Name: The Maltese Falcon
Released: 1941

The Maltese Falcon (1941): trivia & fun facts

Humphrey Bogart was not the first choice to play Sam Spade; the role was originally offered to George Raft.
In its 1941 review of the "beautifully made" production, the paper asserted: "John Huston's direction of his own screenplay is as brilliant as any of the jewels which are alleged to encrust the falcon whose possession is the crux of the story."
Lee Patrick was initially considered for the role of Iva Archer, but she later received the part of Effie.
Principal photography took place on the Warner Bros. backlot from June 9 to July 18, 1941, with some reshoots on August 8.
These reshoots took place on September 10 with Ernest Haller as cinematographer, since original cinematographer Arthur Edeson was unavailable.
In 1950, in Life magazine, James Agee wrote about John Huston: "The first movie he directed, The Maltese Falcon, is the best private-eye melodrama ever made."
It is the third film adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel, following the 1931 version directed by Roy Del Ruth, and the 1936 William Dieterle–directed Satan Met a Lady.
In 2006, Writers Guild of America West ranked its screenplay 47th in WGA's list of 101 Greatest Screenplays.
Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet portray the memorable villains whose shifting alliances and hidden motives drive much of the story's tension.

Play 10 questions. Test yourself on The Maltese Falcon and see how everyone else answered.