Based on the novel written by Dashiell Hammett, there were two film versions of this classic story, one made in 1931 and the other more famous one in 1941. John Huston made his directorial debut in this bulls-eye of a detective tale involving the quest for a golden statue. It starred Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade, Mary Astor as Bridget O’Shaughnessy, Peter Lorre as Joel Cairo and Sydney Greenstreet as ne’er-do-well, Kasper Gutman.
Word for word, and scene for scene, the screenplay, which was written by John Huston, is virtually the same as the original novel. Two “Maltese Falcons” were used for the film because Humphrey Bogart accidentally dropped the original statue during shooting. The original falcon can be seen today at the movie museum at the Warner Brother’s studios, its tail feathers eternally dented from its fall.
George Raft was originally offered the role of private detective, Sam Spade, but he turned it down because he felt it “wasn’t an important picture.” But the stellar cast made it a wonderful production, and skyrocketed Humphrey Bogart to fame after spending ten years in grade B, dead-end pictures. Mary Astor was not the first choice to play Bridget O’Shaughnessy either. The role was first offered to 27-year-old Geraldine Fitzgerald, but she turned it down because the filming schedule interfered with other plans. Olivia deHavilland, Ingrid Bergman and Rita Hayworth were also considered for the part.
Sydney Greenstreet is marvelous as the sinister Kasper Gutman in this his very first film role. He was so large, however, (over 300 pounds) that he created problems for the production crew. The studio had to especially manufacture his entire wardrobe just for this part.
This film is a must see for all lovers of the film noir genre.
What are some of YOUR favorite moments from this classic film?