The Maltese Falcon (1931 film)

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This article is about the 1931 film. For the Humphrey Bogart version, see The Maltese Falcon (1941 film).

Maltese Falcon (1931)

Directed by	Roy Del Ruth
Written by	Maude Fulton Brown Holmes based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett
Starring	Bebe Daniels Ricardo Cortez
Cinematography	William Rees
Editing by	George Marks
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	June 13, 1931
Running time	80 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

The Maltese Falcon is a 1931 film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett. It was directed by Roy Del Ruth and starred Ricardo Cortez as private detective Sam Spade and Bebe Daniels in the role of Ruth Wonderly. Also featured were Thelma Todd, Dudley Digges, Otto Matieson, and Una Merkel. Maude Fulton Brown Holmes adapted the screenplay for the film, which was produced and released by Warner Brothers.

Ruth Wonderly (Bebe Daniels) on Sam Spade's bed.

While the plot is much the same as the better-known 1941 adaptation (much of the dialogue for both of the films is taken directly from the novel, so in many scenes, it is identical), the tenor is lighter, and there is rather extensive use of sexually suggestive situations in this pre-Hays Code film, notably a scene featuring Bebe Daniels nude in a bathtub and another in which she is seen naked in the kitchen, partially covering herself with her clothes after being stripped-searched by Ricardo Cortez. From the opening scene, in which a young woman is seen straightening her stockings as she leaves Spade's office, there are numerous suggestions of Spade's sexual involvement with other female characters. Furthermore, the film does not shy away from the theme of homosexuality: a young and handsome Wilmer (played by Dwight Frye) is openly called Gutman's "boyfriend," implying a gay relationship. Spade also plays with a cop he doesn't like by constantly referring to him as "sweetheart" and "darling."

In 1936, Warner Brothers attempted to re-release the film, but was denied approval by the Production Code Office due to the film's "lewd" content. For decades, unedited copies could not be legally shown in the United States.

Once restrictions were lifted from showing this film (sometime after 1966), the film was retitled to Dangerous Female for US television in order to avoid confusion with the 1941 version, which had previously been the only legal version available.