maltese falcon Photo

The Maltese Falcon

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, Mary Astor

Directed by: John Huston

RS: 4of 4 Stars

2006

In 1941, John Huston directed his first movie, a fan's faithful adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's masterpiece novel The Maltese Falcon, and film noir was born -- as homegrown an American art form as jazz and rock & roll. Now the black bird gets the beautiful, crisp transfer that it deserves; one that highlights the iconic performances of Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, Mary Astor and Sydney Greenstreet, playing roles that are forever etched in cinema history. The revelatory extras include two forgotten early screen versions of the Falcon. The first is a 1931 pre-Code flop, which, although interesting and fairly faithful to Hammett, feels like a dress rehearsal and just stands as further proof of Huston's genius. The other is a lighthearted comedy starring Bette Davis and a ram's horn instead of a bird. In the Falcon's case, the maxim "The third time's a charm" was never more apt.