The Maltese Falcon
3 Oscar Nominations·AFI #31·National Film Registry
Rent/Purchase
A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a beautiful liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.
What critics thought
Huston's directorial debut was recognized immediately as a masterwork of the genre — critics from its 1941 release onward singled out his hard, precise style and his ability to make characters so ruthlessly greedy they tip into dark comedy. Bogart's Sam Spade redefined what a screen detective could be, and the film's construction is so assured that decades of repeat viewings haven't dulled its surprises.
“John Huston's direction of his own screenplay is as brilliant as any of the jewels which are alleged to encrust the falcon whose possession is the crux of the story”
The Film Daily
“Huston used Hammett's plot design and economic dialogue in a hard, precise directorial style that brings out the full viciousness of characters so ruthless and greedy that they become comic”
Pauline Kael·5001 Nights at the Movies
“The first movie he directed, The Maltese Falcon, is the best private-eye melodrama ever made”
James Agee·Life
Genres
Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Cast & Crew
DirectorJohn Huston
StarringHumphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane
ComposerAdolph Deutsch
The Maltese Falcon
3 Oscar Nominations·AFI #31·National Film Registry
A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a beautiful liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.
What critics thought
Huston's directorial debut was recognized immediately as a masterwork of the genre — critics from its 1941 release onward singled out his hard, precise style and his ability to make characters so ruthlessly greedy they tip into dark comedy. Bogart's Sam Spade redefined what a screen detective could be, and the film's construction is so assured that decades of repeat viewings haven't dulled its surprises.
“John Huston's direction of his own screenplay is as brilliant as any of the jewels which are alleged to encrust the falcon whose possession is the crux of the story”
The Film Daily
“Huston used Hammett's plot design and economic dialogue in a hard, precise directorial style that brings out the full viciousness of characters so ruthless and greedy that they become comic”
Pauline Kael·5001 Nights at the Movies
“The first movie he directed, The Maltese Falcon, is the best private-eye melodrama ever made”
James Agee·Life
Genres
Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Cast & Crew
DirectorJohn Huston
StarringHumphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane
ComposerAdolph Deutsch
Rent/Purchase