The Maltese Falcon Movie Spoiler

Hard-drinking secret eye Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) sleuths the backyard of San Francisco within search of an elusive black bird sculpture while escaping the setups of three disparate miscreants: The duplicitous Brigid, the aromatic Mr. Cairo, and the scheming Fat Man. John Huston’s brilliant directorial presentation is aided by first-rate performances, brilliant camera handiwork, as well being the director’s acute attention to detail while shooting the film.

The film is based on a crime novel by Dashiell Hammett. Academy Award Nominations: 3, as well as Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Sydney Greenstreet), and Best Screenplay. Earlier versions of the story were filmed during 1931 (A.K.A. DANGEROUS FEMALE) and during 1936 (as SATAN MET A LADY, starring Bette Davis), and poorly redone during 1975 (THE BLACK BIRD).

The falcon is a fake. Brigid O’Shahnessy (Mary Astor) shot Miles Archer; Sam (Humphrey Bogart) gives her up to the cops by the ending.