The Maltese Falcon

Dir: John Huston, 1941, bw (9.0*)

One of the great treasure hunts on film, a film noir mystery from the pen of Dashiell Hammett, a Sam Spade novel. Thankfully George Raft turned down the part, and it made Humphrey Bogart a star. The terrific Huston script has Bogart investigating his partner's murder and he runs into Sydney Greenstreet, who is hunting for a jeweled, golden falcon left behind by the Knights Templar in the middle ages. Peter Lorre is in on the plot, as is his client Mary Astor. The ever present Elisha Cook is Greenstreet's gun.

Quote: Oh, you're good, you're real good alright. (Bogart to Astor)