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The Maltese Falcon
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The Maltese Falcon (1941) More at IMDbPro »

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The Maltese Falcon (1941) -- Sam Spade, a private detective, gets involved in a murderous hunt for a valuable statuette.

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 8% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Huston
Writers:
Dashiell Hammett (novel)
John Huston (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Maltese Falcon on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 October 1941 (USA) more
Tagline:
It's thrilling . . . it's chilling . . . it's the most baffling mystery story in years ! more
Plot:
A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win more
User Comments:
Top notch mystery that kicked off the film noir genre of the 1940s more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Gent from Frisco (USA) (working title)
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Runtime:
101 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
Australia:G (TV rating) | UK:A (original rating) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | UK:PG (video rating) | Spain:T | Iceland:L | West Germany:16 (nf) | New Zealand:PG | South Korea:12 (2003) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:16 (1945) | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #7457)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Contrary to popular opinion, "It's the stuff that dreams are made of", spoken by Humphrey Bogart, is not the last line in the picture. Immediately after Bogart says that, Ward Bond, playing a detective, says, "Huh?" making that the last line in the picture. more
Goofs:
Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Spade refers to the gun as an automatic, yet he is shown a revolver. The gun shown is a Webley-Fosbery automatic. This was a revolver that used the recoil of the shot to turn the cylinder and re-cock the weapon. It was very well made, but susceptible to dirt and fouling and so, as Spade said, "They don't make 'em anymore". However, it was made in two versions, a six-shot .455 and an eight-shot .38, so it can't actually be an eight-shot .45 as Spade says it is. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Sam Spade: Yes, sweetheart?
Effie Perine: There's a girl wants to see you. Her name's Wonderly.
Sam Spade: A customer?
Effie Perine: I guess so. You'll want to see her anyway. She's a knockout.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Brady Bunch Hour: (#1.5)" (1977) more

FAQ

A NOTE REGARDING SPOILERS
What is a "gunsel"?
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45 out of 59 people found the following comment useful:-
Top notch mystery that kicked off the film noir genre of the 1940s, 1 December 2002
Author: back2wsoc from Chicago, Illinois

"The Maltese Falcon", scripted and directed by Hollywood first-timer John Huston (from Dashiell Hammett's novel), would go on to become an American film classic. Humphrey Bogart chews the scenery in his star-making turn as acid-tongued private eye Sam Spade, whose association with the beautiful and aloof Brigid O'Shaughnessy (Mary Astor), neurotic Joel Cairo (Peter Lorre), and morbidly obese Kasper Gutman (Sydney Greenstreet, in his Oscar-nominated screen debut) over the recovery of the title object, sets in motion a movie experience that is as much crackling as it is dazzling. While much of the action and dialogue is considerably dated by modern standards, the film's essential power to mystify and entrance remains undiminished despite its age. While this was the third adaptation of Hammett's story (the first was made in 1931 and the second was "Satan Met a Lady" (1936)), this is also the best remembered and most praised, due largely in part to Bogart's seemingly effortless portrayal of the tough but softhearted, world-weary hero. Mary Astor and Lee Patrick were, respectively, the definitive femme fatale and girl Friday, and the villianous roles of Cairo, Gutman and Wilmer (Elisha Cook Jr.) were equally remarkable. What may not be wholly obvious is the fact that these three men have homosexual tendencies (as given in the novel), but just look at what's given: Cairo's delicate speech and manner, Wilmer's questionable quick tempered attitude towards Spade (could this be covering up the fact that he finds Spade attractive?) and Gutman's clutching of Spade's arm when Sam arrives at his hotel room. A polished film noir that gave rise to Bogart's mounting popularity. (Sidenote: The character of Sam Spade was originally offered to George Raft, who turned it down. Raft also turned down "Casablanca" (1942), "High Sierra" (1941) and William Wyler's "Dead End" (1937), all of which went to Bogart and helped to boost his star status. Bogart had Raft to thank for his enduring popularity.) A must-see masterpiece. ****

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Widescreen Version? Delpheno
At the risk of offending Bogart Fans, his worst scene in his worst movie rspear61
What kind of cigarette lighter did Spade have in his office? silverr8c
New dialog, deleted scene (I think) vocalistbob
Gun that killed Sam's partner Deusvolt
For any who have read this book byndgrysky
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