The Maltese Falcon

January 26, 2009
The classic noir story is given new life with this full-cast adaptation. When a damsel in distress steps into Sam Spade's office spinning a yarn of a kidnapped sister and shady older man, Spade is doubtful but intrigued. Soon, he's pulled into an international hunt for a bird made of gold that leaves a trail of dead bodies, including his partner. Michael Madsen initially comes on a bit strong as Spade with a tone and growl that goes beyond previous renditions, but by the end, he has appreciatively mellowed. The supporting cast (including Sandra Oh and Edward Herrmann) are fine but unmemorable. The sound effects fading in and out of the production prove so subtle that it's often hard to determine if one is hearing them from the story or from the real world. The occasional musical score is reminiscent of old-time radio and used sparingly. A Vintage paperback.

February 15, 2005
Valentine's Day marks the 75th anniversary of the publication of "The Maltese Falcon", the best hard-boiled P.I. story and one of the great American novels, period. In recognition, Vintage is rereleasing it along with Hammett's Continental Op novel "Red Harvest" and his final novel, "The Thin Man", all featuring gorgeous noir covers. The publisher is also bringing out a new volume of selections from the author's works, called simply "Vintage Hammett "(ISBN 1-4000-7962-4).

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.