The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Rome’s Capitol Theatre will screen a six-movie series, The Great American Novel, in the 1928 auditorium beginning September 24. Presented in conjunction with Jervis Public Library and the Keaton & Lloyd Bookshop, the series will focus on critically-acclaimed American movies based on classic American novels.

The Maltese Falcon (Warner Bros., 1941; B&W, 100 minutes) Considered by many film historians to be the quintessential “film noir,” the 1941 film version of Dashiell Hammett’s novel about hard-boiled detective Sam Spade. Humphrey Bogart was elevated to full-star-status with his performance of Spade, and others in the cast include Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Ward Bond. The movie was nominated for three Oscars and, in 1989, was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” “This is one of the best examples of actionful and suspenseful melodramatic storytelling in cinematic form.” –Variety.

Please note: although the movies are rated for general audiences, parents and guardians should use their discretion, recognizing that all the movies have moments of intensity that could prove disturbing for young children.

Runtime: 100 Minutes
Rating: PG
Language: English
Format: Digital Print
Venue: Capitol Theatre