The Maltese Falcon
Crime, Mystery
Warner Bros.  (1941) 100 mins NR

8.4 (41,486 votes) Top 250: #70
A gallery of high-living lowflies will stop at nothing to get their sweaty hands on a jewel-encrusted falcon. Detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) wants to find out why - and who;ll take the fall. This third screen version of Dashiell Hammett's novel is a film of firsts: John Huston's directorial debut, rotund Sydney Greenstreet's screen debut, film history's first film noir and Bogart's break through role after years as a Warner contract player.
An all-star cast (including Greenstreet, Mary Astor, Pete Lorre and Elisha Cook Jr.) join Bogart in this crisply written sizzler that placed in the top quarter of the American Film Institute's 100 Greatest American Films list. Many say it's the best detective drama ever. Each time you see it, you'll find it hard to disagree.
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Cast and Crew
Mary Astor  ......  Brigid O'Shaughnessy
Humphrey Bogart  ......  Sam Spade
Peter Lorre  ......  Joel Cairo
Sydney Greenstreet  ......  Kasper Gutman
Gladys George  ......  Iva Archer
Barton MacLane  ......  Det. Lt. Dundy
Director  .....  John Huston
Producer  .....  Henry Blanke; Hal B. Wallis
Writer  .....  John Huston; Dashiell Hammett
Notes
Goofs:
Continuity: When searching for the body, Sam's handkerchief is ruffled only while he is in the room, not before or after. (more)

Trivia:
Filming was completed in two months at a cost of less than $300,000. (more)

Filming Locations:
Bush Street, San Francisco, California, USA (more)

Quotes:
Sam Spade: Haven't you anything better to do than to keep popping in here early every morning and asking a lot of fool questions?
Lt. Dundy: And gettin' a lot of lyin' answers!
Sam Spade: Take it easy.
(more)

Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win (more)