The Maltese Falcon (1931) – After seeing the 1941 version
(several times), it is difficult to imagine other actors, or other approaches.
However, for old film buffs (or is that simply buffs for old films?), this is
an enjoyable movie, but falls well short of its now obvious potential. This earliest version had Sam Spade as a
shallow, well-dressed, smooth-talking, money-grubbing ladies’ man. The pre-code era film played up the sex angle
in this production, and the homosexual attraction between two of the crooks was
not repressed as it was in the later version. The film starred an obnoxiously
leering sexual predator — as we see it now — Ricardo Cortez as Spade and Bebe
Daniels as the sexy, double-crossing vamp.
Satan Met A Lady (1936)
— This little curiosity was filmed in between the original film and the
classic. It starred Bette Davis, who
was reportedly having a tough time in her career and Warren William in the Bogart part.
It’s pure speculation on my part, but after the incredible film success
of Dashiell Hammett’s The Thin Man in
1934, the studio wanted to remake the original Falcon in the fashion of the successful light-hearted Thin Man comedy mystery. It didn't’ work on so many levels it’s hard
to count. They added nightclub scenes so that a dapper Sam Spade could be seen
as a worldly Nick Charles. The writers traded wise guy barbs for an attempt at
witty banter and had a smarmy Warren William struggle with William Powell’s copyrighted combination of smart and silly, resulting
in a difficult to take dandified version of Sam Spade. Warren William is no
Powell and legendary as she is, Bette Davis is no Myrna Loy. The best fun here is seeing the delightful Marie Wilson and a young Arthur Treacher in supporting roles. Though
entertaining in retrospect, Satan
bombed and didn't help Davis resuscitate her career.
The Maltese Falcon (1941) — and while the first Falcon is entertaining, the second
attempt a failure, the third won the championship. I cannot possibly know what was
in Hammett’s head, but I always thought he succeeded in creating two classic
but different literary characters in Sam Spade and Nick Charles. I also suspect they are created from the
extremes of his own personality. Spade
was a reflection of Hammett’s early career as a detective for Pinkerton and
Charles a reflection of his high-living, carefree aspiration. The Maltese
mystery as it was recreated in 1941 was the tale of a tough, steet-wise character who, despite
temptation, was true to his convictions. Yet the end was tragic — the noir
formula missing from the other two versions. Another lesson that comes with
looking at these films side by side is how important supporting roles can be. The
1941 film is solid all the way through. We not only appreciate Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor in this one, we are enamored
of the secondary characters as well, the subtly menacing crooks played by Peter
Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet and Elisha Cook. Ward Bond also appeared
as did Walter Huston who directed.
Drinks for the evening? These aren’t gritty crime films for
the most part. Drink something civilized
for heaven’s sake, martinis, sherry, even champagne. For the non-drinker, a spritzer without the
alcohol.
