THE MALTESE FALCON -- John Huston, dir

©1941
studio: Warner Home Video
production company: First National Pictures Inc., Warner Bros. Pictures
director: John Huston
cast: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane, Lee Patrick, Sydney Greenstreet, Ward Bond, Jerome Cowan, Elisha Cook, Jr.
screenplay: John Huston from a novel by Dashiell Hammett


Sam Spade, a private detective, gets involved in a murderous hunt for a valuable statuette.

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There are reasons that something which is considered to be a classic, is such. The direction, acting, plot, all bring the story to life. It is difficult to find one aspect that makes it successful.

Bogart is really quite wonderful as Sam Spade. We never quite know where Spade is coming from, and when he is on the up-and-up, though we hope that he's honest, we just don't know. This really adds the right spice to the character.

I was quite surprised to learn later that this was Huston's first film.

If you haven't taken the time to watch this film, you should. If you have, but haven't seen it in awhile, you should make the time to watch it again.