest. But, we still feel a chilling tone in this detective trying to get to the bottom of this alone and figure out what it is about this statue that is driving people to murder.
Humphrey Bogart was a real standout to me. I like that he depicted his character as a no-nonsense detective that can smell a rat but needs to go along with people’s lies to get himself closer and closer to the culprit. For example, he knows not to trust the femme fatale but knows she may be key in solving this case. His eyes tell the story of how he views the suspicious characters around him. Even when the this lady tries to victimize herself, Spade won’t have it as her beauty is not enough to get past her two-faced lies. Peter Lorre also does a great job giving off that sinister vibe.
So, we’ve only had two previous versions of The Maltese Falcon- a pre-Code 1931 version and one called Satan Met a Lady starring Betty Davis. Both of those films flopped. As a first-time director, it was risky for John Huston to take on a project like this. But, he knew the importance of creating a work of art from the original material written by Dashiell Hammett. With a small budget, this movie only took eight weeks to make. Huston even cast his own father as the role of Captain Jacoby!
Unlike the previous attempts of this book adaptation, The Maltese Falcon did anything but flop. It earned three nominations for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Sydney Greenstreet, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Unfortunately, it was hard to stand against How Green Was My Valley. It still made an impact on audiences and those who took part in this film. Humphrey Bogart waited for his whole career to find a script that would bring him the same excitement that playing Sam Spade brought him. Huston went on to direct great hits like The Treasures of the Sierra Madrid and Prizzi’s Honor. This movie can teach audiences just how much damage a MacGuffin can bring and bring out the monster in. This unconventional Hollywood ending has justice served, but it cost him his personal relationships in the process.
Unfortunately, there was no copy online. But, you can find it on your HBO Max subscription. Here is the trailer for the first film noir to hit the screens and comment what you think:
Oh, For the Love of 1001 Films! 