Few films have had the impact or retained the popularity of The Maltese Falcon. An unexpected hit upon its release in 1941 it helped establish the careers of John Huston and Humphrey Bogart while also helping both to transform the detective genre of movies and to create film noir. This volume includes an introduction by its editor and a shotbyshot continuity of the film as well as essays on its production on literary and film traditions it drew upon and on its reputation and influence over the last half century. Included are reviews from the time of the films original release the enthusiastic French response in 1946 that helped define film noir and a close formal anaylsis of the film. In addition the volume contains a comparison of this version to earlier film versions of the Dashiell Hammett novel and helpful explorations of cultural historical and psychoanalytic issues. Like Casablanca The Maltese Falcon has attained iconic status this volume will contribute to the pleasure its many fans find in viewing the film again and again. William Luhr is a professor of English at St. Peters College in New Jersey. He is the author of Raymond Chandler and Film and coauthor of Blake Edwards and other books.