The Maltese Falcon

Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor star in this 1941 film that some consider the best detective drama ever, as well as the first true film noir. Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Elisha Cook Jr. are featured as the criminals who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a priceless, jewel encrusted statuette. John Huston directed and wrote the screenplay based on the Dashiell Hammett story. 101m. CC.

Director Huston's version is a very faithful adaptation of Hammeth's 1929 story, and is extremely well written and photographed. The DVD comes with two earlier adaptations that are virtually unwatchable today. Credit must go to Huston and the unforgettable cast he assembled.

Humphrey Bogart became a star with this film and his portrayal of Sam Spade established his screen persona. Mary Astor was at the top of her form in 1941. She garnered no awards for her portrayal of the femme fatale, but her performance was as spectacular as her Best Supporting Actress performance that year in The Great Lie with Bette Davis.

Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Elisha Cook Jr. made up one of the quirkiest, most unforgettable trio of villains in film history. Greenstreet, in his screen debut, excelled as the Fat Man, Casper Guttman. Who can ever forget his voice or mannerisms? Equally unforgetablel was Peter Lorre's portrayal of the obviously effeminate shady character, Joel Cairo. Finally, Elisha Cook Jr. establishes his own screen persona as the perennial "fall guy", playing a young gunman who is repeatedly slapped around by Bogart.

Eddie Muller, host of Turner Classic Movies' Noir Alley has a fine intro to this film, the first he ever presented on Noir Alley. ###

  

Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet