The Maltese Falcon

A private eye (Humphrey Bogart) becomes involved in a deadly hunt for a priceless statue.

The Maltese Falcon is a great film. The direction, the script, and the performances, are all top of the line.

Though edgy for it’s time, writer-director John Huston’s ground-breaking film-noir plays better now as a black comedy, with tough-guy private eye Bogart drawn into Mary Astor’s desperate search for a jeweled statue after his partner is shot.

It’s a great ride, with Bogart, Peter Lorre and Syndey Greenstreet all relishing Huston’s razor-sharp dialog in genre-defining performances. As a director, Huston helped define the film noir genre, and as a writer he crafted a script that propels the story along at a breakneck pace; crackling with some of the best dialog ever, including one of my favorite movie quotes: “When you’re slapped you’ll take it and like it!”

Despite the countless rip-offs over the years, the film hasn’t lost it’s ability to entertain.