The Maltese Falcon1941
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Suspenseful, labyrinthine, and brilliantly cast, The Maltese Falcon is one of the most influential noirs -- as well as a showcase for Humphrey Bogart at his finest.
The Maltese Falcon Photos
Movie Info
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Cast
as Sam Spade
as Brigid O'Shaughnessy
as Joel Cairo
as Kasper Gutman
as Iva Archer
as Det. Lt. Dundy
as Effie Perine
as Det. Tom Polhaus
as Miles Archer
as Capt. Jacobi
as Luke
as Frank Richman
as Bryan
as Mate of the La Paloma
as Stenographer
as Wilmer Cook
as Reporter
as Reporter
as Reporter
as Announcer
as Policeman
Critic Reviews for The Maltese Falcon
All Critics (52) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (52) | Rotten (0) | DVD (11)
On a number of accounts it is distinguished celluloid entertainment, but it is of great interest to the trade because it reveals, in startling terms, the unheralded talent of topflight scenarist, John Huston.
The Maltese Falcon is the first crime melodrama with finish, speed and bang to come along in what seems ages.
Frighteningly good evidence that the British (Alfred Hitchcock, Carol Reed, et al.) have no monopoly on the technique of making mystery films.
The Maltese Falcon is among the most important and influential movies to emerge from the Hollywood system -- as significant in some ways as its contemporary, Citizen Kane.
This is one of the best examples of actionful and suspenseful melodramatic story telling in cinematic form.
Who can argue with Bogart's glower or Mary Astor in her ratty fur?
Audience Reviews for The Maltese Falcon
beneath the slick, fast talking and hard-boiled mystery story, and behind the many shady and diverse characters, is an interestingly told dilemma for our protagonist that's as modern today as it always has been, namely: how to stay true to myself, keep my own moral code, in this morass of selfishness that is life in society. by the end of the story we see the self assured star actually has been covering up a torment of conflicting emotion, and is as human as the rest of us. Director/writer john Huston surely turns in a exemplary work of drama, lust, greed, corruption, backstabbing, and all the usual standbys of life on planet earth, with a sure hand and eye.
Super Reviewer
Bogart is perfect as an arrogant detective who tries (along with us) to make heads and tails of an extremely intricate and dizzy affair, and the best thing is that it has an incredibly well-constructed plot in which all of the pieces fit in the end leaving no loose ends.
Super Reviewer
The Maltese Falcon is highlighted by a character study of contrasting personality types. People wrestle with greed, deception, and loyalty. Humphrey Bogart is conflicted by darker desires. He's more of an antihero as the lead. Cynical and hard-hearted - he doesn't seem overly troubled by his partner's death, removing his fellow associate's name on the business door while the body is still warm. Nevertheless Bogart exemplifies cool collected style as the self-assured gumshoe. Mary Astor is captivating as the requisite femme fatale. She initially appears fragile, but looks can be deceiving. Then there's a colorful trio of shady individuals. 61 year old stage actor Sidney Greenstreet surprisingly making his feature debut here as "The Fat Man". He was Oscar nominated for his supporting role. Yet Peter Lorre is just as iconic as the effete Joel Cairo. Joel is no match for Spade. "When you're slapped, you'll take it and like it," Spade rebukes him. Elisha Cook, Jr. is the lightest heavy of the three. He provides some much appreciated comedic relief. At times, the set-bound action almost resembles a play. The movie is talky to say the least. Scenes are inundated with words, overstuffed even. But oh what dialogue! John Huston's Oscar nominated screenplay is so meticulously composed, you'll marvel at its construction. It demands repeat viewings to take it all in, but it only gets better with age. fastfilmreviews.com
Super Reviewer
The Maltese Falcon Quotes
| Sam Spade: | When I slap you, you'll take it and like it. |
| Sam Spade: | [To Brigid] You're not gonna go around the room straightening things and poking the fire again, are you? |
| Sam Spade: | You're not gonna go around the room straightening things and poking the fire again, are you? |
| Sam Spade: | Put the pot on, will you angel. I don't like to leave our guests. |
| Sam Spade: | When a man's partner is killed, he's supposed to do something about it. It doesn't make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you're supposed to do something about it. And it happens we're in the detective business. Well, when one of your organization gets killed, it's-it's bad business to let the killer get away with it, bad all around, bad for every detective everywhere. |