Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

The Maltese Falcon
1941
*****
Director: John Huston
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet

John Huston's brilliant directorial debut is based on Dashiel Hammett's novel. Humphrey Bogart plays Sam Spade, a private detective who finds himself sucked into a web of intrigue which revolves around a valuable falcon statuette. This quintessential film noir has all the key ingredients: the tough hero, the femme fatale and some memorably shady characters played by Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet.