The Maltese Falcon

Hard-drinking private eye Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) sleuths the backyard of San Francisco in search of an elusive black bird statuette while evading the setups of three disparate miscreants: the duplicitous Brigid, the perfumed Mr. Cairo, and the scheming Fat Man. John Huston's brilliant directorial debut is aided by first-rate performances, excellent camera work, as well as the director's acute attention to detail while shooting the film. Based on the crime novel by Dashiell Hammett. Academy Award Nominations: 3, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Sydney Greenstreet), and Best Screenplay. Previous versions of the story were filmed in 1931 (a.k.a. DANGEROUS FEMALE) and in 1936 (as SATAN MET A LADY, starring Bette Davis), and poorly redone in 1975 (THE BLACK BIRD).

Cast:

"...The real spark in this suavest of mysteries is provided by its eccentric collection of villains..." -- 5 out of 5 stars -- John Wrathall , (Total Film)

"...Bogart was always in control....The movie is refreshingly cynical..." -- Mark Chalon Smith , (Los Angeles Times)

"...Huston's strategy is crafty....It's all style. It isn't violence or chases, but the way the actors look, move, speak and embody their characters..." -- Roger Ebert , (Chicago Sun-Times)

"...FALCON is the archetypal American detective yarn..." -- Premiere Staff , (Premiere)

"Boldly manipulative light and shadow, utilizing drastic camera angles, and introducing Bogart's Sam Spade, the first-time director's detective classic defines film noir." -- Grade: A -- Jeff Labrecque , (Entertainment Weekly)

4 stars out of 5 -- "[The film] remains enjoyable for its razor-sharp dialogue....A great example of vintage studio alchemy." -- Geoff Andrew , (Uncut)

"There is a spareness of style here that puts many of today's bloated thrillers to shame." -- Matthew Leyland , (Sight and Sound)

5 stars out of 5 -- "This is pure essence of film noir -- essentially starting the genre..." -- Jan Vincent-Rudzki , (Ultimate DVD)

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.47