The Maltese Falcon (1941 film) Summary
John Huston

The Maltese Falcon In his 1929 novel, The Maltese Falcon, Dashiell Hammett introduced the novel reading public to the hard-boiled private detective as central character. Samuel Spade, of Spade and Arc... Read more

As the most important member of a Hollywood family dynasty whose professional roots were planted in vaudeville, John Huston (1906-1987) left an indelible mark on American cinema as a director, writer,... Read more

Critical Essay by George Grella In an essay on Henry James, James Thurber recounts a night in a "New York boite de nuit et des arts called Tony's," where Dashiell Hammett announce... Read more

Critical Essay by Bosley Crowther ["The Maltese Falcon"] turns out to be the best mystery thriller of the year, and young Mr. Huston gives promise of becoming one of the smartest directo... Read more

Critical Essay by Peter Barnes [The Maltese Falcon reveals John Huston's] style at its best—direct, analytic, and disciplined. This film succeeds brilliantly as a character thriller, but... Read more

Critical Essay by James Naremore [Huston made from The Maltese Falcon] one of the classics of dark cinema, a film important not only for its fidelity, but because it bears his own distinctive signatur... Read more