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The Maltese Falcon (1941) - Trailer Included
The Maltese Falcon
Writer/Director: John Huston
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Gladys George, Ward Bond, Barton Maclane
As part of this years Sydney Film Festival there is retrospective screenings of some of scoundrel John Hustons selected works, one of them is this influential cut of cinema history.
"The directing of a picture involves coming out of your individual loneliness and taking a controlling part in putting together a small world. A picture is made. You put a frame around it and move on. And one day you die. That is all there is to it." – Director John Huston
Hard living Writer/Actor/Director John Huston helmed 47 pictures over the course of his career, many considered classics. His Directorial debut was the benchmark film, The Maltese Falcon which also served to break Humphrey Bogart into movie stardom.
“I don't mind a reasonable amount of trouble.” – Sam Spade
It was the third silver screen adaptation of Dashiel Hammett’s novel featuring hard boiled detective Sam Spade. Loyally penning the script close to verbatim Huston constructed a film noir mystery that has been imitated and recycled ever since.
World weary Private dick Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) has seen the ugly side of life and accepted it. Sardonic and amoral, armed with a razor wit he provokes thugs, taunts cops and manipulates woman.
“I hope you're not letting yourself be influenced by the guns these pocket edition desperados are waving around, because I've practiced taking guns from these boys before so we'll have no trouble there.” – Sam Spade
Into the office walks damsel in distress Brigid O'Shaughnessy (Mary Astor) who hires the PI and his partner to follow an alleged kidnapper who is holding her sister for ransom.
Always the cynic, Sam doesn’t believe her story but takes the cash and puts his partner on the case. Nothing is as it seems and shortly Spade is smothered in murderous riddles, greed and conspiracy, tracking down a priceless treasure while evading hitmen and police.
“When a man's partner is killed, he's supposed to do something about it. It doesn't make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you're supposed to do something about it. And it happens we're in the detective business. Well, when one of your organization gets killed, it's-it's bad business to let the killer get away with it, bad all around, bad for every detective everywhere.” – Sam Spade
John Doe says:
Directed with an intimate comprehension of technique to rival Orson Welles, John Huston’s The Maltese Falcon is timeless. Bogey’s barbed jabs bring a smile, the story moves swiftly seldom giving time to ponder because of each successive scenes rewards.
The use of light and shadow a culmination of Fritz Lang style German expressionism and American sensibilities, smoke filled rooms, bleak and dangerous the back alleys are sinister and players are exposed in darkness.
It is clear that storyboarding first was the secret to this masterfully rendered visual retelling. The camera set ups are imaginative, often letting foreground and background simultaneously communicate or entertain.
The twisting plot and ambiguous characters filled with gritty, loaded dialogue are a film noir constant. The screenplay has been criticized for its contradictions and missing pieces of the puzzle. However now that most of the narrative devices have become stereotype, it is easy to fill in the blanks and enjoy the intelligent banter and deliberate exposition.
Tough Guy Icon Humphrey Bogart (The Dark Passage, The Big Sleep, Battle Circus, Treasure of Sierra Madre, Key Largo) had been struggling with achieving the Hollywood Dream. Appearing in numerous pictures he had become George Raft’s fill in for casting agents. His portrayal defined the onscreen detective, like a ragged dog, to smart for its own good and beaten once to many times he consistently laconic demeanour abrasive to those that enter his suspicious epicentre.
Commanding equal respect is the supporting cast members who don’t let the droopy eyed, slack jawed lead steal the picture.
Peter Lorre (M, Beast with 5 Fingers, Arsenic and Old Lace, Passage to Marseilles, Casablanca) as the slimy, duplicitous Johnny Cairo is a treat. Mary Astor’s (Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte, Little Women, Meet Me In St Louis) alluring predatory submission attracts the eye. Sydney Greenstreet as The Fatman keeps you off balance with his grand presence.
This was the first of five films that saw John Huston collaborate with Bogey. (Treasure of Sierra Madre, African Queen, Beat The Devil and Key Largo) John Doe personally ranks Treasure of Sierra Madre as the film to see from their pairings but Maltese Falcon no less warrants a festival screening. See it.
The DVD
Transfer: 1:33:1 Full Screen/Dolby Digital 2.0
Extras: New digital transfer of 1941 movie from restored elements, Commentary by Bogart biographer Eric Lax, Warner Night at the Movies 1941 Short Subjects Gallery: vintage newsreel, Technicolor musical short The Gay Parisian, classic cartoons Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt and Meet John Doughboy. 2 Previous Movie Versions of the classic Hammett caper:
The Maltese Falcon (1931) with Bebe Daniels and Recardo Cortez Satan Met a Lady (1936) with Bette Davis and Warren William, Theatrical Trailers.
New Documentary "The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird", The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart, Breakdowns of 1941: Studio Blooper Reel, Audio-only bonus: 3 radio show adaptations including a version starring Edward G. Robinson.
See the trailer by clicking below
U.S 3 DVD Special Edition
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Gladys George, Ward Bond, Barton Maclane
As part of this years Sydney Film Festival there is retrospective screenings of some of scoundrel John Hustons selected works, one of them is this influential cut of cinema history.
"The directing of a picture involves coming out of your individual loneliness and taking a controlling part in putting together a small world. A picture is made. You put a frame around it and move on. And one day you die. That is all there is to it." – Director John Huston
Hard living Writer/Actor/Director John Huston helmed 47 pictures over the course of his career, many considered classics. His Directorial debut was the benchmark film, The Maltese Falcon which also served to break Humphrey Bogart into movie stardom.
“I don't mind a reasonable amount of trouble.” – Sam Spade
It was the third silver screen adaptation of Dashiel Hammett’s novel featuring hard boiled detective Sam Spade. Loyally penning the script close to verbatim Huston constructed a film noir mystery that has been imitated and recycled ever since.
World weary Private dick Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) has seen the ugly side of life and accepted it. Sardonic and amoral, armed with a razor wit he provokes thugs, taunts cops and manipulates woman.
“I hope you're not letting yourself be influenced by the guns these pocket edition desperados are waving around, because I've practiced taking guns from these boys before so we'll have no trouble there.” – Sam Spade
Into the office walks damsel in distress Brigid O'Shaughnessy (Mary Astor) who hires the PI and his partner to follow an alleged kidnapper who is holding her sister for ransom.
Always the cynic, Sam doesn’t believe her story but takes the cash and puts his partner on the case. Nothing is as it seems and shortly Spade is smothered in murderous riddles, greed and conspiracy, tracking down a priceless treasure while evading hitmen and police.
“When a man's partner is killed, he's supposed to do something about it. It doesn't make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you're supposed to do something about it. And it happens we're in the detective business. Well, when one of your organization gets killed, it's-it's bad business to let the killer get away with it, bad all around, bad for every detective everywhere.” – Sam Spade
Point that gun somehwhere else. Im not going to listen to your carazy ideas about smoking in public places.
John Doe says:
Directed with an intimate comprehension of technique to rival Orson Welles, John Huston’s The Maltese Falcon is timeless. Bogey’s barbed jabs bring a smile, the story moves swiftly seldom giving time to ponder because of each successive scenes rewards.
The use of light and shadow a culmination of Fritz Lang style German expressionism and American sensibilities, smoke filled rooms, bleak and dangerous the back alleys are sinister and players are exposed in darkness.
It is clear that storyboarding first was the secret to this masterfully rendered visual retelling. The camera set ups are imaginative, often letting foreground and background simultaneously communicate or entertain.
The twisting plot and ambiguous characters filled with gritty, loaded dialogue are a film noir constant. The screenplay has been criticized for its contradictions and missing pieces of the puzzle. However now that most of the narrative devices have become stereotype, it is easy to fill in the blanks and enjoy the intelligent banter and deliberate exposition.
Tough Guy Icon Humphrey Bogart (The Dark Passage, The Big Sleep, Battle Circus, Treasure of Sierra Madre, Key Largo) had been struggling with achieving the Hollywood Dream. Appearing in numerous pictures he had become George Raft’s fill in for casting agents. His portrayal defined the onscreen detective, like a ragged dog, to smart for its own good and beaten once to many times he consistently laconic demeanour abrasive to those that enter his suspicious epicentre.
Commanding equal respect is the supporting cast members who don’t let the droopy eyed, slack jawed lead steal the picture.
Peter Lorre (M, Beast with 5 Fingers, Arsenic and Old Lace, Passage to Marseilles, Casablanca) as the slimy, duplicitous Johnny Cairo is a treat. Mary Astor’s (Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte, Little Women, Meet Me In St Louis) alluring predatory submission attracts the eye. Sydney Greenstreet as The Fatman keeps you off balance with his grand presence.
This was the first of five films that saw John Huston collaborate with Bogey. (Treasure of Sierra Madre, African Queen, Beat The Devil and Key Largo) John Doe personally ranks Treasure of Sierra Madre as the film to see from their pairings but Maltese Falcon no less warrants a festival screening. See it.
The DVD
Transfer: 1:33:1 Full Screen/Dolby Digital 2.0
Extras: New digital transfer of 1941 movie from restored elements, Commentary by Bogart biographer Eric Lax, Warner Night at the Movies 1941 Short Subjects Gallery: vintage newsreel, Technicolor musical short The Gay Parisian, classic cartoons Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt and Meet John Doughboy. 2 Previous Movie Versions of the classic Hammett caper:
The Maltese Falcon (1931) with Bebe Daniels and Recardo Cortez Satan Met a Lady (1936) with Bette Davis and Warren William, Theatrical Trailers.
New Documentary "The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird", The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart, Breakdowns of 1941: Studio Blooper Reel, Audio-only bonus: 3 radio show adaptations including a version starring Edward G. Robinson.
See the trailer by clicking below
I absolutely love this flick.
Then again Bogey was the best of the old tough guys.
He still makes the Rock and Arnie look like wimps.
Horrorphile
Nice review JD.
Film & TV on DVD
Bogey did have attitude to burn, his presence certainly wouldn't feel threatened by Arnie or Sly.
It's his intelligence that came through to lift him above the competition.
Hi Bryn,
Peter Lorre is so good in this film, makes me smile whenever he is onscreen...so untrustworthy.
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
I love the sense of etiquette they had then... the criminals seem so damn polite...
Fun Facts
Horrorphile
Film & TV on DVD
Hi Cib,
The etiquette serves to make the abrasive quips more pronounced, adding to the coolness of Sam Spade...sucker for the fluid repartee.
Hi MelissaA,
My first Bogey film was The Big Sleep and i was hooked from with his delivery ever since. He played variations on the same role it interesting watching the petrified Forest and his earlier roles to see the persona develop.
Film & TV on DVD
Horrorphile
The Florida Keys and Everglades
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Debate Fan
L.A.M.P.
"Reeek! Reeek!! Help me Reek!"
Dead on again, JD-I was thinking to myself how much I especially loved the Huston-Bogart pairing in "Treasure of Sierra Madre"--when you said it yourself!
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
L.A.M.P.
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc