cinemajesty Movie Review: "The Maltese Falcon" (1941)Director John Huston (1906-1987), just 34 years old, adapts the classic "hard-boiled" mystery-novel by author Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) on his own to present a shooting draft to Warner Bros. in the "Golden Hollywood" season of 1940/1941, when over-seas WW2 rages, which gets nevertheless put on the fast-track at Hollywood's major studio with a breakthrough role for leading man Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957) as legendary private-eye character Sam Spade, losing his detective partner in the opening sequence before he stands alone in ultra-atmospheric San Francisco office space to unfold a film-noir of excellence in twisted story-telling machinery, not without having high-end entertainment factors along the way due to splendid supporting cast Mary Astor (1906-1987) as the uneasy, demanding feminine, Peter Lorre (1904-1964) as Joel Cairo entering Spade's office in taking-charges moods of pride and show-stealing actor Sydney Greenstreet (1879-1954) to hold-your-breath showdowns in a tiny hotel-room-suit all surrounding the believed to be priceless title-given world-traveling statuette, before Bogart, Greenstreet and Lorre play together again in Michael Curtiz directed "Casablanca" the year after. "The Maltese Falcon" directed by set-ruling John Huston and shot to striking angles, shades and layers by black-and-white master cinematographer Arthur Edeson (1891-1970); together with the cast they deliver fabulous character signatures, Bogart becoming the star-actor from there on to his death, a plot twisting suspense with slides of easing-cool humor that even the dusty décor can not bring the picture down after 75 years out to be witnessed by any generation because its terrific and furthermore arguably "The Best Film-Noir in Motion Picture History".© 2018 Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC

MissSimonetta John Huston's adaptation of The Maltese is one of the earliest and best films noir. It may not have the prominent chiaroscuro or stylistic flourishes of later noir movies, but it is a gripping story told well, almost perfectly cast (I still cannot decide how I feel about Mary Astor's matronly though calculating femme fatale). The camera is almost always set at a subtle low angle, making the scenes take on a menacing feel, as though anything could happen and no one is to be trusted. Bogart is perfect in one of the two roles that made him an enduring Hollywood demigod, the patron saint of cinematic masculine toughness.Despite the 1940s setting, TMF's themes of greed and human failing remain relevant. Except for the most superficial details, I would say the film has hardly dated at all and remains the definitive cinematic telling of the classic detective novel.

alexdeleonfilm image1.jpeg A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous (?) liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette. Caught on Late night Hungarian TV, February 2017. The Maltese Falcon, 1941, was the directing debut of John Huston and the career breakthrough role of Humphrey Bogart, then Himself 41. Until then Bogey had played a string of notorious criminals and unsavory bad guys in gangster pix and always got killed at the end. In Falcon he comes into his own as a the cynical cool cucumber on the right side of the law, or almost, that we we will remember him as forever after. This particular film has some remarkable moments, some fine B/w photography, and some terrific characters; Besides Bogey, Peter Lorre, Sidney Greenstreet (if anything, even cooler than Bogart) and the best mousy punk ever, Elisha Cook. Jr. but it is basically a B detective story that has been enormously overrated and praised to high heaven by reverse intello-critics who have even convinced a legion of critical camp followers that this is "one of the greatest movies of all time".First of all, it is not the first "film noir" as some apologists have claimed nor is it by any stretch of the imagination the greatest movie of all time. It is not even a film noir by the usual standards of that genre nor is it a great script as others have claimed, It's a very muddled script that is carried along by some fabulous characters and whose numerous potholes are slicked over by some very smooth dialogue. The main figures are very well drawn but the story about a chase after a valuable stuffed bird is more of a red herring than a black bird of prey. The major weak point of the picture, however, is the insipidness of the anti-heroine played by unsexy plain looking actress Mary Astor for whom hard boiled detective Sam Spade (Bogart ) is supposed to have the hots throughout and even slips her a few half hearted kisses at times, but then realizing she is an unscrupulous murderess has to turn her into the cops who have been bugging him all along. (Ward Bond was one of them).For all its weaknesses and credibility gaps just watching Bogart evolve in this picture from a crass villain to a leading superstar in one easy lesson, and especially the finely crafted scenes between himself and Bulky silky middle aged actor Sidney Greenstreet (who should have gotten co-star billing) elevate this ordinary programmer to the realm of high entertainment. But let us not get carried away -- high entertainment is not the same as High Art. This is not the Greatest Story Ever Told on screen... Casablance, which followed the next year, again with Bogart, Lorre and Greenstreet, but a different director and this time with a most attractive leading lady -- an actress by the name of Ingrid Bergman -- was a much better movie, and definitely in the realm of cinema art even though it too was originally intended to be mass entertainment. There comes a point where the distinction between extraordinary craftsmanship and artistry melts away. Director Michael Curtiz was such a perfect craftsman that that he became an artist without even trying. John Huston was a very good craftsman, but the craftsmanship always showed. Aside from everything else what makes Maltese Falcon is the personalities of the main players. I didn't think it was an exceptionally good movie when I saw it as an uncritical kid eons ago. Decades later as a critical adult my original impression hasn't changed much. Two stars for the story. Four stars for the actors. Six Stars total -- and that's being kind of generous..

Takethispunch In San Francisco in 1941, private investigators Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) and Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan) meet prospective client Ruth Wonderly (Mary Astor). She claims to be looking for her missing sister, who is involved with a man named Floyd Thursby, whom she is to meet. After receiving a substantial retainer, Archer agrees to follow her that night and help get her sister back.That night, Spade is awakened by a phone call from the police and is informed that Archer has been killed. He meets his friend, Police Detective Tom Polhaus (Ward Bond), at the murder scene and they determine how Miles has been murdered. He tells Polhaus he doesn't need or want to see anything else, and abruptly leaves. He tries calling Wonderly at her hotel, but she has checked out. Back at his apartment, he is grilled by Polhaus and Lieutenant Dundy (Barton MacLane), who inform him that Thursby was also murdered the same evening. Dundy suggests that Spade had the opportunity and motive to kill Thursby, who likely killed Archer, immediately after he learned of Archer's death. Archer's widow Iva (Gladys George) believes that Spade shot his partner so he could have her.