The Maltese Falcon
1941  NR  DRAMA  1h 41min
CAST— Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Ward Bond, Gladys George, Barton MacLane, Elisha Cook, Jr., Lee Patrick, Jerome Cowan
MUSIC— Adolph Deutsch  DIRECTOR— John Huston  BASED ON— The Maltese Falcon (novel), by Dashiell Hammett

     A classic case of film noir. The world weary P.I.; the mean streets of a fearsome city; corpses piling up by the hour. In this film we meet detective Sam Spade, played with confidence by Humphrey Bogart. Into his office walks a sultry dame who begins to involve him in the case of a missing statue, jewel-encrusted and cast from pure gold. But danger lurks everywhere and those hunting for the statue will stop at nothing to get their grubby little paws on it. The story, acting, and directing are all top notch, though wading through the dialogue may be confusing for first-timers. Lies and deception abound, so multiple viewings may be necessary. Deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry.
OUR RATING— ** ½