The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

(pb; 1929, 1930)

From the back cover

“A treasure worth killing for. Sam Spade, a slightly shopworn private eye with his own solitary code of ethics. A perfumed grafter named Joel Cairo, a fat man named Gutman, and Brigid O’Shaughnessy, a beautiful and treacherous woman whose loyalties shift at the drop of a dime. These are the ingredients of Dashiell Hammet’s colly glittering gem of detective fiction, a novel that has haunted generations of readers.”

Review

This is one of my all-time favorite gumshoe novels. The dialogue is snappy, the pacing is swift, the twists ring true, and the characters─particularly their facial features and personalities─are sharply defined. This is a master work of the genre, one that lives up to its hype. Even if you have appreciated the movie, read the book─certain characters, e.g. Effie Perine, Spade’s jack-of-many-trades secretary, get more time in the story, adding to the knowing and dark delight of Maltese.

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Three films resulted from this book.

The first version, which retained the book's title, was released stateside on June 13, 1931. Roy Del Ruth directed it, from a screenplay by Maude Fulton and Brown Holmes.

Bebe Daniels played Ruth Wonderly. Richardo Cortez played Sam Spade. Dudley Digges played Casper Gutman. Una Merkel played Effie Perine. 

Robert Elliott played Detective Lt. Dundy. Thelma Todd played Iva Archer. Walter Long played Miles Archer. Dwight Frye played Wilmer Cook.

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The second version, Satan Met a Lady, was released stateside on July 22, 1936. It was directed by William Dieterle, based on Brown Holmes's screenplay.

Bette Davis played Valerie Purvis. Warren William played Ted Shane. Alison Skipworth played Madame Barabbas. Arthur Treacher played Anthony Travers. Marie Wilson played Miss Murgatroyd.

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The third film version was released stateside on October 18, 1941. It was directed and scripted by John Huston.

Humphrey Bogart played Sam Spade. Mary Astor played Brigid O’Shaughnessy. Gladys George played Iva Archer. Lee Patrick played Effie Perine. Jerome Cower played Miles Archer.

Peter Lorre played Joel Cairo. Sydney Greenstreet played Casper Gutman. Elisha Cook,Jr. played Wilmer Cook.

Ward Bond played Tom Polhaus. Barton MacLane played Lt. of Detectives Dundy. An uncredited Walter Huston─father of John─played Captain Jacoby.