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

Photos (see all 61 | slideshow) Videos (see all 3)
The Maltese Falcon (1941) -- Sam Spade, a private detective, gets involved in a murderous hunt for a valuable statuette.
The Maltese Falcon (1941) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 49% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
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
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win more
User Reviews:
One of the Most Entertaining Films of Its Kind more (227 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Gent from Frisco (USA) (working title)
more
Runtime:
101 min
Country:
Language:
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) | Brazil:12 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:16 (1945) | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #7457)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
John Huston planned every part of the film down to the very last detail, storyboarding all of it. His notes on the script were so efficient that not one line of dialog was changed in the final edit. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: The opening crawl begins, "In 1539, the Knight Templars[sic] of Malta, paid tribute to Charles V of Spain, by sending him a Golden Falcon..." This confuses two different religious orders of knights, both founded in Jerusalem. The Knights Hospitallers of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, known as the Order of St. John for short, have existed since 1048; they were in fact based in Malta from 1530 to 1798 and hence were also called the Knights of Malta. On the other hand, the Knights of the Temple of Solomon, also called the Knights Templar or just Templars, were founded in 1119 and became the sworn enemies of the first order; this latter group was disbanded by 1312, after King Philip IV of France had declared them heretics so that he could confiscate their wealth. 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.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Shock to the System (2006) more

FAQ

A NOTE REGARDING SPOILERS
What is a "gunsel"?
more
27 out of 33 people found the following review useful.
One of the Most Entertaining Films of Its Kind, 21 September 2001
Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio

With a fine combination of cast, characters, story, and atmosphere, this classic is one of the most entertaining films of its kind, enjoyable even after several viewings. It gets you right into the action and introduces you to a list of interesting personalities, who mesh together nicely and who are also matched well with the cast members. Beyond that, it's also effective as a character study involving greed, trust and distrust, and conflicting ethics.

Sam Spade is an ideal role for Bogart, giving him plenty to work with and some very good dialogue as well. Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet are very entertaining, providing suitable foils for Bogart, and they really take the film up a notch. The rest of the cast also works well (worth mentioning is Elisha Cook, Jr., whose character doesn't do a lot, but who provides Bogart with some very amusing moments at his expense). The story is nicely adapted from the novel, and each scene is constructed well, with everything moving along nicely from start to finish.

If you are a fan of either film noir or mysteries, make this a must-see. There are very few films that work as well as "The Maltese Falcon".

Was the above review useful to you?
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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
Mary Astor - worst casting ever? jackmronner
Where's the seven minute take? MJB784
Why So Few Topics On This Movie evilbastard9
Gladys George jtcbrt
People sure do talk fast in this movie! Justin C
Thirsby sherlock-37
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