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 Maltese Falcon (1941 film) on such films as "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948), "Key Largo" (1948), "The African Queen" (1951), and "Beat the Devil" (1953). Bogart's convincing interpretation became the archetype for a private detective in the "film noir" genre, providing him near-instant acclaim and rounding and solidifying his onscreen persona. It was "The Maltese Falcon" that Ingrid Bergman watched over and over again while preparing for "Casablanca", in order to learn how to interact and act with Bogart. The role of the deceitful "femme fatale" Brigid O'Shaughnessy was originally offered to Geraldine Fitzgerald, but went to Mary Astor when Fitzgerald decided