Most people think John Huston’s 1941 masterpiece is the beginning and end of the story. It isn't. Not even close. Before Humphrey Bogart pulled up his collar and defined film noir for a century, Hollywood had already tried to turn Dashiell Hammett’s serialized Black Mask story into a hit twice. They failed. Or, at least, they didn't capture that lightning-in-a-bottle cynicism that makes the Maltese Falcon movies such a weird, fascinating case study in how to actually adapt a book.
You’ve got a detective. You’ve got a "black bird" made of gold and jewels. You’ve got a dame who lies with every breath she takes. It’s a perfect setup. Yet, the first two attempts at the Maltese Falcon movies are almost unrecognizable compared to the gritty, shadows-and-fog version we watch today. One of them is basically a lighthearted sex comedy. Seriously.
The 1931 Original: Pre-Code and Surprisingly Risqué
Before the Hays Code started wagging its finger at Hollywood, Warner Bros. took their first crack at Hammett's novel in 1931. This version, directed by Roy Del Ruth, stars Ricardo Cortez as Sam Spade. If you're used to Bogart, Cortez is a massive shock to the system. He’s a dandy. He smirks. He has a thin mustache and spends a lot of time eyeing women in a way that would make 1940s Spade look like a monk.
In this first entry of the Maltese Falcon movies, the tone is fast-paced and loose. It’s much more faithful to the book’s sexual undertones than the 1941 version could ever be. You see Spade’s secretary, Effie, basically acting as his gatekeeper for a rotating door of girlfriends. You see Spade forcing Miss Wonderly (played by Bebe Daniels) to strip so he can check her for stolen money. It’s gritty, but in a "pre-code" way that feels more like a tabloid headline than a moody poem.
It did okay at the box office. But then the censors stepped in. By the mid-30s, the 1931 film couldn't be re-released because it was deemed "lewd." Warner Bros. had a property they couldn't make money on, so they did what Hollywood always does: they rebranded.
Satan Met a Lady: The Version We Don’t Talk About
1936 brought us Satan Met a Lady. It is, frankly, bizarre. Imagine taking a hard-boiled detective story and turning it into a wacky caper. Bette Davis stars as the "femme fatale," though she famously hated the script and the movie. Warren William plays the Spade character, renamed Ted Shane.
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The bird isn't even a bird. It’s a ram’s horn filled with jewels.
This is the "lost" sibling of the Maltese Falcon movies. It’s goofy. It tries so hard to be The Thin Man—that iconic blend of martinis and murder—but it misses the mark. It’s a reminder that the material in Hammett’s book is actually quite dark. If you try to make it "fun," you lose the soul of the thing. You lose the idea that everyone is a loser in the end. Bette Davis later called the film "junk," and it’s hard to argue with her, even if it is a fascinating relic of a studio trying to force a square peg into a round hole.
Why 1941 Changed Everything
Then came John Huston. He was a screenwriter who wanted to direct. He told the studio he’d just follow the book. "Just film the pages," basically. That was the secret sauce.
Huston understood that the Maltese Falcon movies shouldn't be about the bird. They should be about the faces. He hired Humphrey Bogart, who was mostly known for playing second-tier gangsters. He hired Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet.
The 1941 film is a masterclass in blocking. Look at the scenes in Spade’s apartment. The camera is low. The ceilings feel like they’re pressing down on the characters. This isn't the breezy San Francisco of the 1931 version. This is a trap.
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The Chemistry of the Losers
What makes the 1941 version the definitive entry in the Maltese Falcon movies saga is the ensemble.
- Sydney Greenstreet (Kasper Gutman): This was his first-ever film role. He was 61. He brings this jovial, terrifying weight to the "Fat Man."
- Peter Lorre (Joel Cairo): He smells like gardenias and carries a cane. He’s the perfect, nervous foil to Bogart’s iron-clad stoicism.
- Mary Astor (Brigid O'Shaughnessy): She isn't a "villain" in the traditional sense; she’s a pathological liar who can't stop even when it would save her life.
Bogart’s Spade is different because he’s a professional. He isn't necessarily "good." He’s just better at the game than the people trying to play him. When he tells Brigid, "I won't play the sap for you," it isn't just a line. It’s a manifesto for the entire film noir genre.
The Cultural Shadow and the Parodies
The impact of these films is so heavy that we’ve been parodying them for eighty years. You can't watch a detective movie today without seeing a shadow of the Maltese Falcon movies. From The Black Bird (1975), which was a direct comedic sequel starring George Segal as Sam Spade Jr., to the various nods in The Big Lebowski, the "MacGuffin" (an object everyone wants but doesn't actually matter) started here.
The 1975 sequel is worth a look if you want to see how much the 70s tried to deconstruct the myths of the 40s. It’s cynical, but in a "the world is a joke" way rather than a "the world is a dark alley" way. It didn't land. People don't want Sam Spade to be a joke. They want him to be the guy who stands in the rain and does the right thing for the wrong reasons.
Real Talk: The "Black Bird" Reality
In the novel and the Maltese Falcon movies, the statuette is a tribute from the Knight Templars of Malta to Emperor Charles V. It’s supposed to be encrusted with unbelievable wealth.
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In reality? The props used in the 1941 film have become some of the most valuable pieces of movie memorabilia in history. One of the lead statuettes used in the film sold at auction for over $4 million. The irony is staggering. The "stuff that dreams are made of"—which turned out to be worthless lead in the movie—is now worth more than a real golden falcon probably would be.
There were multiple birds made for the 1941 shoot. Some were plaster, some were lead. The lead ones were heavy—around 45 pounds. You can actually see the actors straining to carry it in certain scenes. That physical weight adds a layer of realism you just don't get in the earlier, lighter versions of the story.
How to Watch These Movies Today
If you actually want to understand the evolution of the genre, don't just watch the Bogart version and stop.
- Watch the 1931 version first. It’s available on various classic film streaming services. Notice how "light" it feels. Notice how Spade smiles. It feels like a different world.
- Read the first three chapters of Hammett’s book. You’ll see that Huston lifted the dialogue almost word-for-word.
- End with the 1941 film. Watch it with the lights off. Focus on the shadows. Pay attention to how often Spade is actually in control versus how often he's just bluffing.
- Skip Satan Met a Lady. Honestly. Unless you’re a Bette Davis completist or a glutton for cinematic confusion, it’s a footnote that mostly serves to show how lucky we got with the 1941 casting.
The Maltese Falcon movies teach us that the story is only half the battle. The "vibe"—the lighting, the cynical worldview, the casting of a man who looks like he hasn't slept in three days—is what actually makes a classic. You can have the best plot in the world, but if your Sam Spade is a dandy in a tuxedo, nobody is going to remember your movie eighty years later.
Next time you’re scrolling through a streaming service and see that black-and-white thumbnail of Bogart, remember that he wasn't the first, he was just the one who finally got it right. The others were just rehearsals for the real thing.