The Maltese Falcon (1941 film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have never desired to see the 1931 film of The Maltese Falcon, but only John Huston‘s acclaimed 1941 version.  This is because Huston had the ability to make any movie a Big Deal, an event, without pretentiousness but certainly not without artistry, as is the case with  Maltese.  He had a capital Sam Spade in Bogart and didn’t sanitize the character.  Indecent in many ways, Spade looks quasi-angelic next to the sneaky felons played by Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre, both fascinating.