The Maltese Falcon is a 1941 crime thriller about a private detective, a priceless statuette, and everyone willing to lie to get it. Directed and written by John Huston, it stars Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade, a hard-boiled investigator in San Francisco. Mary Astor plays Brigid O’Shaughnessy, the woman who hires him to find her missing sister. Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet appear as Joel Cairo and Kasper Gutman, the men chasing the same statuette.
The film runs 100 minutes. It is the third version of Dashiell Hammett’s 1930 novel, after a 1931 film directed by Roy Del Ruth and a 1936 remake called Satan Met a Lady. This version holds up as one of the great American movies of its era.
Trailer, via Warner Bros. Rewind.
Spade Takes the Case
Spade and his partner Miles Archer meet Ruth Wonderly, who says her sister ran away from New York with a man named Floyd Thursby. She wants the pair to bring her sister back. That night, the police tell Spade that Archer has been killed. Spade calls Wonderly at her hotel and finds she has checked out. He returns to his apartment, where detective Tom Polhaus and Lieutenant Dundy grill him. They say Thursby was killed the same evening, and Dundy suggests Spade had both the chance and the motive to do it. He also suggests that Thursby likely killed Archer.
Later, Spade meets Wonderly again. She has changed her name to Brigid O’Shaughnessy and admits her story was false. She asks Spade to look into the murders, and she reveals that Thursby was her partner. She thinks he took advantage of her and killed Archer, but she says she does not know who killed Thursby. At his office, Spade meets Joel Cairo, who offers him $5,000 to find a “black figure of a bird.” When Spade doubts him, Cairo pulls a gun and says he will search the room. Spade knocks Cairo out and searches his things. When Cairo wakes up, he points his gun again and says he will search the room, to Spade’s amusement.
The Falcon Statuette
The statuette is the object of desire in the film. Everyone in the story wants it, and everyone lies to get it. Spade, Brigid, Cairo and Gutman all have reasons to believe the statuette belongs to them. Its existence drives the plot forward.
The chase for the statuette forces Spade to deal with people he does not trust. Brigid is the most dangerous of them. She is nervous when Cairo’s name comes up, and she knows more than she lets on. Spade arranges a meeting between the two at his apartment, where Cairo becomes agitated when Brigid says Gutman, the “Fat Man,” is in San Francisco. Spade visits Cairo’s hotel the next morning and spots Wilmer Cook, the young man who followed him earlier.
Bogart’s Performance
Bogart plays Spade with a hard edge. He is a private detective who does not explain himself to anyone. He knocks Cairo out without hesitation. His performance set the standard for detectives in film noir for decades. The role was not his first choice. It was originally offered to George Raft, who turned it down because he did not want to work with an inexperienced director and had a clause against remakes in his contract.
Huston was glad Bogart accepted the part. The film helped set the stage for their lifelong friendship and future work together. Bogart’s reading of Spade became the model for the private detective in the genre. Other actors, including Ingrid Bergman, studied it while preparing for their own roles.
Casting Choices
The film’s cast includes actors who were considered for the parts they did not get. Ingrid Bergman, Joan Bennett, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Paulette Goddard, Rosalind Russell, Ginger Rogers, Janet Gaynor, Olivia de Havilland and Loretta Young were all considered for Brigid. Fitzgerald was offered the part and turned it down. Eve Arden was considered for Effie Perine, and Lee Patrick was first considered for Iva Archer before getting the part of Effie instead.
Huston had trouble casting Kasper Gutman. He tested Sydney Greenstreet on the suggestion of producer Hal Wallis. Greenstreet was 61 years old and weighed between 280 and 350 pounds. He had never appeared on film before. He impressed Huston with his size, his laugh, his eyes and his speaking manner.
The San Francisco Setting
The film takes place in San Francisco. The streets, the rooms and the offices are all part of the story. The fog, the streets, the hotels all add to the mood of the film. The setting helps sell the idea that everyone is hiding something.
The Falcon’s History
The film never explains the full history of the statuette, but it does not need to. The mystery is part of what makes it worth chasing.
The Falcon’s Ending
The film’s ending leaves the question of trust hanging between Spade and Brigid. Neither of them knows what the other is hiding. The statuette remains the prize at the center of the chase.
The film premiered in New York City on October 3, 1941. It was an immediate commercial and critical success. It remains widely considered a landmark of the film noir genre, and it is one of the greatest and most influential films of all time. It is frequently cited for its contributions to storytelling, character archetypes and visual style in film noir. In 1989, the film was among the first 25 films selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry, recognized as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
| Role | Actor | Original Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Sam Spade | Humphrey Bogart | Offered to George Raft |
| Brigid O’Shaughnessy | Mary Astor | Considered by Ingrid Bergman, Geraldine Fitzgerald |
| Joel Cairo | Peter Lorre | — |
| Kasper Gutman | Sydney Greenstreet | Tested on Hal Wallis’ suggestion |
The Maltese Falcon is a tight, mean picture. It does not waste a minute. Every scene builds toward the next. The performances are strong across the board, but Bogart carries the film. He makes Spade feel real, not just a type. The film is a perfect example of the genre, and it deserves its reputation.
The film’s influence can be seen in countless later movies. Its characters, its settings, its tone all became part of the language of American cinema. It is a film that stands the test of time.
The Maltese Falcon is a masterpiece of the genre. It is a film that understands the rules of the game and plays them with skill. It is a film that is worth watching again and again.
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