The Maltese Falcon (novel) before being published in book form in 1930 by Alfred A. Knopf. The novel has been filmed four times, twice under its original title: There have been two audiobooks of the novel: There has been one stage adaptation: The Maltese Falcon (novel) The Maltese Falcon is a 1930 detective novel by American writer Dashiell Hammett, originally serialized in the magazine "Black Mask" beginning with the September 1929 issue. The story is told entirely in external third-person narrative; there is no description whatever of any character's internal thoughts or feelings, only what they say and do, and how they look. The
The Maltese Falcon (1941 film) at a flea market in New Jersey in 1991 by Emmy-winning producer/director Ara Chekmayan. Adam Savage, co-host of "MythBusters", has gone to great lengths to create an accurate replica. The Maltese Falcon is considered a classic example of a MacGuffin, a plot device that motivates the characters of the story, but otherwise has little relevance. Following a September 1941 preview, "Variety" called it "one of the best examples of actionful and suspenseful melodramatic story telling in cinematic form": Unfolding a most intriguing and entertaining murder mystery, picture displays outstanding excellence in writing, direction, acting and editing—combining in overall as a