The Maltese Falcon (1941 film) The Maltese Falcon (1941 film) The Maltese Falcon is a 1941 film noir written and directed by John Huston in his directorial debut, and based on Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel of the same name. The film stars Humphrey Bogart as private investigator Sam Spade and Mary Astor as his "femme fatale" client. Gladys George, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet co-star, with Greenstreet appearing in his film debut. The story follows a San Francisco private detective and his dealings with three unscrupulous adventurers, all of whom are competing to obtain a jewel-encrusted falcon statuette. The film premiered on October 3, 1941,
The Black Bird The Black Bird The Black Bird is a 1975 film released December 25, 1975 starring George Segal and Stéphane Audran. It is a comedy sequel to the well-regarded 1941 film version of "The Maltese Falcon" with Segal playing Sam Spade's son, Sam Spade, Jr., and Lee Patrick and Elisha Cook Jr. reprising their roles of Effie Perrine and Wilmer Cook. "The Black Bird" was panned by critics and audiences alike, and is still considered the weakest film adaptation of the novel; Pauline Kael wrote that the film is "a dumb comedy, with an insecure tone and some good ideas mixed