The Maltese Falcon
Also known as Maltese Falcon
1941 film by John Huston
AI overview
"The Maltese Falcon" is a 1941 film directed by John Huston that follows a detective investigating a valuable statuette sought by criminals and rivals. It is considered a landmark work that helped define the film noir genre and remains influential in cinema history.
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Film · TMDB
7.7A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a beautiful liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.
Released: 1941-10-18100 minDir: John HustonMystery, Crime, ThrillerBudget: $375,000Box office: $1.8M
▶ Watch trailerStream on: TCM
Cast
- Humphrey Bogart as Samuel Spade
- Mary Astor as Brigid O'Shaughnessy
- Gladys George as Iva Archer
- Peter Lorre as Joel Cairo
- Barton MacLane as Lt. of Detectives Dundy
- Lee Patrick as Effie Perine
Themes
- based on novel or book
Article
The Maltese Falcon is a 1941 American film noir written and directed by John Huston, marking Huston's directorial debut. It is the second film adaptation of the Dashiell Hammett’s 1930 novel, following the 1931 version directed by Roy Del Ruth.
The film stars Humphrey Bogart as the hard-boiled private detective Sam Spade, in a role that would cement his status as a Hollywood icon, alongside Mary Astor as the enigmatic and manipulative femme fatale Brigid O'Shaughnessy. Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet portray the memorable villains whose shifting alliances and hidden motives drive much of the story’s tension. Set in San Francisco, the plot revolves around the pursuit of a priceless, jewel-encrusted falcon statuette, with each character willing to resort to deceit, betrayal, and even murder to claim it.