Review of The Maltese Falcon (1941) by Danny R — 10 Jul 2010

A true masterpiece and a landmark film, which is considered by many to be the best private-eye drama ever made. John Houston makes a magnificent directorial debut, and he also wrote the brilliant screenplay which is based on Dashiell Hammett novel.

Humphrey Bogart gives a legendary star-making performance as detective Sam Spade who along with his partner Miles Archer, nicely played by Jerome Cowan is hired by a mysterious and duplicitous femme fatale, played by Mary Astor in a striking performance to follow a man named Floyd Thursby, who she claims has runaway with her young sister.

Spade's partner Archer is murdered while on the job shadowing Thursby, Spade is informed of his partner's death, and shortly afterwards Thursby turns up dead, he is also murdered. Spade is now the police's top suspect in the murders, that is when the woman reveals she was lying about her motivations and her identity, her real name is Bridget O' Shaughessy.

Spade pushes through her lies and finds out that she and Thursby were hiding a priceless statute of a falcon, that is encrusted in gold and precious jewels. The situation now get even more complex when Spade and O' Shaughnessy come under pressure from the other party that seeks the falcon, who have murdered and will kill again for it.

a memorable performance by Elisha Cook Jr. as Wilmer Cook a lethal but neurotic gunsel.