Maltese Falcon 1931 version

[storman113]

The 1931 version was on TMC late Sunday night. Recorded on the DVR. Watched this evening. Thought everyone did a good job except Spade and Cairo. Liked the way they showed how Spade and Wonderly got along!

Great close ups showing the style of the day and lots of Fedora's

Bebe Daniels/Ruth Wonderly, Ricardo Cortez/Sam Spade, Dudley Diggs/Caspar Gutman, Otto Matieson/Dr Joel Cairo and Una Merkel/Effie Perine ( she was a knockout!)

 

[ScionPI2005]

I'll have to watch that version someday. I too saw it was on Sunday evening, but had to get up for work early, so I didn't watch it. I've always been curious about that version.

 

[Feraud]

It's not a bad version at all.
In this film you can at least understand why Sam Spade was playing around with his partner's wife. Get a look at Thelma Todd!

In the 1941 version the studio neutered the inherent sexuality from the story to the point of absurdity.
There is no reason Spade would have been attracted to Mary Astor nor have an affair with Gladys George. It is almost impossible to believe Brigid O'Shaunessey could lead Sam Spade around by his nose for a while..
Having said all that I find the casting of the '41 version to be superior.
Bogey, Peter Lorre, Ward Bond, Barton MacLane, Sidney Greenstreet, Elisha Cook were all perfect in their roles.

 

[filfoster]

Maltese redux

I had no idea there was a 1931 version. Something to look for on DVD.

 

[Feraud]

There is also a 1936..."version" of the story called Satan Met a Lady with William Warren and Bette Davis. Marie Wilson is my favorite part of this film.
You can see all versions on The Maltese Falcon dvd released a few years back.

 

[Haversack]

That the 1931 version was Pre-Code is apparent from the first establishing shot of Spade's office. Shot from floor level, his office door opens and and a pair of stockinged legs in high heels walks out. In the office, Sam is picking up the cushions from the floor and putting them back on the couch. Nothing more is shown or said but the audience is in no doubt about what just occurred.

Dialogue in both the first and third versions is in many places identical as both took it straight out of Hammet's book.

If you go by Hammet's description of Spade having a face composed of Vs so that he looked like a blond Satan, then Cortez isn't too far from the mark.

The second film, _Satan Met a Lady_ is best viewed as a camp parody of the story.

Haversack.

 

[Decodence]

That the 1931 version was Pre-Code is apparent from the first establishing shot of Spade's office. Shot from floor level, his office door opens and and a pair of stockinged legs in high heels walks out. In the office, Sam is picking up the cushions from the floor and putting them back on the couch. Nothing more is shown or said but the audience is in no doubt about what just occurred.

Dialogue in both the first and third versions is in many places identical as both took it straight out of Hammet's book.

If you go by Hammet's description of Spade having a face composed of Vs so that he looked like a blond Satan, then Cortez isn't too far from the mark.

The second film, _Satan Met a Lady_ is best viewed as a camp parody of the story.

Haversack.

Yup, right on all accounts. The 31 version is more faithful to the book. Production code killed most of Hammet's details.

 

[Stiv]

I've yet to see the '31 version, but I read about it while I was writing my short movie parody of the Bogart version. I'd like to see how it compares to the '41. For a chuckle, check out my version of The Maltese, Maltese at www.movieparodynetwork.com. We have parodies of D.O.A. and Detour coming up next on our web series. I love these old film noir movies.
Stiv