The Maltese Falcon
               
Director: Roy Del Ruth
Year:  1931
Rating: 7.0
This was much better than I was expecting and if it were not for the Bogart version 10 years later it would probably have a better reputation. Problem is the Bogart Maltese Falcon is as close to a perfect film from a perfect book as you can get. It makes this film look small in comparison. But I was surprised at how both films follow the book as closely as they do - both using some of the same dialogue - with the exception of two classic lines - the one that Bogart came up with at the end of the film - "The stuff that dreams are made of" - and a vital bit of dialogue that shows the code that Spade lives by - "When a man's partner is killed, he's supposed to do something about it. It doesn't make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you're supposed to do something about it. And it happens we're in the detective business. Well, when one of your organization gets killed, it's-it's bad business to let the killer get away with it, bad all around, bad for every detective everywhere. " Without that in this first version you never really understand why Spade acts the way he does.




But films are made on the actors and directorial choices and here this film loses on every level. It is a solid cast but when compared to Bogart, Astor, Lorre, Greenstreet, Ward Bond and Elisha Cook it is bombs away - it is an A cast vs a B cast. The second Maltese Falcon also had something else going for it - for both Bogart and director John Huston this was a vital film - they both had something to prove. It was Huston's directorial debut and it is an astonishing noir tour de force - his use of light and dark and symbolism permeate the mood of the film. For Bogart it was a chance to break out of being the bad guy in Warner Bros films. Huston fought for him - the studios wanted George Raft - and he came through with an iconic performance - much helped by Huston who kept telling him to slow it down, slow it down till he had Spade perfect. Compare that to Cortez who yaps and yaps like a 10 cent lothario. Still, this is well worth your while if you are a Maltese Falcon fan.