Director John Huston�s first film is a great success. Humphrey Bogart is Detective Sam Spade. He�s been hired to find the mysterious Maltese Falcon, which is a prize that has been sought after for over 15 years. Bogart is excellent and blossoms in this up-tempo film that has a crafty script. Mary Astor excels at playing the �lying, innocent looking female� lead. Sydney Greenstreet also does a wonderful job in a supporting role, which gave him an Oscar nomination.

If you can keep up with the fast and furious plot, it will be an added bonus. All of the performances are excellent and the ending is superb. The film was nominated for Best Picture and Best Screenplay. As Bogie put it about the black bird, �It�s the stuff dreams are made of.�