Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or...

San Francisco, 1941Like Brigid O'Shaughnessy, who enters Sam Spade's office under the alias of Ms. Wonderly, the San Francisco of The Maltese Falcon is a lie. Our opening shots are the San Francisc...

The Maltese Falcon has one plot—find the dang Falcon. That doesn't mean it's a simple one, though. With characters double-crossing and backstabbing one another (if you double-cross and backstab,...

Film NoirThe Maltese Falcon is known as one of the first film noirs: it defined the genre with its hardboiled, amoral detective, its femme fatale, and its dangerous urban setting. Also, everything...

A Different BreedA Maltese Falcon isn't one of those new hybrid dog breeds like a Labradoodle or a Puggle—it's a solid gold statue encrusted in jewels. It makes Faberge eggs look like those cheap...

Tipping the ScalesWe're going to give you a huge amount of detail here, but that's only fitting in a discussion about The Maltese Falcon—the ending to this film is basically one big plot info-dum...

PGThe Maltese Falcon may be in black and white, but there are a few implied shady dealings happening off-screen. Spade and Archer openly lust after Brigid from the second she walks into their offic...