Sam Spade, a private detective, gets involved in a murderous hunt for a valuable statuette. The release date for this film was October 18, 1941 just a few short weeks before the beginning of World War Two. It was directed by first timer John Houston and adapted from Dashiell Hammeff's novel of 1930. The Maltese Falcon is now known as one of the best classic's of all times.
Private eye Sam Spade [Humphrey Bogart] and his partner Miles Archer [Jerome Cowan] are hired by Bridget O'Shaughnessy [Mary Astor] to follow a man named Floyd Thursby, who supposedly ran off with her younger sister. After accepting the case Spade has a gut feeling that tells him that this women may end up getting him in trouble. Less than 24 hours later Spade is informed by the police that his partner, Miles Archer was killed tailing Thursby. Soon Spade is informed that he is the main suspect in the killing of Thursby who they assume killed Archer.
That following morning Spade is visited by Archer's widow with whom he had been having an affair. She thinks that Spade had killed her husband so that they could spend more time together. He tells her to leave and then informs his sectary to remove any trace of Archer belongings out of the office. Later that same day Spade is visited by a man named Joel Cairo[Peter Lorre] who offers him $5,000 if he could retrieve a figurine of a black bird. And he then is again contacted by O'Shaughnessy, but Spade senses somewhat of a connection between her and Cairo. After Spade drops a hint of his meeting with Cairo, she informs Spade that she must meet with Cairo and asks Spade for his assistance in arranging a meeting.
That following morning Spade is visited by Archer's widow with whom he had been having an affair. She thinks that Spade had killed her husband so that they could spend more time together. He tells her to leave and then informs his sectary to remove any trace of Archer belongings out of the office. Later that same day Spade is visited by a man named Joel Cairo[Peter Lorre] who offers him $5,000 if he could retrieve a figurine of a black bird. And he then is again contacted by O'Shaughnessy, but Spade senses somewhat of a connection between her and Cairo. After Spade drops a hint of his meeting with Cairo, she informs Spade that she must meet with Cairo and asks Spade for his assistance in arranging a meeting.
It seems that Spade's gut instinct is right because Cairo has offered O'Shaughnessy money for the black bird figurine, but O'Shaughnessy insists she does not have it at that moment.The subject of a mysterious man comes up and both Cairo and O'Shaughnessey seemed to be scared by him. After a verbal argument ensues the police show up at Spade's office and inform him that they knew about the affair that he had been having with Archer's wife. After they hear the screaming coming from his apartment the police intervene and take Cairo into custody for some questing.
The next day Spade meets Cairo but notices that some one is following him. He discovers that this man works for the mysterious mister "G" who turns out to be a man named Casper Gutman who tells Spade that he will pay very handsomely for the black bird. He tells Spade that the bird is very valuable and that he has been looking for it for the past seventeen years. Spade then appears to be getting dizzy, but he did not realize that Gutman had drugged him until it was too late.
When Spade awakens he returns to his office and tells his sectary Effie the story about the Maltese Falcon, the black bird. A little while later a person named Captain Jacobe shows up at his office injured. He is carrying a package that drops to the floor as he then dies of the gunshot wounds that he sustained earlier. Inside the package was the figurine falcon. Spade stores the item at the bus station lost luggage. He returns home and finds some guests waiting for him. One of them, Gutman, hands Spade $10,000 cash in exchange for the bird. It is in this final meeting that Spade learns the truth about who was behind some of the murders that had taken place. Spade finally gives the figurine to Gutman for the $10,000 but upon examination it turns out to be a fake.
Afterwords Spade calls the police and informs them of what has taken place and then he finds out who killed his partner and the reason why. He turns her over to the police and the movie ends when Archer's widow shows up again at his office.
Actually this was the third filming of the Maltese Falcon but it is the one that is best remembered and the only one that turned out to be a classic. This film is one of those "rare must see pictures" of all times. Writing about it does not do it justice.
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