The Maltese Falcon

The Maltese Falcon is a classic crime thriller film directed by John Huston, released in 1941. The movie follows the story of private investigator Sam Spade, played by Humphrey Bogart, who becomes embroiled in a dangerous search for a priceless statuette known as the Maltese Falcon. The film begins with Spade and his partner, Miles Archer, meeting a prospective client named Ruth Wonderly, who claims to be looking for her missing sister. However, things take a turn when Archer is killed, and Spade discovers that Wonderly's story was made up. He then meets Joel Cairo, who offers him $5,000 to find a "black figure of a bird." As the story unfolds, Spade becomes embroiled in a web of lies and deceit as he searches for the Maltese Falcon. He encounters various characters, including Kasper Gutman, the "Fat Man," and Wilmer Cook, who work for Gutman. Spade also meets Brigid O'Shaughnessy, who confesses that she knows Cairo and is involved in the search for the Falcon. The movie takes a thrilling turn when Spade discovers that the statue is fake and that O'Shaughnessy had killed Archer to implicate Thursby, her unwanted accomplice. In the end, Spade calls the police and tells them where to pick up Gutman and Cairo before confronting O'Shaughnessy about her crimes. Overall., The Maltese Falcon is an iconic film noir that keeps viewers on edge with its intricate plot twists and memorable characters

You can stream The Maltese Falcon on: The Criterion Channel Apple TV Amazon Store Fandango at Home

Some movies that have similar genres and were produced around the same time as The Maltese Falcon include Gaslight, Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, Charlie Chan's Secret, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Mr. Moto's Last Warning, The Big Sleep.

The Maltese Falcon was released in theaters on October 18, 1941.