This mystery yarn of the quest for a priceless figure of a black falcon, studded with rare gems and missing since the Crusades, brought a great deal of critical acclaim to Dashiell Hammett.

Hot after the precious curio, worth some two millions, is a band of international crooks. So, too, is a beautiful and soulless vampire, on a free-lance pursuit of her own. She involves a handsome private detective in the series of murders that follow.

The story, being complicated and necessitating the holding back of a lot of facts from the audience, is a little puzzling, but Ricardo Cortez, as the unscrupulous, unyielding secret investigator, and Bebe Daniels, as the lovely siren whose smile means a trip to the morgue, give it a real interest.

I like to quote press agents upon their products. The publicity men describe The Maltese Falcon this way:

"He wanted her for murder! She wanted him for love!"

There you have the story in a couple of nutshells, as Andy would say.

Publication Date: July 4, 1941