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The Maltese Falcon (Three-Disc Special Edition)

Humphrey Bogart (Actor), Mary Astor (Actor), John Huston (Director, Writer) Rated:
Unrated
Format: DVD
4.7 out of 5 stars 4,259 ratings
IMDb6.4/10.0
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Purchase options and add-ons

Format Closed-captioned, Multiple Formats, Black & White, NTSC
Contributor Peter Lorre, Jerome Cowan, Mary Astor, Ward Bond, Humphrey Bogart, Barton MacLane, Elisha Cook Jr., Gladys George, John Huston, Hal B. Wallis, Dashiell Hammett, James Burke, Henry Blanke, Lee Patrick, Murray Alper, Sydney Greenstreet See more
Language English
Runtime 1 hour and 41 minutes
Color Black & White

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Product Description

Product Description

Maltese Falcon, The: Special Edition (DVD) (3-Disc)

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Set Contains:

This handsome transfer of John Huston's 1941 masterpiece gets the usual mix of bonus features, with a couple of major additions: the two previous film versions of Dashiell Hammett's landmark detective novel. Neither gets it right, although both are fun examples of everyday Warner Bros. fare. The 1931 Maltese Falcon, starring Ricardo Cortez as gumshoe Sam Spade, has plenty of cheek but precious little magic--although it's fascinating to hear some of the same verbatim Hammett dialogue later enshrined in Huston's classic. The 1936 Satan Met a Lady pitches the story as a screwball comedy, with Warren William and Bette Davis playing it as though they wandered in from a Thin Man picture.

Other goodies include a historically minded commentary track from Bogart biographer Eric Lax. Three different radio versions of the Falcon are here, two starring Bogart and one with Edward G. Robinson, and a useful half-hour documentary, The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird. Turner Classics host Robert Osborne presents a fun 44 minutes' worth of Bogie coming-attractions trailers. An uncensored collection of bloopers, Breakdowns of 1941, has some hysterical gaffes. Shorts include two Oscar nominees: the cartoon "Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt," with Bugs Bunny intruding on the famous poem; and "The Gay Parisian," a colorful and historically valuable performance by the fabled Ballets Russe de Monte Carlo. (Although what Sam Spade would've thought of such a thing can only be imagined.) A humorous cartoon war-effort short, "Meet John Doughboy," gives good flavor of the mood of the era. --Robert Horton

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.33:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ Unrated (Not Rated)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 5.4 x 7.7 inches; 7.2 ounces
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ 67601
  • Director ‏ : ‎ John Huston
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Closed-captioned, Multiple Formats, Black & White, NTSC
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 41 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ October 3, 2006
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, Spanish, French
  • Producers ‏ : ‎ Henry Blanke, Hal B. Wallis
  • Language ‏ : ‎ Unqualified, English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ WarnerBrothers
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000GIXLW0
  • Writers ‏ : ‎ Dashiell Hammett, John Huston
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 3
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 4,259 ratings

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4,259 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers consider this film one of the finest detective films ever made, praising its compelling black and white cinematography and great supporting cast. Moreover, the movie keeps viewers guessing until the end with its many twists, and customers appreciate its slick dialogue and great timing. However, the quality receives mixed reviews, with some finding it excellent while others consider it poor.

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Movie qualityCastEntertainment valueMystery depthPicture qualityDialogue qualityPerformance qualityQuality
338 customers mention "Movie quality"335 positive3 negative

Customers praise this film as one of the finest detective films ever made, ranking it among the top 25 all-time movies.

"This classic movie from 1941 is a great Film Noir in black and white. It's based on the 1930s book by Dashiell Hammett...." Read more

"...best, but it is one of the very best, made to seem better by its innovative style, being at the dawn of that most distinctive American film style, `..." Read more

"...The script is taut and suspenseful and full of memorable quotes including, "It's the stuff that dreams are made of", its sign off line...." Read more

"Film Noir at its finest.. classic mystery with classic cast! Very enjoyable.. “they don’t make ‘em like this anymore!”...." Read more

103 customers mention "Cast"94 positive9 negative

Customers praise the cast of the movie, particularly noting the unforgettable supporting cast and great character portrayals, with one customer highlighting the genius behind the character of Sam Spade.

"...I love the characters in this story. Lorre is the well heeled gardenia-smelling Cairo...." Read more

"...well the story is constructed on the whole, and the genius behind the character of Sam Spade, which has as much to do with Dashiell Hammett's novel..." Read more

"Film Noir at its finest.. classic mystery with classic cast! Very enjoyable.. “they don’t make ‘em like this anymore!”...." Read more

"...A great All Star cast..." Read more

46 customers mention "Entertainment value"42 positive4 negative

Customers find the movie entertaining, with one describing it as a fun trip down memory lane and another noting it can be enjoyed multiple times.

"Film Noir at its finest.. classic mystery with classic cast! Very enjoyable.. “they don’t make ‘em like this anymore!”...." Read more

"...A fun trip down memory lane, entertaining and suspenseful." Read more

"...But the best reason is that it's simply a great and entertaining movie, just about perfect in every respect; not the most serious or ambitious movie..." Read more

"...The whole family can enjoy this movie with one of the greatest actors to have graced the silver screen, Humphry Bolgart." Read more

43 customers mention "Mystery depth"35 positive8 negative

Customers appreciate the mystery depth of the film, describing it as one of the best ever made, with many twists and turns that keep viewers guessing until the end.

"Film Noir at its finest.. classic mystery with classic cast! Very enjoyable.. “they don’t make ‘em like this anymore!”...." Read more

"One of the great classics from times past. Good story line and fantastic ending. Best of all it has no objectional sex, violence or foul language...." Read more

"...matched nowadays (even Walter Huston pops up), blistering dialog, imaginative (gorgeous black and white) photography and it runs at lightning speed..." Read more

"..."text" than the novel thanks to the casting, Bogart's nuanced, edgy performance, and the purely visual ironies made possible by Huston's..." Read more

30 customers mention "Picture quality"27 positive3 negative

Customers praise the movie's cinematography, with one customer noting that the black and white visuals are crisp and clear.

"...I suspect it launched `film noir' with its very distinctive photographic style where the camera point of view always seems to be below the actors'..." Read more

"...is not beautiful enough for a femme fatale role, but I feel she's beautiful enough and that the role doesn't require the character to be uncommonly..." Read more

"...credit to Dashiell Hammet for a great story, and to John Houston for capturing it magnificently and with no fuss." Read more

"...blistering dialog, imaginative (gorgeous black and white) photography and it runs at lightning speed. Classic Warner film of the period...." Read more

28 customers mention "Dialogue quality"28 positive0 negative

Customers praise the movie's slick dialogue and great writing, with one customer noting its absence of foul language and nudity.

"...The film, in fact, is much more talk than action, so its good writing was doubly important. Try it and don't worry about figuring it out until later." Read more

"...Amazing what can be done with great writing. This story carries you along without extra effects." Read more

"...The captions which I need synchronize perfectly with the dialogue, no mean feat as the characters talk a great deal and quickly...." Read more

"...Best of all it has no objectional sex, violence or foul language...." Read more

28 customers mention "Performance quality"28 positive0 negative

Customers praise the movie's performances, particularly Bogart's legendary portrayal, noting its faithful adherence to the book and effective pacing.

"...its great detective story, but rather for its acting, direction, camera work, and the invention of a major new genre in American film." Read more

"...His is a fine performance...." Read more

"...the dialogue, no mean feat as the characters talk a great deal and quickly. A fun trip down memory lane, entertaining and suspenseful." Read more

"...that it's simply a great and entertaining movie, just about perfect in every respect; not the most serious or ambitious movie, but arguably the best..." Read more

31 customers mention "Quality"17 positive14 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the movie's quality, with some finding it excellent and noting it's a classic that holds up well, while others describe it as pretty awful.

"...He's the tough guy who doesn't actually carry a gun, is on good terms with the police and other private detectives, and is careful to stay just..." Read more

"..."Satan Met A Lady" is a comedy take on the story and is pretty awful: I daresay that Warners were impressed by the success of "The Thin..." Read more

"...quality is vastly improved over the dvd and is the best restored old black and white film I've seen to date...." Read more

"...movie, just about perfect in every respect; not the most serious or ambitious movie, but arguably the best executed...." Read more

COLORIZED version is a unique experience for old and young!
5 out of 5 stars
COLORIZED version is a unique experience for old and young!
The product on this page is the COLORIZED version which is hard to find. It is an experience to watch it with a teenager that despises black and white programming. I only wish that the powers that be would colorize this onto DVD using the new technology that was used to colorize the Ray Harryhausen black and white Sci-Fi classics "Earth Vs. the Flying Saucers", It Came from Beneath the Sea" and "20 Million Miles to Earth".
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Top reviews from the United States

  • newal a billiot
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good
    Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2025
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    Good
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  • Lisa Shea
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, Classic Film Noir
    Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2006
    Verified Purchase
    This classic movie from 1941 is a great Film Noir in black and white. It's based on the 1930s book by Dashiell Hammett. There are spoilers in this review, so be warned.

    Sam Spade is a San Francisco detective in 1928 that loves to drink whiskey. His partner, Archer, is knocked off almost immediately, working on a case. It turns out Sam is sleeping with Archer's wife. She really loves him, and was trying to divorce Archer to be with him. He dismisses her casually once she is "free". Sam also keeps his hand on his secretary's knee while she sits on his desk and lights his cigarette for him. She's the dutiful sweet-but-ditzy slave who does anything he wants without question. She even puts up his new girlfriend, Brigid for a few days in her own home. Sam's building an entire harem here.

    That's only the beginning.

    The core of the problem is a gold Maltese Falcon - tracing back to the Knights Templar many centuries ago. A number of double crossers are trying to get their hands on the gold. This includes Mary Astor who plays Brigid Wonderley / LeBlanc / O'Shaughnessey the multi-named woman. This is made fun of beautifully in the spoof "without a clue".

    I love the characters in this story. Lorre is the well heeled gardenia-smelling Cairo. Brigid is a woman who loves to play roles to get what she wants. You've got a Fat Man who serves Sam whiskey each time they chat. Through it all waltzes Sam, who is sharp enough to change his attitude to suit the situation. He tells the DA that he knows he's under suspicion - and that the only way he sees to clear his name is to tie up the events and bring in the murderers all identified.

    I love some of the quotes in here - "The cheaper the crook - the gaudier the patter", he says after the gunner makes a snide remark. Sam shows he can move in any circle - he goes up against the police, harasses the lowly gunners and can discuss issues with the educated as well. He can hold off the approaches of sexy women and keep a semi-clear mind.

    On the other hand, for all his perfection, he tends to use the people around him without much concern. I love how he shakes up his secretary when she's about to pass out. None of that silly female behavior from her. He ditches the grieving widow, abandoning her completely even though she was ready to get divorced to be with him. The secretary has all sorts of wild demands made on her. "You're a good man, sister" he says to his secretary while abandoning her with a corpse. What's that mean, that she's useful, where a "normal" woman is not? Jeez :)

    That's not to say that anybody in this story is a real "good guy". You'd think his love interest might be - but Brigid lies pretty much every second, with lies on lies on lies. Even when she says she's telling the truth, she's lying again. Sam is wise to it and turns her over to the police. "I don't care who loves who, I'm not playing the sap ... you killed Miles, and you're going over for it" he says. He gives his famous speech about having to do what's right.

    I like how they show her "behind bars" as she gets into the elevator - and how he refuses to go with her. He takes his own path, with the "stuff dreams are made of" in his hands. As he explains, he might grieve for a few days, but he'll be right back to his cocky self after that. She made bad choices and will live with them. He made all the right choices, is quite happy with his conscience, and heck, he still has 2 women waiting for him.
    14 people found this helpful
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  • B. Marold
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most widely imitated / parodied films of all time!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2006
    Verified Purchase
    `The Maltese Falcon', written and directed by the young and upcoming talent, John Huston, is also the first big starring role for Humphrey Bogart and the first appearance on film of Sydney Greenstreet. That also makes this the first appearance of the famous `Casablanca' trio of Bogart, Lorre, and Greenstreet on film. While `Casablanca' may be, hands down, the most widely quoted film in history (It had six (6) quotes out of the 100 most quotable film lines of all times. I think all of the James Bond films together had but two!), `The Maltese Falcon' may be the most widely copied and parodied. The best known parody is probably Rowan and Martin's `The Maltese Bippie' movie. My favorite is the Nick Danger side of the Firesign Theater's second album, `How Can You Be Two Places at Once When You Are Not Anywhere At All'.

    The squib on the back of the DVD case claims this is the `best detective drama ever'. I would argue that it is certainly not the best, but it is one of the very best, made to seem better by its innovative style, being at the dawn of that most distinctive American film style, `film noir'. I suspect it launched `film noir' with its very distinctive photographic style where the camera point of view always seems to be below the actors' waist. It always seems as if the camera is looking up at the actors.

    By many counts, I think the last great `film noir', `Chinatown' is a much better detective, or at least `private detective' movie than `The Maltese Falcon', as the dual mystery of murder and parenthood is so much more interesting and it is unraveled in a much cleaner way, with few if any awkward scenes which seem to litter `The Maltese Falcon' from the very start, with the wooden scene in which Bogart's movie partner, Miles Archer is murdered by an unseen gunman.

    Other artificialities are the easily parodied name changes of Mary Astor's character and the way it is revealed at the very end that she pulled the trigger for the murder of one of the film's several victims.

    The other side of the coin is how well the story is constructed on the whole, and the genius behind the character of Sam Spade, which has as much to do with Dashiell Hammett's novel as with Bogart's portrayal. He's the tough guy who doesn't actually carry a gun, is on good terms with the police and other private detectives, and is careful to stay just inside the law, unlike the loose canon anti-heroes of a later time. He is the perfect model for the later Jake Geddes of `Chinatown'.

    The story also does well by opening in a very straightforward manner, to become suddenly one great big muddle of questions with the appearance of Peter Lorre's character, Joel Cairo. The plot gets even more interesting when `gunsul' Elijah Cook, Jr. and `the fat man', Sydney Greenstreet show up. Amazingly, this is a story built almost entirely from exposition, primarily from Astor, Lorre, and Greenstreet's characters, about the elusive object of the story, the `black bird' statue.

    Oddly, the story's resolution is so much better when it turns out the statue is revealed to be a fake, or at the very least, a simple lead figurine, instead of a disguised jewel encrusted treasure.

    `The Maltese Falcon' is a very important movie, but not for its great detective story, but rather for its acting, direction, camera work, and the invention of a major new genre in American film.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • David Bushell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on October 17, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    My all time favourite Bogie movie. DVD came when expected and the quality is very good.
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  • Serkan Silahsor
    5.0 out of 5 stars the falcon flies high...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2007
    Verified Purchase
    At least for two reasons, "The Maltese Falcon" is a milestone in the evolution of American genre cinema. First, this is one of the very first pictures that ushered the era of classic film noir. Its bizarre characterizations, twisty plot and cliché-drenched events serve as a perfect template that has been utilized in countless films through six decades after its making. Second, this is the movie that catapulted Humphrey Bogart's career into stardom. He had been a strong supporting character, mostly playing villains (as in "High Sierra" & "The Petrified Forest"). After his performance as hard-boiled private eye Sam Spade, he became a major star.

    The movie represents a complex study of human psyche, especially taking a dismal look at human greed and pursuit of self-interest at whatever cost. All characters are well-drawn and well-acted. From cynical, quick-thinking and fast-talking Spade to prissy, gardenia-scented but psychopathic Cairo, there are no righteous, clean or likeable character. Everyone is either honestly abhorrent or has numerous ulterior motives hidden behind their masks, but all converge at haunt for wealth.

    Even the "good guy" Spade's morality is questionable. Although he has a strong sense of idealism; his morality shakes wildly when things go awry. Spade might be considered as just crafty as other villains, but he adheres strictly to some kind of robust moral code and old-fashioned common sense that he tries to find the way out in the dark maze of confusion, deception and lies. At the end, he overcomes all obstacles and defeats bad guys, even at the cost of losing a love affair.

    Good characterization, tight direction, strong performances and wonderful plot make "The Maltese Falcon" still an interesting & entertaining picture albeit more than six decades have passed after its making.

    The DVD transfer is quite good. Black & white tones are crisp and clear, contrasts are satisfactorily strong, audio is all right. Bonus DVD has some interesting extras. 45-minutes non-film featurette (Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart) hosted by Robert Osborne is a nice trailer collection of 12 Bogart films, from "The Petrified Forest" of 1936 to "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" of 1948. 32-minutes documentary (The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird) deals with book, Hammett and the earlier film versions. Also it has interviews with Robert Osbourne, Michael Madsen, Frank Miller and Bogart biographer Eric Lax.

    This 2-disc special edition is a must-have for Huston & Bogart fans, as well as it's a good start to enter the film noir world.
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  • Douglas Kaiura
    5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Bogart film.
    Reviewed in Canada on June 18, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Classic Dashell Hammett's novel directed by John Huston, made a star of Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade. He is hired by Mary Astor who lies at every chance. His partner is killed, Ward Bond and Barton Mclaine are detectives who want to find out who killed his partner. Bogart finds out that a statue called the Maltese Falcon incrusted with gems is behind the killing of his partner. This leads to Sidney Greenstreet who also is looking for the Falcon, along with a young Peter Lorre. Elisha Cook Jr. is a young henchmen protecting Greenstreet. Exciting movie with Bogart playing along to find the Falcon. Lots of extra included with 4K and ultra HD film.
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  • TIM BLUE
    5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless classic
    Reviewed in Germany on June 16, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    'The Maltese Falcon' is a bona fide classic. It transcends time and fads and fashions and, like a fine wine, improves with each passing year.
    I don't really have anything new to add to all the accolades that have been bestowed on the film over the decades. Most people are at least familiar with the outline of Dashiell Hammett's story depicting a gang of high-living rogues who will do almost anything to get their hands on the jewel-encrusted falcon. It's one of the very best detective stories ever published and a superbly written novel.
    John Huston's directorial debut is masterful and the casting perfect: Humphrey Bogart as private eye Sam Spade, Peter Lorre as a perfumed and rather creepy Joel Cairo, Sydney Greenstreet as the fat man Kasper Gutman and Mary Astor as the beautiful and treacherous Brigid O'Shaughnessy.
    I'm delighted with this edition of the film and I don't suppose I'll ever tire of watching it. It's the stuff dreams are made of and I can't recommend it highly enough.
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  • Jean LE GOFF
    5.0 out of 5 stars UN JOYAU DU FILM NOIR
    Reviewed in France on August 14, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    Le faucon maltais (The Maltese Falcon) est un grand film de John Huston de 1941.
    Adapté par Huston d'un roman policier de Dashiell Hammett, le film démarre d'abord lentement avant d'adopter un rythme haletant. Deux détectives privés, Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) et son associé Miles, en manque de clients et d'argent, reçoivent la visite d'une étrange cliente qui leur confie une étrange mission: filer un homme pour arriver à retrouver sa soeur et la remettre sur le droit chemin. La mission paraît simple, c'est de l'argent facilement gagné. Mais le bon vivant Miles attiré par la cliente, trouve...la mort. L'homme qu'il s'agissait de filer est également abattu peu de temps après. Sam Spade est soupçonné des deux meurtres par la police, assez peu dégourdie dans cette affaire. Attiré lui aussi par la cliente (Mary Astor), mais d'une autre trempe que son associé, il essaie d'élucider toutes ces morts, et se retrouve mêlé à la recherche d'un mystérieux faucon maltais que toute une série d'individus louches cherche à s'approprier: le mystérieux Joel Cairo aux multiples passeports (Peter Lorre), "the fat man", Kasper Gutman (Sidney Greenstreet, au jeu inoubliable) et leur porte flingues, souffre douleur de Bogart.
    Au delà de l'intrigue captivante et du tempo rapide et envoutant du film, Huston dépeint surtout des caractères et dévoile les côtés les plus sombres de l'âme humaine à travers tous ces personnages attirés par l'argent et prêts à tout pour parvenir à leur fin. Humprey Bogart symbolise au milieu de tous ces personnages peu reluisants l'homme fort, intelligent, obstiné, moralement intègre mais capable d'utiliser les moyens les plus machiavéliques pour parvenir à ses fins. Le DVD comporte également un documentaire de 44 minutes sur Humphrey Bogart qui montre l'évolution de l'image de l'acteur à travers les bandes-annonces de ses films: on y voit que Bogart a d'abord joué des seconds rôles de gangster, puis un premier rôle (toujours de gangster) dans High Sierra, avant que la Warner ne change son image en le transformant progressivement en héros positif, d'abord à travers le personnage du détective du Faucon Maltais, puis de héros romantiques.
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