Advantages: An excellent film, a joy to watch
Disadvantages: Should be shown at a decent time on TV

...I was lucky enough this Christmas to receive "The Maltese Falcon" on DVD as a present from my loving girlfriend. She knows my thoughts about this classic film and decided it was time that I had a copy of my own. I am a very lucky boy. "The Maltese Falcon" is adapted from the novel by Dashiell Hammett, which I must admit I've never read but it's considered to be a classic. The film begins in the detective agency of Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) and Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan). A mysterious woman calling herself Miss Wonderly (Mary Astor), and looking like a classic femme fatal, enlists the help of the detectives to track a man called Thursby. However, on the first night of this task Miles Archer is murdered by a party or parties unknown and an hour or so later Thursby is also killed. Sam Spade then takes it upon himself... Read review

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Advantages: Great plot, very well written
Disadvantages: Characters (see below!!)

...a number of novels which were adopted by Hollywood due to their accessability and were turned into films - the most notable being The Maltese Falcon starring Humprey Bogart. PLOT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A detective, Sam Spade, is hired by a young woman, Miss Wonderley to track down her sister. When Spade's partner, Miles Archer is shot and killed whilst following Miss Wonderley, we begin to see that all is not what it seems. An intricate plot follows during which Sam finds himself both the hunter and the hunted all in the name of trying to track down a priceless jewel encrusted statue of a Falcon. There are twists and turns at every angle whilst people double cross each other and are double crossed. There is never a dull moment!! WHATS GOOD? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The book is a very good read from... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Generally all excellent stories
Disadvantages: One dud

...Introduction Best-known for his novel The Maltese Falcon, Dashiell Hammett is one of the godfathers of hardboiled crime. Perhaps because of everyone's high opinion of The Maltese Falcon, I was surprised to be rather disappointed by it, feeling that it was overly complicated. So I wasn't particularly inspired to read anything else by him…until I managed to pick this book up in a charity shop for a mere 50p (I couldn't turn down something by a classic author at that price!). I didn't at first realise that it was a collection of short stories; in fact it was only when I started reading the second chapter and noticed that all the characters had changed that I realised. I think Hammett's style is better suited to short stories - they are uncomplicated and so much clearer than his novels and ultimately much more readable. The author... Read review

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Advantages: Superb dramatisation of the book
Disadvantages: None

...Sam Spade is a private eye, who becomes involved with a client calling herself Ms Wonderly, worried about a missing sister. When his partner is found murdered, he realises that not all is as it seems and Ms Wonderly is actually called Brigid O'Shaughnessy, and, if she has a sister, certainly isn't missing one. Even worse, the police think that Sam may have something to do with the murder of his sister and a man called Joel Cairo threatens him at gunpoint. Eventually, he works out that what everyone is getting worked up about is a statuette called the Maltese Falcon, given to Charles V of Spain by the Knight Templars of Malta - people will apparently pay anything to get hold of it and Brigid appears to be the key. Will Sam help them find the Maltese Falcon? And will he track down his partner's killer? This film is based on a book... Read review

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Advantages: a good way of spending some time in front of the telly
Disadvantages: none

...It was my birthday recently and my girlfriend asked me what I wanted, the answer was the Maltese Falcon DVD, which was delivered on the day. As I have mention before I have, a taste for old films, so to me this was the prefect present. The first thing you notice about the DVD is the picture on the case, it is in the style of a picture poster of the 1940’s-50’s and it shows the two main stars of the movie, Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor. The cover I would be happy hanging on my wall at home if it was larger. The DVD is around 97 minutes long, and shot in black and white, and mono, but has Dolby digital sound, so don’t expect any fills in this area. Warner Home Video distributes the DVD, and should be available in any good video shop, the price is unknown to me as it was a present. The film was produced in 1941... Read review

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Advantages: classic, terse pulp writing
Disadvantages: availability

...Dashiell Hammett, along with his contemporary Raymond Chandler, was responsible for the elevation of the detective novel from the dime store novels into serious fiction. While Chandler had a more literary and descriptive style, Hammett wrote with a terse economy and with a gritty sense of realism helped no doubt by his past employment with the Pinkerton private detective agency. He also pre-dated Chandler and wrote with less of a moral standpoint than either Chandler or James M Cain. Although he had a mixed relationship with Hollywood and did not fare well as a screenwriter, the majority of his books have been adapted as films probably none better than the Maltese Falcon with Humphrey Bogart which was director John Huston's first film. (Other notable successes were The Thin Man with Dick Powell and Myrna Loy which is much lighter... Read review

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Advantages: Cast,directing, gripping plot
Disadvantages: Very little...

...I don't know if the term film noir had been invented before The Maltese Falcon was released in 1941, but if it hadn't, it would have been necessary to create it just for this film. (If you don't know what film noir means, watch this film to find out!) Humphrey Bogart is one of my all-time favourite actors and his portrayal of unemotional but honourable Private Detective Sam Spade is perfect. When a damsel in distress (Mary Astor) comes in with a case for Spade and his detective partner Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan), it seems like a routine case of a woman with a secret, but when Archer is murdered and a set of criminal characters (well, three to be exact - Joe Cario [Peter Lorre], Wilmer Cook [Elisha Cook Jr.], and "The Fat Man" [Sydney Greenstreet]) turn up and show an interest in Spade and his newly acquired female companion... Read review

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Advantages: You can eat them without making a mess
Disadvantages: not very filling

...Masterfoods make many wonderful products but I was curious to learn more about these products so I wrote away to Masterfoods requesting some information about their products. They very kindly sent me an informative booklet. I can now spout utterly useless trivia about their products. Trivia such as Maltesers is the number one bite-sized brand. Clearly Maltesers are very popular but why? I had to investigate for myself. Maltesers have been around since 1936. They are one of the older chocolate bars. Apparently (and this is a direct quote from the information Masterfoods sent me) their “unique product design makes Maltesers appeal to children and adults of all ages”. I will admit that during my lifetime I have eaten my fair share of Maltesers. This is largely due to the fact that when at school no end of term party seemed... Read review

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Advantages: Great price, great looks, great sound!
Disadvantages: Not the one if you want to do high fingerboard solos

...of the guitar market, and one that Falcon has really made their mark on with these guitars (they are also available in other colours should you wish). In fact, I can't think of anyone better at the moment in this part of the market! I would currently recommend Falcon above anything else out there. Prices range from between £39-00 and £69-00 from various dealerships. I paid £39-00 for mine from a local independent guitar shop I use. It is well worth hunting about for the right deal because there is such a variation in price range out there - but watch your possible shipping costs if you order online. It might make what appears a cheap guitar suddenly rather more expensive! One final note - the rating here asks for amplified sound - and wouldn't let me post without a rating. However this is an acoustic guitar! It doesn't have a plug in (although... Read review

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Advantages: A great tasting white chocolate Malteser.
Disadvantages: Quite sweet.

...---WHITE MALTESERS--- I love Maltesers. I think the combination of textures is just great and the fact that they are made in a sphere shape makes them fun to eat. In production since 1936 Maltesers are still made today in the same factory in Slough where it started all those years ago. Their idea was to use the goodness of malted milk and chocolate to bring the consumer a great taste with good ingredients and all wrapped up in a fun ball shape. Maltesers come in all sorts of sizes and packaging with several great variations to flavour. I like the box you can buy at the cinema; it somehow seems more fun to eat them from the box as the Maltesers roll around inside. There is even a large ball shaped container now, though I haven't come across this yet and Mars advertise this as 'Just for fun'. I think their huge... Read review

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