The Maltese Falcon: Masterpiece of Noir

Sat. Feb. 29th, 2020.

Doors 7 pm

Organ Overture 7:30 pm

Movie 8:00 pm

Tickets $5

Before 1941, The Maltese Falcon was just another crime novel. No one could have guessed that after two mediocre film adaptations it would ever be much more than that; let alone the masterpiece of American cinema it became. Which explains why, when asked to play the part of Sam Spade, actor George Raft turned down the offer. He wasn’t excited about making movies he considered “unimportant”, and he certainly wasn’t interested in working with a novice director like John Huston.

Humphrey Bogart, however, had no such qualms. He took the role of the iconic gumshoe, and with the support of an excellent cast, moody cinematography by Arthur Edeson, and the writing and direction of Huston, he would gain permanent status as an A-list leading man.

The Maltese Falcon was an enormous critical and financial success, and as the years have gone by, its reputation has only grown. Making appearances on countless “best of” lists, it is often cited as the first important film in a genre that still resonates with viewers today nearly eighty years later: Film Noir.

While other films in the genre preceded it (notably High Sierra, a film co-written by Huston and starring Bogart,) The Maltese Falcon took Noir to the next level. Audiences at the time reveled in the snappy dialogue as they were taken on a journey through a dark and labyrinthine plot; with shadows and fog to match.

The film’s success can be largely attributed to Huston’s meticulous planning. His screenplay took almost all of the film’s dialogue straight from the novel, which gave him that much more time to sketch out his storyboards. By the time filming started, the actors knew exactly what they were going to say, and the cinematographer knew exactly how each shot was to be framed. The film was essentially made in Huston’s mind before the crew arrived. That being the case, more time could be devoted in the production schedule to rehearsal, and less time would have to be spent setting up shots.

The results are simply stunning.

Of course, the film wouldn’t have been the same without the universally outstanding performances of its cast. Beyond Bogart’s star turn and Mary Astor’s expert take on the scheming femme fatale archetype, Peter Lorre shines as the deceitful lowlife, Joel Cairo. Sydney Greenstreet, meanwhile, gives an iconic performance as Cairo’s boss, Kasper “Fat Man” Gutman. His performance as the well-educated but pompous and depraved ringleader earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Indeed, The Maltese Falcon is an unequivocal success. And, much like the statue at the center of its plot, audiences will continue to seek out its like for many years to come.