Sam Spade, a hard-boiled private eye, is engaged on a case by a beautiful woman but is soon dragged into a mystery involving the search for a priceless jewelled statuette, the Maltese Falcon, with Spade trying to avoid the murderous intentions of a fanatical art collector and his equally murderous henchman. A brilliant thriller boasting a complex plot, taken from the story by Dashiell Hammett, a perfect film noir atmosphere and peerless performances from Bogart as the tough 'tec, Sidney Greenstreet as the oliagenous Guzman and Peter Lorre as Cairo, his reptilian right-hand-man. Nominated for a Best Picture Oscar in 1941. The story was originally filmed in 1931 and the subject of a sequel - of sorts - The Black Bird, in 1976.