Film Noir Classic Movie Alert

[Watchdog]

The Maltese Falcon. Tonight at 8:00 p.m. on Turner Classic Movies.

One of the greatest film noir movies ever made. Far as I'm concerned, it's perfect in every way. Forget the previous attempts to make a film from Dashiell Hammet's 1930 novel. There is only one Sam Spade, and we all know that's Humphrey Bogart. Director John Huston hits a home run with this one.

Hammett, by the way, was an army veteran and a former Pinkerton detective before he turned to writing. He also wrote The Thin Man, the novel the popular film series was based on that starred William Powell and Myrna Loy.

He'll always be famous for The Maltese Falcon. A lot of the dialogue in the film is taken directly from the book. It has some memorable lines. I've lost track of the number of times I've read the book and watched the film.

It'll be a good film to watch with dinner this evening.

 

[STCM(SW)]

"What is it?"
"The stuff dreams are made of."

 

[sheepdawg]

The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter.

 

[OLDSTER]

TCM is my favorite I'll be watching for about the tenth time

 

[Marshwheeling]

Not just Bogart and Mary Astor, but Peter Lorre, Sidney Greenstreet, and Elijah Cook. You don't get a cast like that very often.

 

[old bear]

Jim, thanks for the heads up. This is the classic of all of the classic films. When I lived in the Bay Area I was lucky enough to spend a LITTLE time in the 800 block of Polk st.

 

[Ogandydancer]

Seen several times but may watch again if nothing more interesting pops up.

 

[A10]

It is my favorite movie of all time. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[S&WIowegan]

His name was Elisha Cook, Jr. and he had a rough bunch of roles to play. He drank poison in The Big Sleep and later on was a sodbuster in Shane and nasty Jack Wilson kilt 'im.

 

[nicky4968]

Elisha Cook, Jr. was known as the world's lightest heavy.

 

[rockquarry]

Elisha Cook, Jr. is one of those very recognizable character actors seen in many movies of his era, but I'm pretty sure few folks know his name. He was a master at playing the mousy, generally harmless sleazoid.

 

[Rudi]

Elisha Cook, Jr. was known as the world's lightest heavy.

The Maltese Falcon sits on my shelf, one worth owning. Elisha Cook would play "Ice Pick" on Magnum PI.

 

[CH4]

Great movie! Can't believe I waited until last year to watch it.