The Novel and The Films

In 1929, Dashiell Hammett wrote a story that was serialized in Black Mask magazine. The main character, Sam Spade, was a hard-boiled and hard-drinking man, and he would become the face of a new kind of detective for the 20th century, influencing the creation of other tough guy detectives like Philip Marlowe and Det. Columbo. In 1930, Alfred Knopf published Hammett's magazine serial as a novel, and the film rights were sold to Warner Bros., who would make three versions of The Maltese Falcon . The first, in 1931, starred Ricardo Cortez; the second, Satan Met a Lady (starring Bette Davis and Warren William) was released in 1936, was only loosely based on the novel. Instead of a Maltese falcon, the treasure was a ram's horn filled with jewels. The third version, starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre, would become a film noir classic. It would also create the Humphrey Bogart image that made him an icon.

The Falcon

Sculptor Fred Sexton designed the statue of the Maltese Falcon, which was 11.5" tall. Six hollow statues were made from a mold, and then spray-painted with black enamel. The total cost to make the birds was $114. In 2013, the iconic lead statuette used in the film sold for just over $4 million at an auction conducted by Bonhams in conjunction with TCM.

The Legacy

The Maltese Falcon premiered on October 3, 1941 in New York City, and was an immediate hit. The hard-to-please New York Times film critic, Bosley Crowther proclaimed it the "best mystery thriller of the year" and predicted that John Huston would be "one of the smartest directors in the field" - a prediction that would come true.