The Maltese Falcon

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, et al.

Huston's directorial debut found detective Bogart trying to solve his partner's murder intertwined with recovering the elusive statue of a black bird. His efforts are impeded by a mysterious femme fatale, a corpulent Greenstreet and a cryptic Lorre.

• Format: 4K Ultra HD
• UPC: 883929797547
• Release Date: January 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Publisher: Warner Bros.
• Director: John Huston
• Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Gladys George, Barton MacLane, Sydney Greenstreet, Lee Patrick, Ward Bond, Jerome Cowan, Elisha Cook Jr.
• Runtime: 1 hour, 41 minutes
• Number of Disks: 2
• Other Video Info: 4K; NTSC
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.

Customer Reviews

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 the rarest jewels…” The Falcon was lost in time. Our mystery begins when a beautiful but enigmatic woman (Mary Astor) shows up at the Spade and Archer detective agency. She gives them an implausible story; however, they are well paid. This leads to the death of Archer. Who did it and why? The police suspect Sam Spade. Who do you suspect? As the story unfolds, many interesting characters (suspects) show up, and the story takes different turns as the mystery of the missing blackbird continues. I will not go through the whole story; however, there are many well-known actors and Hammett dialogue. For readers, you are in for a treat as the movie follows the book well with a few exceptions, such as the absence of Gutman’s daughter. Be sure to view the earlier version of this story, “Dangerous Female” (1931); you will get a different view. Sam Spade (Ricardo Cortez) Ruth Wonderly (Bebe Daniels) There are a few films that are variations of this one, but they are comparatively inferior. The film itself comes in many packages, from multiple DVDs to Blu-ray; even 4K. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. However, it is the basic presentation that I am reviewing, as that is classic.