The three-disc special edition of the 1941 version of The Maltese Falcon contains some very interesting bonus features: the two previous adaptations of Dashiell Hammett's novel, the first also called The Maltese Falcon (though it was renamed Dangerous Female for TV in the '50s to avoid confusion), and the second titled Satan Met a Lady.

Since the 1941 version (directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre) is the one considered "definitive," it's not surprising that relatively few viewers realize that was actually Hollywood's third adaptation of Hammett's classic detective novel.

Satan Met a Lady (directed by William Dieterle and starring Bette Davis and Warren William), is by all accounts a disaster (a very loose adaptation by screenwriter Brown Holmes, who co-wrote this version), but the first Maltese Falcon, filmed in 1931 by director Roy del Ruth, is a terrific alternative for viewers who love the story and would just like to watch a different take on it. (Both films are faithful to the source, with few changes.)

The main difference in tone comes from Ricardo Cortez's portrayal of Sam Spade. Cortez's Spade is much more of a ladies man than Bogart's. In fact, the opening scene of the movie shows a woman leaving Spade's office, adjusting her stockings (later, he is shown picking up sofa cushions from the floor). His roving eye (and hand) also includes his secretary, Effie. Una Merkel plays Effie as if she's not only a willing participant in these shenanigans, but is also quite aware of Spade's other dalliances -- including partner Miles Archer's wife Iva (Thelma Todd) -- and thinks it's funny.

That lightness extends to Cortez, as well. He goes throughout The Maltese Falcon with a huge smirk on his face, as if everything going on around him is endlessly entertaining. And I can imagine why. When Ruth Wonderly (Bebe Daniels) comes into his office, he probably already knows she'll end up naked in his bath, in his bed, and in his kitchen. Cortez displays just the right mix of sleaze and charm.

But the only other actor who gives anything close to as interesting a performance is Dudley Digges as Kasper Gutman. Digges gives the role real grease, making him a truly unlikeable antagonist (Greenstreet always charmed even in his most villainous roles, much like Claude Rains, his costar in Casablanca). And I was very pleasantly surprised to find that Dwight Frye (Renfield in the Lugosi Dracula) shows up briefly as Wilmer Cook. He doesn't say much, but just try to look away when he flashes those psychotic eyes.

This Maltese Falcon was made three years before the enforcement of the Production Code that would whitewash movies for the next thirty years. Thus, there are instances like those mentioned above that did not make it into the "cleaner" 1941 version. One major effect this had is when Mary Astor's Brigid O'Shaughnessy proclaims to Bogart's Spade, "I thought you loved me," it doesn't make a whole lot of sense based on what preceded. Here, when Wonderly (who never reveals herself to be O'Shaughnessy, a plot point I always thought was unnecessarily confusing anyway) says the same words, they hold real meaning.

Though quite entertaining in its own right, the 1931 Maltese Falcon is undoubtedly destined to remain forgotten in the shadow of its later remake. I recommend it, however, due to its lighter and sexier tone, handsomer leading man, and almost completely different approach to the same source material. Fans of pre-Code cinema will especially enjoy it, even if they generally prefer a little more noir in their detective stories.

Like a true classic should this movie seems to improve with each successive viewing. The acting is great and so is the directing leaving me unsurprised that it's ranked among the top quarter of the American Film Institute's 100 Greatest American Films list. The only problem I have is with the quality of the DVD; the picture quality isn't very good and the sound quality although Dolby Digital is in Mono. Perhaps with the advent of Blu-Ray, a newer, better restored version will surface with good quality surround sound options perhaps DTS with THX for instance.

Overall, this a a great movie but I'd recommend waiting for a better quality DVD version to come out. Hope it's soon!

This movie is inimitable.

Terse, convoluted, gritty, and satirical. The scenes of this movie pack a visceral punch rarely matched in classic Hollywood movies.

The plot is confusing, if not incomprehensible at times. However, the basics are pretty straightforward. Sam Spade is a private eye working in San Fransisco with his partner. One afternoon a beautiful, malevolent women walks into Spade's office, paying him and his partner (Miles Archer) to find her sister. She claims her sister is in grave danger. She is, of course, lying. Her real goals are hidden, but slowly revealed as the movie progresses. Unfortunately her little ruse ends up getting Spade's partner killed. Thus is unleashed a complex series of events.
The plot focuses on Spade's attempt to keep up with the criminal elements around him. It seems every one is machiavellian, and the underworld Spade belongs to is byzantine in its betrayals, double-crossings, and machinations. The people he talks to are inveterate liars. One gets vertigo trying to make sense of it all. This makes us all the more amazed that Spade can keep his cool. Oddly, it turns out all the fuss in the movie has to do with the statue of a Maltese Falcon. An object worth killing and dying for.
Spade plays crooked, but deep down inside he is a Kantian. His ethical nature, stoic exterior, and masculine facade, make him irresistable as a protaganist. This is the movie that marked the rise of Bogart the superhuman-and rightfully so.

The Maltese Falcon is a rich movie, with myriad meanings. One of the major themes is the quest for an unattainable object and the havoc such a quest can cause. After all, the dead bodies in this movie accumulated over nothing more than the silly statue of a bird! It is interesting to compare the Maltese Falcon with Don Quixote. Both works contain the mythological heroic quest. However, in Quixote, the quest is needed to sustain life. Without it, Quixote dies. In the Maltese Falcon the quest causes death. When the quest is over, sanity is restored. This is an interesting contrast, and one well worth pondering.

Is the quest worth while? Or, should we stay sane and firmly planted on the sinful streets of the world?

In the end, it is hard to find any flaws in this movie. There are no superfluous scenes, nor is there any hint of condescending directing. Just straight to the point, action and dialogue packed delivery.


Brilliant!

Famous 1941 film has lost its punch. Granted, one is assured of good acting with Bogart, Astor, Grreenstreet, Lorre, and Bond in the lineup. Likewise, Director Huston was never known for gaffes or poor quality. The casting is good. So, where's my problem? In a film dealing with dishonesty, there's not a single character that one can trust.This leads to a highly confusing tale that requires several viewings to set the audience straight. That's a definite no-no to me. Having seen this tale at least 6 times over my lifetime, I still couldn't begin to explain it to a non viewer with any sense of acumen. I'd rather try explaining baseball to a foreign novice. No, I think that this picture will continue on a downward spiral, based only on 70 year old reviews. Ted Williams is dead. Derek Jeter plays on.

I'm so tired of seeing weak new movies; thank god for strong old ones! Here's a masterpiece I've seen at least twenty times in the last three decades, and it never gets old.
What makes these classic studio pictures great (when they are great....most are not...Hollywood has always been about money before art...when art happens it seems accidental...)? I think it's that there were no special effects, no garish color, no visual tricks to pull out of a hat when things slow down. Dramatic craftsmanship was needed, and was sometimes delivered in spades [insert pun here].
Two things make the best black and white chestnuts great: a very strong story that's well-paced and develops intelligently, and strongly written characters played by actors who know that stories hinge on character development as much as on plot development. The two should go hand in hand. When they do, real art ensues.
I love the writing of both Hammett and Chandler; hard-boiled dialogue is hard to beat when it's done well, and they are the masters. Hammett may have invented the modern solipsistic detective with his Continental Op, a long cry from Holmes and Poirot. The Op turned into Sam Spade and the Falcon is all about Spade, and Bogie's innate understanding of this mostly good man stuck in a mostly bad world.
The dialogue is razor sharp, the direction gemlike in its precision. No wasted lines, no wasted camera movement, no wasted time. The movie starts fast and never lets up. We get some truly classic characters, and the actors make these good roles into masterpieces, especially Lorre and Greenstreet. There are some phenomenally fine shots here; chiaroscuro this sharp rarely comes from outside Europe.
There is far too much to list in terms of greatness in the Falcon. It is about as good as Hollywood ever got in telling a story and making it entertaining; we can thank mainly Hammett for that. The weltschmerz and hard-bitten cynicism on display here are far too intelligent for films these days.
Ain't it funny that the best old black and white movies show us so clearly that life is never black and white, while movies in dazzling color tend to make life seem one-dimensional, in a good guy vs. bad guy way? The Falcon has no good guy, just a bunch of people who are all good and bad.
When I get sick of crappy movies, I put this baby on and am reminded of why I love movies so much in the first place. Like good music and good literature, they take me somewhere new (even if I've been there before) and send me home knowing more about myself and the world than I did when I started. They also remind me that art and love are where you choose to find them, for they are everywhere. Even in the dark corners of life.
And in the end, shweetheart, only you can make you happy.

Brilliant! I don't have much else to say!
Humphrey Bogart is an amazing actor, and the movie is well written and directed. This collection, too, is great! With two other versions of the same story, you can learn why Bogart's rendition is the only one spoken of. And the quality is outstanding!

This is a great DVD that features all three film versions of Dashiell Hammett's greatest novel, The Maltese Falcon. Each version has a story surrounding it. The first one, made in 1931, starred Richard Cortez as Sam Spade. Cortez's performance wasn't half bad, although he looks too much like Gene Kelly when he flashes his grin. The screenwriter also added a superfluous scene at the end that tends to edge toward pedantry in that it beats the viewer over the head with the message. Satan Met a Lady (1933) is the secod version, featuring a young and gorgeous Bette Davis as the femme fatale. She's wasted in this one, though, which was complately reworked to try to make it more like the Thin Man movies, which were popular at the time. The dark theme of Hammett's novel was erased and replaced with a light-hearted, British sounding motif. The characters were reworked as well, with disappointing results. The movie is interesting only because it shows how great Huston's 1941 version, with Bogart, was. Huston took Hammett's tough, lean dialogue and transferred it to the screenplay with Bogie, Sidney Greenstreet, Mary Astor, and Peter Lorrie to deliver the lines. Who could ask for a better combination? This one's a must for any fan of The Maltese Falcon.

I love Humphrey Bogart movies. In this film, he plays no nonsense private eye Sam Spade. He is asked to investigate the alleged disapperance of a woman's sister. But really, the woman is trying to catch up to the person who has the coveted Maltese Falcon, a costly artifact that is centuries old.

Bogart meets many unscrupulous characters as he looks to not only solve the mystery, but to clear his own name, as he has been implicated in the death of his own partner.

The acting is terrific, the dialogue is deep, and the ending is surprising and satisfying. An all time classic!

If I see a better film on DVD this year (2007), it's going to have to be quite something to beat this. Based on the novel by Dashell Hammett Bogart plays Sam Spade (Private Detective), a role he was born to play. He and his partner are hired by a woman who claims a man is keeping her and her sister separated. Soon after this things spiral out of control.

The screenplay by John Huston is magnificent. The dialog is sharp and there isn't a wasted breath. Mind you Huston's direction is equally good and as for the the cast, well perfection is the only word I can think of. Peter Lorre as the oily Joel Cairo has never been better than he is in this film. Sdyney Greenstreet is fabulous as Kasper Gutman. Amazingly at the age of 62, and weighing close to 300lbs this was Greenstreet's debut film performance. Finally there is Bogart, an icon certainly, but also a great actor with a huge amount of screen presence. What surprised me watching the film again recently is how small Bogart seemed, but checking the records it turns out he was 5' 10.5".

The film is currently ranked 57th on the IMDB (www.imdb.com) all-time top 250 films, which for a film that is 66 years old is pretty amazing. However when you watch it you will find out why.

This movie was supposed to be simlar to "The Big Sleep". Since I enjoyed "The Big Sleep" so much, I thought I'd give this one a try.

On the surface, this movie seems almost identical to "The Big Sleep". Both are classic hard boiled private detective movies. Both star Humphry Bogart. Both take place in California. And both movies even create a similar atmosphere.

Indeed the similarities between these movies do seem to outway the differences, but there are some differences. For example "The Maltese Falcon" is not about the adventures of Philip Marlow, but of Sam Spade, a different private detective from a different series of books. I've not read any of Sam Spade's books, but the general consensus among book reviewers seems to be that Raymond Chandler (the author of the Philip Marlow series) is much superior.

That, perhaps added to the fact that this film has no William Faulkner or Leigh Brackett credited on the screen play might account for the fact that the dialogue isn't as near as good as "The Big Sleep". But dialogue aside, I actually enjoyed the general story of "The Maltese Falcon" more.

The premise of "The Maltese Falcon" itself is based on a legend about the knights templars (just like another more recent popular novel/movie combination you may have heard of.) Several different people are interested in recovering the lost Templar treasure of the maltese falcon. There are several different characters with conflicting motives, and lots of betrayals and changing alliances. It requires a certain amount of close attention to keep track of everything, but if you watch closely, everything makes perfect sense in the end. Unlike "The Big Sleep", there are no big plot holes in this movie (or at least I didn't catch any. If someone out there has a quick eye, there welcome to point some out to me).

And there are a couple great shockers at the end. One of the them I saw coming, the other one took me by surprise. But both of them make perfect sense once you think about it.

The lighting and cinematography are superior in this movie as well, although I'm almost hesistant to bring that up because it makes it sound like I'm discussing a classic movie. From my point of view this was a really fun movie that just happens to be a classic. Like "The Big Sleep", it can hold its own against any of Hollywood's modern thrillers today.

Finally, this movie is worth seeing if for no other reason than it has a great performance by Peter Lorre. Peter Lorre was the Austrian-Hungarian actor who was famous as a great character actor. You might be thinking you don't know who he is, but actually you probably do. He usually plays the creepy characters in old movies. He's been parodied a million times by a million different people.

A gallery of High-living lowlifes will stopp at nothing to get their sweaty hands on a jewel-encrusted falcon . Detective Sam Spade (Humprey Bogart 1899 - 1957 ) wants to find out why -and who would take the fall of his partner's murder . An all-star casting ( including Sydney Greenstreet 1879- 1954 , Peter Lorre 1904-1964, Elisha Cook ,Jr 1903-1995 , Mary Ashtor 1906- 1987) joins Bogart in this cracking mystery masterwork written for the screen (from Dashiell Hammett's (1894-1961) novel) and directed by John Houston (1906 - 1987). This nominee for 3 academy awards (1941) Captulted Bogart to stardome and lauched Huston's directional career all with a bird and bang ! . Warner Brothers has one of the greatest film catalogs of any studio; yet they don't appear to take their DVD issues very seriously. Who on earth would put "Goodfellas" on two sides of a disc? or not release the "Director's Cut" version of "Eyes Wide Shut" (imagine the added revenue if they had)? or almost never digitally enhance the audio or visual transfer or provide any significant extras? Compared to the deluxe packages that Universal, Criterion, are a peculiar desecration of a vaunted film legacy.
Case in point: "The Maltese Falcon". Arguably the greatest detective film ever made, Warners at least releases it with a decent video transfer. Unfortunately, the audio synchronizing is off during the last 15 minutes of the movie (by a second but it's still noticable) and I wasn't able to access all the people on the "Cast and Crew" menual though I enjoyed the "Trailers of Humphrey Bogart" section, it would have been nice if Warners spent the money to create a documentary history of the film the way they did on Universal's "Casablanca" release.

Much ink has been spilt praising "The Maltese Falcon" so I won't go into any panegyrics here. It's just a shame that Warners doesn't take this market seriously enough to put more care into the DVD releases of their finest films. High Quality Transfer . Recommended

A month's salary for a vintage wine is a bargain for many -- but one evening and it's gone. This is a vintage flick -- which can be enjoyed one special night a year for decades to come without losing its bouquet!

Perfect? No! A movie can't be. You must decide which set of weaknesses you accept in a most perfect film. At first I didn't like the combo J. Huston & Co. give us, but "they grow on you." Perhaps that -- which cannot be gauged at first -- is its' greatest strength.

Whatever! For those with a particular palate, this is vintage indeed.

POOR ELISHA COOK JR, HE NEVER KNEW WHAT HIT HIM. AFTER NEARLY FIFTY YEARS OF WATCHING THIS FILM IN THE MOVIES AND ON TV, I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT HIT ME. MANY OTHER FILMS TRIED TO COP ITS SOUL AND, GENERALLY, FAILED. IT'S INDIANA JONES BIOLOGICAL FATHER. BY THE WAY, WHO WAS ELISHA COOK SR.?

Excellent production. Package contains enhanced feature cut, the original and the first Falcon called Satin is a Lady. Nice complete package w/ exc ellent special features.

The Maltese Falcon has earned a reputation of being one of the all-time great movies. Does it deserve this title? As shown in the three-disc special edition of the movie, yes.

Before I picked up this edition, I was familiar enough with the movie, having seen it a couple of times as well as reading the book. Before re-watching it, however, I skipped to Disc 2 and watched the two older versions. The original version of The Maltese Falcon came out in 1931. This movie is reasonably faithful to the book, but has the stiff acting of many early talkies which used a lot of silent movie stars (such as Bebe Daniels). It does, however, have the entertaining Dwight Frye (an early screen villain most well known as Renfield in Dracula), though he doesn't do that much here. The 1936 remake was Satan Met a Lady which added a comic twist to the story. Unfortunately, star Warren William plays his role more like Nick Charles (a rather tipsy gentleman) than Sam Spade. The story changes the Falcon to a Ram's Horn, but not even Bette Davis (who considered this one of her worst films) can save it. With two mediocre efforts, it was amazing that Warner Brothers would try it again just five years later.

They did, however, and the third time was the charm. Despite having just seen the same story twice within a couple of weeks and being familiar with the classic version, it remained immensely entertaining, not just a cut above the first two versions, but several cuts. What makes this version so good? Basically, everything came together almost perfectly.

One key thing was rookie director John Huston whose direction is so good that it helped create an entire style of movie-making, film noir. Whether The Maltese Falcon is truly noir itself (the standard definition usually begins the era with post-WWII films), it is at least proto-noir. Then there is the cast, notably Peter Lorre as the oily Joel Cairo is a scene stealer as is Sydney Greenstreet as The Fat Man. Mary Astor makes her character, Brigid O'Shaughnessy, one of filmdom's great femme fatales, a woman who is able to manipulate almost any man (and her one failing will be costly).

In the center of it all, however, is Humphrey Bogart in one of his first heroic roles as Sam Spade. Bogie is in almost every scene of the movie (the only exception is an early murder), so he is critical to the movie's success. Actually, Spade is more of an anti-hero than a hero: a man who is willing to use other people to achieve his own ends. If you are unfamiliar with the plot, I'll sum it up quickly (and it's pretty much the same in all movies): After Spade's partner is killed, Spade is drawn into a tangled web of murder and intrigue all centering on the Maltese Falcon, a valuable statue that everyone wants and no one has. Of course, there's more to it than that, but why spoil the fun?

The first disc in this set has the Bogart version along with a commentary track. There is also a "Warner Night at the Movies" feature that provides cartoons, a newsreel, movie trailers and a short subject (a rather interminable ballet that will mostly appeal to fans of dance). The third disc provides other bonus features, most notably a documentary about the movie. The Disc One material is enough to give the set five stars (the movie itself is actually enough); the rest is just gravy. If you want to see one of the true classics, this is a must-get.

The dialog is fast and the plot is thick. Yes this the screen play was lifted directly from the book. The only thing I have trouble with is that I don't see Humphry Bogart as tough as he sounds. He is the classic tough guy though and does his detective best to figure out the plot. Worth owning because it takes several viewings to get all the details of the plot down. I didn't notice the sound mis-synch but then maybe its the machine.

Of the best of Bogart, it's not my favorite (which is Casablanca and African Queen) but it's in my collection.

This film was my initial introduction to Humphry Bogart. In this film he plays the cool and calculating Sam Spade. Spade gets involved in a complicated twisted plot so full of double-crosses that the viewer has to pay attention to every single word and scene, or get hopelessly lost in the amazingly complex yet fascinating story.

The film is extremely fast-paced and there is so much that is unknown about the characters and their shady relationships to each other, that I must admit to confusion as to what was unfolding. Each scene is packed with bits of information, like individual puzzle pieces, which one must mentally assemble to keep up with the unfolding plot. For me, the film gave too little time to sort out the puzzle pieces, and even at the end of the film, I confess to not being able to tie up all the loose ends or fully comprehend the film's plot. Despite the somewhat confusing and confounding plot twists, the film held my interest as I just had to find out what was the secret of the mysterious Maltese Falcon, the intense focus of all the character's attention.

I found it helpful to read Wikapedia's summary of the story after viewing the film, as this explained all the details I missed. I will certainly watch the film again to pick up on the plot twists I missed the first time.

Bogart is magnificent as the unshakable Sam Spade. Mary Astor is fascinating as the woman who will use any means possible to get her hands on the falcon. Sidney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre fill out the fine cast as the eccentric duo who are desperate to capture the priceless falcon.

This is not a film that the kids will enjoy watching. Shot in black and white, and with a pace as fast as a roller-coaster, kids will quickly loose interest. I recommend you watch the film with no interuptions, and listen carefully to every word, as the diaglogue is as fast-paced as the plot. Certaining an intriging movie, it is sparce in character developement, and has little to "say" in terms of a lesson for the viewer. It is purely a detective who-done-it filmed for entertainment value alone.

I've certainly seen better films, but this one is worth a watch, if only to see some of the best film actors of the black and white era.

JIm 'Koendog" Koenig

In literature and film there have been no lack of private detective-types depicted from the urbane Nick Charles (also a Hammett creation) to Mickey Spillane's rough and tumble Mike Hammer but the classic model for all modern ones is Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade (the Humphrey Bogart role in the film) in Maltese Falcon. Some may argue Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe and may have a point but as for film adaptation Spade wins hands down. Compare, if you will, Bogart's performance in Maltese Falcon with the Big Sleep. Get my point. But enough of that. What make's Spade the classic is his intrepidness, his orneriness, his dauntless dedication to the task at hand, his sense of irony, his incorruptibility, his willingness to take an inordinate amount of bumps and bruises for paltry fees and his off-hand manner with the ladies and a gun. And in Maltese Falcon he needs all of these qualities and then some.

And for what? It is the bird, stupid. You know, the stuff that dreams are made of. This modern tale of greed and desire gets nicely worked with a cast of adventurers, including Sam's love interest, who are serious, inept, and ultimately dangerous. There is a certain amount of off-handed humor as is warranted by some of the situations thrown in to boot. Sam is well up to handling everything thrown at him by is male adversaries. But, the dame (played by Mary Astor in the film), that is a different question. She is as greedy (if not more so) than the rest but she is ready to use her feminine wiles on even the incorruptible Spade in order to get that damn bird. That, dear friends, puts her beyond the pale and she will have many a lonely night in prison to think that through. In the end Sam's honor and the honor of his profession is intact, and that's what counts in his world.

Again, Warner Bros. continues to rival other studios with their DVD releases of their classic movies. This time, they've pulled out all the stops for the 1941 version of The Maltese Falcon, the film that practically invented the film noir genre. Although not as packed with bonus materials like some of their other previous Special Edition, they've still put enough material on here to use THREE discs. The set contains a cardboard slipcase packaging two slim DVD cases. Disc 1 is contained in the first case, and the second case contains discs 2 and 3. I won't go into detail on the movie, because I'm here to review the product itself, not the movie.

The first disc contains the 1941 film noir classic, with a newly restored digital transfer. Digital artifacting is minimal if existent. Some film artifacting, such as occasional slight shakiness is present, but for the most part, the transfer is clean and free from flaws. The audio is presented in its glorious original mono mix, which has been cleaned up for this new transfer. An audio commentary is included, but I have yet to listen to it. Also included is a bonus called Warner Night At The Movies, which allows you to view a gallery of short subjects before The Maltese Falcon - the way you would have in 1941. The short subjects included are informative and/or entertaining and even include a couple of short cartoons. But the restored movie is, of course, the main attraction - and what an attraction!

Disc 2 contains a nice surprise - the first two film versions of The Maltese Falcon! The first one is the pre-code 1931 version starring Ricardo Cortez as Sam Spade and Bebe Daniels as Ruth Wonderly. Although this first version is very similar to the 1941 version, it contains a bit more sexual innuendo and suggestive scenes. For many years after its initial release, the film was not allowed to be shown until the late 60's, when it turned up on TV under the title Dangerous Female. The second film is a thinly veiled screwball comedy take on the story titled Satan Met A Lady, starring Warren William as Ted Shane (Sam Spade) and Bette Davis as Valerie Purvis (Ruth Wonderly/Brigid O'Shaughnessy). Despite having all of the characters' names changed and the object of desire changed to a ram's horn filled with jewels, it's obvious what the source material is. Satan Met A Lady's theatrical trailer is included, but not the trailer for the 1931 film, despite the packaging's claim that both versions' trailers are included. Having all three films on this set is a good idea, in my opinion, because it allows the viewer to decide for themself what their favorite version is. Although in my opinion, the 1941 tops both of them, I highly enjoyed the other two films too. Unlike the 1941 version, these versions have not been restored and definitely show their age, with plenty of dirts, spots, and scratches. They're unlikely to be revisited on DVD anytime soon, so this is about as good as they're going to get treated on DVD.

Disc 3 contains all of the 1941 version's bonus materials. Not as packed as most supplemental material discs in Warner's Special Editions, (In fact, a single-layer disc was used for disc 3, and holds approx. 3.5 GB of data.) the bonuses included are quite excellent and informative. Included is a new documentary on the making and impact of the movie, called One Magnificent Bird. Next is the TCM documentary Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart, which includes theatrical trailers for many of Bogey's classics, such as High Sierra, The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, The Petrified Forest, and Treasure Of The Sierra Madre. The idea is to show Bogart's progression from B-list bad guy to A-list movie star. Another great bonus is the Breakdowns of 1941 blooper reel, which contains some of the greatest old school actors and actresses, such as Bogart, Bette Davis, and James Cagney, blowing their lines - and often using some pretty salty language that couldn't be shown in theaters at the time. Also included are some Mary Astor makeup tests, although I personally don't see the significance. Finally, rounding out this set are three radio broadcast performances - the Lux Radio Theater performance with Edward G. Robinson, and two featuring Bogart, Mary Astor, and Sydney Greenstreet, with Peter Lorre also starring in one of the broadcasts. Approx. two hours of great old time radio to listen to.

This set may disappoint the consumer that has been spoiled by 4-Disc sets of Ben-Hur and Gone With The Wind and the 3-Disc set of The Wizard of Oz. Although I'm one of the consumers that has been spoiled with those releases, in my opinion, The Maltese Falcon's 3-Disc Special Edition stands up alongside these releases beautifully. With THREE movies and around four hours of additional bonus materials, this set truly delivers. If you love old movies, Bogey, or film noir, this is a MUST-have for your collection.

This dense and intense classic is one of the great detective movies. Sam Spade gets sucked in to a search for the Maltese Falcon. Along the way he loses a partner, and navigates his way through friends, enemies and numerous double-crosses to solve the case.

The movie is tightly packed - 100 minutes filled with what would take modern filmmakers 3 hours. Pay attention, or you'll be left way behind! No frills, no unrequired movements, no special effects - just drama.

The Maltese Falcon certainly deserves all the acclaim it's received.

Humphrey Bogart had been in many films in the 1930's, but this is the one that made him a star and gave him mystique and, along with "Casabanca", is probably the film role for which he is most remembered. There is really no extraordinary action going on in this film and no grand finish. It is basically a character study of Sam Spade, the definitive hard-boiled private detective and to a lesser degree of Gutman, one of the villains - and there are several - played by Sidney Greenstreet in his first film appearance. Why is Sam Spade so fascinating when he has so many bad personality traits and character flaws? Because nobody is this tough! Not until Dirty Harry came along 30 years later did the silver screen exhibit someone with such a knack for laughing in the face of danger. Gutman's cartoonish armed front men are just a joke to Sam Spade, who easily disarms them, often makes them look ridiculous, and then just hands the loaded weapons right back over to them without a second thought. In fact, at no time during this film is there a predicament for which Spade doesn't have a quick and cool response. Mary Astor is also great as Brigid O'Shaughnessy, the femme fatale who comes to Spade's office at the beginning of the film and sets all of the action in motion. Even though Spade can see that she has been piling one lie on top of another throughout the film, for some reason he falls for her, the one act in this whole film that seems somewhat inconsistent with Spade's self-interested personna until the final scene when he does reveal that he has a "code" of sorts. This is truly one of the most interesting films of all time and a great vehicle for Bogart.

A favorite line. I use it a lot.

Wonderful dialogue, besides cinematic genius. "I like talking to a man who likes talking to men." Every character sparkles. What another reviewer said about no fat: absolutely clean, essential, and altogether brilliant. I still watch this film at least once a year. I even love the last misquote: "It's the stuff dreams are made of." Go see it immediately.

The film that made Humphrey Bogart a star, "The Maltese Falcon" stands to this day as a landmark in the crime & mystery genres of cinema. With its complex cast of characters, intricately concocted plot, and excellent direction and pacing courtesty of the great John Huston, it has stood the test of time to become a defining moment in cinema.

Bogart stars as Sam Spade, a down on his luck, hard boiled private eye. When a lovely woman (Mary Astor) approahces him for help in finding a suspect who he considers dangerous, Spade's partner is put on the case. When his partner turns up along the dead along with the suspect he was trailing, Spade now becomes intent on finding the killer. He finds out that the woman who turned to him for help is a liar, but a relationship developes nonetheless. Spade learns through a variety of suspects (played by legendary character actors such as Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet) that The Maltese Falcon, a Spanish artifact from the time of of the 1500s', is the key reason behind his partner's murder. Each of these sordid characters will stop at nothing to get their hands on it, and this all leads to a shocking conclusion.

"The Maltetse Falcon" is a wonderful film that features every actor at the top of their game. This three disc special edition comes with great sound and picture quality as well as a stunningly impressive array of bonus features. Highly recommended to all film fans.

I dont know what to say but its a true classic. Also it has a nice list of special features that put this classic film experience right back into the theater.

Everyone's already written how great a movie this is--I would just like to chime in. Great acting, great characters, great plot, and absolutely adorable dialog. This movie has it all, and does it properly. Even when Bogart takes someone's guns away, it seems entirely genuine and plausible.

This DVD does have some issues--the only Cast and Crew section I could access in the special features portion is Bogart's, for instance. I couldn't notice any detriment on the movie itself, however (like with the video/audio synching).

Do a favor to yourself and buy, or at least rent, this movie. The characteristic grin on Bogey's face alone will provide you with ample reimbursement.

A second to the reviewer who voiced a complaint about Warners' new cheap-looking slim case packaging. Sure, this is one of the best American films of all time, and a lot of reviewers here have given the DVD 5 stars for that reason. But my understanding is that these Amazon reviews are supposed to be for the DVD product, not the film itself. In any case, yes, as picky as it may sound, those of us building DVD libraries would appreciate a consistent format. Warners has been switching over from the old snap cases to the standard-sized keep cases for some time, and now they've changed their minds again to go to the slim cases, which are typically used only for TV show collections and by the way result in the DVDs being easily damaged. I won't go on and on about this, but please get back on track.

One hesitates to use an already overused word, but in this instance, "classic" is appropriate. Besides simulataneously creating and setting the standard for the noir genre, the film contains possibly the greatest line ever uttered by Bogie in his career, in response to Mary Astor's plaintive suggestion that she has caused him nothing but trouble -
"I don't mind a reasonable amount of trouble."

The Forties were the years when Hollywood decided that the mystery thriller deserved big-budget, big-star treatment, threw up a new kind of hero who was exactly right for his time: they were the fabulous years which established the private eye adventure as the irremovable all-time favorite in the whole field of suspense... The field was so rich, the choice so lavish in that decade, that it was difficult to know where memory should stop and call "Encore".

As the author of the screenplay, Huston made every effort to do justice, and remain faithful, to Dashiell Hammett's novel... But in remaining faithful, the newest version asked audiences to accept the complicated plot at its full strength and that is where the film's main flaw occurs... Names, murders, and intrigues turn up so quickly that it is extremely difficult to understand exactly what is happening in this tale of an assortment of characters in search of a fabulous jewel-encrusted statue...

Probably in no other film will a viewer find a gallery of such diverse human beings whose perfect1y constructed portrayals remain permanently locked in one's memory...

Mary Astor's Brigid O'Shaughnessy is a striking picture of feminine deceit and betrayal... Able to shed tears on command, she is a confirmed liar who can be as deadly as she is beautiful; she can make passionate love to Bogart, but wouldn't hesitate a moment to kill him if it suited her plan... Her performance is surely one of the screen's most brilliant portrayals of duplicity masked with fascination...

Sydney Greenstreet, in his movie debut, was equally memorable as the menacingly mountainous man behind the search for the elusive black bird, and almost stole the picture... Cunning, determined, appreciative of the fine arts, Greenstreet--who seemed to get more dangerous as he got more imperturbably polite--is a man who would devote his entire life to a single quest if need be...

Peter Lorre's Joel Cairo was a resolute picture of classic villainy... With curled hair and impeccably clean dress, he is an unpredictable accomplice of Greenstreet, difficult to deal with...

But it is Bogart's portrayal of Sam Spade that remains classic in its construction... Obviously cynical, he still maintains his own code of ethics which he adheres to faithfully... He is doubtful, but not foolhardy... He is courageous, but not without fear... Spade uses everyone he comes in contact with... He wins not because he's smarter than his enemies, but because he is the only character in a central position... Spade is every bit as ruthless as the crooks who try to use him... His tactics in dealing with them, however, are necessary for his survival...

His treatment of the two women in the film seems equally as harsh, but neither is a wide eyed innocent and both attempt to deceive him in one manner or another... His exchanges with Brigid O'Shaughnessy are electric... Their mutual attraction is undeniable... But Spade will play the fool for no woman... He is a loner, but he has contacts, and knows where to go for what he wants... Even with very little money, he is totally incorruptible... He has no apparent friends... He is laconic, but he can throw a wisecrack as fast as he can throw a punch...

"The Maltese Falcon" molded the image we remember of Bogart all through the early years of the Forties--an image elaborated upon and reinforced in "Casablanca," and the one which all Bogart fans remember with great affection and admiration...

This three -disc special edition is top notched. From the radio broadcast by edward g. robinson to the original motion picture versions of the film these are great extras. The picture and audio quality of the dvds is excellent. However no one embodies the role of sam spade as Humphrey Bogart and with a cast of villians as colorful as the ever elusive black bird, this film is a must own for any fan of bogart and of great film noir.

The Maltese Falcon stands as one of the finest detective films ever made. Jonh Huston's debut is a marvelous adaptation of Hammet's novel. The set also includes the first two attempts at turning the novel into a film, whihc didnt turn out so well. This is the film that made Bogart and it shows in his performance. Sidney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre also show up to give the film impeccable character.

The only problem I have with the DVD is that the transfer isn't nearly as good as the one for Casablanca. It would have been nice if Warner Bros had given the same amount of care for this film.

The remastered print of the original John Huston classic made the viewing a treat for the seasoned viewer of this Dashiel Hammett classic. The additional material, such as the Warren Williams and Betty Davis versions of the story, were of particular interest for those who consider the Bogart version a cinematic gem. They provided Huston with a blueprint of what to avoid in the third rendering of the novel. The 3 disc special edition is a must for anyone who cherishes this genre and the historical evolution of literature on the screen.

Definitely one of the greatest detective movies of all time! Many times through the years I have to watch this movie again and it is always fun to lend it to young adults that never had the chance to grow up with Boggy any rest of the characters of that time. A Great Movie to have in any collection!

The Maltese Falcon (Three-Disc Special Edition)~ Humphrey Bogart is one of the best detective movies of all time. The character Sam Spade is a legend and every detective ever since has been modeled after this. Bogart is absolutely stupendous in his role and he should have won some kind of award for it. I might even say that the academy award would have been justified for this movie. The music is minimal but it is very effective. The script is very well written and I would have to say it is one of the best movies that I have ever seen. I give it 5 well deserved stars.

The 'spotlight' reviews of The Maltese Falcon (1941) are on the money. It remains a remarkably modern, cynical film that holds up very well today. I remember my father talking about seeing it when it first came out, and talking of how, unlike so many other films, it moved like lightning. Mysteries in particular were typically slow moving films with too much comedy thrown in for light relief. The Huston version of The Maltese Falcon changed everything.
This new deluxe edition is wonderful, in part because it is great to finally have the two earlier versions easily available to watch, at least for a Falconite.
The Cortez version, yes, is inferior. It is an excellent contrast with the Huston version, in that it follows the story, uses similar dialogue, but in comparison is so...minor. It does have some nice extra scenes, including the ending, and is worth watching, but more as a document from an era. It has its own charms, but remains inferior to the 1941 version.
The 1935 version, though, is a remarkable disaster. It is terrible, either as a comedy or a mystery. There is pointless shifting of the story line (the Sydney Greenstreet character is a woman, to cite one ridiculous change). The Sam Spade character is a lightweight who does not give a damn about anything, but not because he is cynical--he just comes across as stupid.
But by far the biggest mistake is the waste of a radiant Bette Davis. One can only imagine what Davis would have been like working in the Huston version--although Mary Astor was totally terrific. The comedy version is an excellent example of Hollywood completely screwing up.
In this three disk special edition, the extras are both good and bad. I expected to see deleted scenes and bloopers from the Falcon movies--however, I don't remember any in the blooper reel provided. What was the point in seeing James Cagney and Pat O'Brien bloopers? The toons were okay, but so what? I haven't gotten yet to the radio versions, which should be interesting listening. But where is the documentary about the Huston version? About the other versions--the extras are all throwaways, which is annoying.
The transfers are excellent--I haven't noticed the synchronization problem one reviewer on these pages noticed, so I'll take another look..

I really enjoyed watching the restored John Huston version of the Maltese Falcon from this set of DVD's, However, the bonus materials are another matter. The volume levels on the bonus materials fluctuate quite a lot. Just when you think you have the right volume for your room on one segment,the next one is far too loud, not only scaring the dog,but resulting in a freshly popped bag of microwave popcorn to be spilled on to your lap and living room floor after you,ve been startled.
Also,on one of the cartoons,The original sountrack has been mixed to be heard in the left front speaker of a sound system and added music from a taped Cartoon recording session is heard on the right front speaker. It doesn't match up well and I found it jarring. All in all though a good set to have