Maltese Falcon

Pros: Cast,directing, gripping plot
Cons: Very little...

I don't know if the term film noir had been invented before The Maltese Falcon was released in 1941, but if it hadn't, it would have been necessary to create it just for this film. (If you don't know what film noir means, watch this film ...

Pros: Bogart, Greenstreet, and cast; Huston's writing and direction
Cons: Not a one

During a ten year period, Hollywood made the detective picture "The Maltese Falcon" three times. In 1931, Ricardo Cortez was the screen's first Sam Spade. Five years later, Warren William followed, and the film was entitled "Satan Met A Lady." The lady,...

Pros: acting, dialogue, pace, story
Cons: none

In 1539, the Knight Templars of Malta, paid tribute to Charles V of Spain by sending him a Golden Falcon encrusted from beak to claw with rarest jewels ----- but pirates seized the galley carrying this priceless token and the fate of the Maltese ...

Pros: Huston's directing, Bogart's protrayal
Cons: Nothing

After spending the last couple of months working through the best movies of 2008 (a fairly uneventful year for sure) it was time to get back into the classics. When I chose The Maltese Falcon I had no idea how historic a movie I was getting into. For ...

Pros: great adaptation, ensemble acting, and Film Noir
Cons: a bleak view of the world

One of the best adaptations around for any filmed detective story, John Huston's "The Maltese Falcon" stands as a Humphrey Bogart must-see, and evidence that sometimes the writer is the best source for storytelling. It's is still one of the best Hammett ...

Pros: Absolutely a gem, Direction, Story, Cast, Cinematography
Cons: Only that there should be more films this good!

The Maltese Falcon (1941) "This is the stuff dreams are made of!" Thus ends Director John Huston's "The Maltese Falcon", and I was sad to see such an enjoyable film end as the elevator grille foreshadows femme fatale Brigid ...

Pros: Huston's terrific script and direction, great performances
Cons: Perhaps a little too fast paced at times

John Huston's seminal detective story is the film that created the perception of film noir as we know it. Bogart's hard boiled Sam Spade became his quintessential role, even more than Rick from Casablanca or Allnut from The African Queen. In...

Pros: John Huston's Direction; Humphrey Bogart's creation of himself and Sam Spade; Arthur Edeson's Expressionistic Photography.
Cons: San Francisco, America, all of us, have changed, not necessarily for the better.

The Stuff That [Movie] Dreams Are Made Of -- "In 1539, the Knights Templar of Malta, paid tribute to Charles V of Spain, by sending him a Golden Falcon encrusted from beak to claw with rarest jewels- - - - - but pirates seized the galley carrying ...

Pros: Acting, Direction, Story, Screenplay, Direction, Everything.
Cons: Not a single one.

The Maltese Falcon (1941) Directed by John Huston, from the novel by Dashiel Hammett"When you're slapped, you'll take it and like it." Sam Spade.This is a movie of firsts.  This was Sydney Greenstreet's first film ...

Pros: Well-done mystery that still packs a few punches
Cons: Some of the acting and effects are a bit cheesy by today's standards

The Maltese Falcon is one of those classic films that younger generations know mainly through pop culture references, but have most likely never seen. I recently saw it for the first time, and while I can definitely see why it is a classic and ...

Pros: script, direction, cast
Cons: characters

Perhaps "The Maltese Falcon" is not the greatest detective story ever filmed. But it is hard to find a better one, and much harder to find a more enjoyable movie to watch.

One could say that "The Maltese Falcon" is full...

Pros: Bogart, Astor and the direction of John Huston.
Cons: A bit hard to follow this fast-placed plot at times.

The Maltese Falcon is undoubtedly one of the best films of its genre-film noir but it also shines as a classic Bogart vehicle.

Released in 1942 it tells the story of a mysterious black bird and the trials and tribulations that people...

Pros: Acting. Directing. Doesn't hurt that I love the genre.
Cons: Uhh.... aren't any.

For most of this movie, Bogart is the most amoral hero you've ever seen. This ain't your grandma's moving picture show, this is Film Noir. What is Film Noir? Is it a reaction to post-war American male fear of newly-empowered post-war womenfolk?...

Pros: tense, dramatic, human relationships, good murder mystery
Cons: none, unless you demand color -- it's black-and-white

If you like murder mysteries, and if you appreciate the art of black-and-white film, this movie stands at the top of my list of must-see films. Based on the book by Dashiell Hammet, this film brings Sam Spade (plus a few other characters) to life....