The Maltese Falcon

Rutgers Films in Print

by William Luhr

Few films have had the impact or retained the popularity of The Maltese Falcon. An unexpected hit upon its release in 1941, it helped establish the careers of John Huston and Humphrey Bogart while also helping both to transform the detective genre of movies and to create film noir. This volume includes an introduction by its editor and a shot-by-shot continuity of the film, as well as essays on its production, on literary and film traditions it drew upon, and on its reputation and influence over the last half century. Included are reviews from the time of the film's original release, the enthusiastic French response in 1946 that helped define film noir, and a close formal anaylsis of the film. In addition, the volume contains a comparison of this version to earlier film versions of the Dashiell Hammett novel, and helpful explorations of cultural, historical, and psychoanalytic issues. Like Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon has attained iconic status; this volume will contribute to the pleasure its many fans find in viewing the film again and again. William Luhr is a professor of English at St. Peter's College in New Jersey. He is the author of Raymond Chandler and Film and co-author of Blake Edwards and other books.

Genres: Media Tie In, Film, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1995

Reviews

[Bernie4444 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Maltese Falcon: John Huston, Director – a continuity.

I like collecting screenplays and Cliff’s Notes. as they give insight into what is being watched. I do not totally agree with their views but I like being exposed to different views.

This book (yes, I said book) is a combination of the screenplay and more in-depth than a Cliff’s Note. You can hold it step by step through the movie to tell you what you are looking at.

Also, there are biographies and movie-making details. We get black and white clips from the film. There is even a section to compare and contrast the three different Maltese Falcon films.

You can scan but it is more interesting to read from front to back.

If you have deep pockets you will want to collect all the “Ruger’s Films in Print”