Maltese Falcon

[TheGanzman]

O.K. - The bird arrived today. Here are my observations:

- Packed like it was nitroglycerin! This thing could have been shipped around the World a couple dozen times - no worries there!

- Coloration, wear, dirt, dust, scratches - all appear "random", but at the same time, are indigenous of exactly WHERE the wear, dirt, dust, and scratches WOULD HAVE appeared. This may seem to be a subtle and obvious point, unless and until you have seen other items that have been "Relic'd", and/or tried to simulate natural relic'ing yourself. It ain't easy, kids!

- A final point: I am EXTREMELY detailed and detail-oriented; it's my blessing and my curse. When I was a kid, my parents were too "thrifty" to pay for a babysitter, so when they went to their friends' houses for dinner, I got to tag along; that is, until I became too much of a pain in the *ss! It seems that when I was about 5 years old, I would grab a chair and go around their friends' houses and "straighten" EVERY picture on every wall...:lol And yes, there IS a hyphen in "Obsessive-compulsive"!:lol Having prefaced the next comment with that, this statue has a certain "presence" that is missing 95%
of the time from any other statue (or painting) that you see. It really DOES seem almost "alive", or like it has a soul - much the way that the statue of David or the painting "Mona Lisa" (and yes, I've seen 'em both "in person") has, respectively. Oz's bird has sharp, etched features (especially the face and eyes) from top to bottom, but more importantly (at least to me) it has a natural "asymmetry" that the real thing has in nature. The eyes are NOT the same shape/size, nor are the feet/talons, nor are the wings. Just for fun, I put it next to that THING that you can buy off of eBay now (I'm not gonna mention the name) - the comparison is LAUGHABLE! That looks like the cheapest 3rd World SH*TE; it's all I can do not to immediately pitch it into the trash bin...

Anyone who's on the fence on this, do WHATEVER it takes to secure one! When they are no longer "available", you'll be kickin' yourself for NOT buying one; I also predict that VERY few of them will see the secondary market. Now pardon me while I order a SECOND (weighted resin) bird for my office...:thumbsup

 

[Scoob]

Mine's here; I'm very pleased indeed. Beautiful work!

Looks great.

I got an email that mine should be on its way soon!

 

[Scoob]

Just an update- got my Bronze Bird this afternoon incredibly well packaged.

First thought is - holy cow, it is heavy!

The bird is very well detailed and I am trying to find a fitting place for it now.

If you can, get the Bronze version! You won't regret it!

 

[Scott D]

Just an update- got my Bronze Bird this afternoon incredibly well packaged.

First thought is - holy cow, it is heavy!

The bird is very well detailed and I am trying to find a fitting place for it now.

If you can, get the Bronze version! You won't regret it!

I'm considering it, if they're still available.

Does anyone have good pics of the bronze version? I might have missed them if they were posted already.

 

[Ozymandius]

Pics of the Bronze Dingus are on the first page of the Junkyard thread. Probably some here too if you look around. And yes, there are a few bronzes still available.

Oz

 

[whoever]

I'm considering it, if they're still available.

Does anyone have good pics of the bronze version? I might have missed them if they were posted already.

Next to an MK.

 

[Scoob]

Thanks for the nice comparison pics.

Both are amazing but I like Oz's version more. The detailing on the chest is a little better.

 

[whoever]

Thanks for the nice comparison pics.

Both are amazing but I like Oz's version more. The detailing on the chest is a little better.

The MK actually looks closer to the screen used lead one based upon my cursory examination last time I watched the blu-ray. Oz's is a pretty much dead nuts on replica of the resin one from the auction catalog.

Interesting that they would be different, but they are. I own both, so I'm happy.

 

[Scoob]

The MK actually looks closer to the screen used lead one based upon my cursory examination last time I watched the blu-ray. Oz's is a pretty much dead nuts on replica of the resin one from the auction catalog.

Interesting that they would be different, but they are. I own both, so I'm happy.

hehe, you got me. I still haven't watched the movie yet!

I plan to budget some time and watch it finally this week...

 

[whoever]

hehe, you got me. I still haven't watched the movie yet!

I plan to budget some time and watch it finally this week...

In the movie, the lead bird used when they scrape it with the knife definitely is not as defined as the resin one used for all the publicity shots, and for the light-weight carrying scenes.

 

[Ozymandius]

Thanks for the pics, whoever. Amazing that I've been starting at pics of this bird for months and yet I still manage to find something new each time.

Gotta agree about the differences between the lead bird and the lightweight/auction bird. Hazarding a guess, it looks like that when they made the wax casting for the lead bird that it distorted and warped in some areas. It would have almost certainly been a hollow wax cast, and if it was still warm when they pulled it from the mold, that's when it would have distorted and partially collapsed.

Oz

 

[Szyntax]

Oh boy, I can't wait for the next run. These are awesome!

 

[whoever]

Thanks for the pics, whoever. Amazing that I've been starting at pics of this bird for months and yet I still manage to find something new each time.

Gotta agree about the differences between the lead bird and the lightweight/auction bird. Hazarding a guess, it looks like that when they made the wax casting for the lead bird that it distorted and warped in some areas. It would have almost certainly been a hollow wax cast, and if it was still warm when they pulled it from the mold, that's when it would have distorted and partially collapsed.

Oz

Has anyone ever accounted for all of the birds?

During the shoot of the 1941 film version starring Humphrey Bogart and directed by John Huston, plastic replicas were made after Bogart complained about the weight of the two original lead statues, 50 pounds apiece. One of the plastic models is at the Library of Congress. Other copies, made of plaster, are available at gift stores, for about $60 apiece.
In December 1994, Konstin bid $150,000 at an auction in New York for one of the two original statues, which sold for $398,500 -- then one of the highest prices paid for a movie prop.

 

[Intermezzo]

Has anyone ever accounted for all of the birds?

To my knowledge, no. There's even disagreement about how many resin birdswere made back in the day.

I'd say the two known lead birds are accounted for - one in the Warner Bros museum, and one that was given to Robert Conrad and then auctioned off after his death.

For decades Warner was pretty lax about safekeeping their props. In 1983 or 84 I was in their props warehouses and saw a number of the birds just sitting on a shelf, including the lead bird Bogart dropped, which I believe is the one now in their museum (I haven't seen the one in the museum).

If only I had known then what I know now...

 

[Forsaken]

The Falcon arrived this afternoon in perfect shape, no problems at all thanks to the way it was packed.
A true masterpiece.
Thanks Oz for your workmanship on this wonderful replica.

I now have to fire up some popcorn and put the movie on.

Al

 

[pathfinder]

New here...following the absolutely fascinating discussions of the bird...and seeing the evolution of the Oz variant! Just incredible. I see the most recent MF discussions are in the Junkyard which I can't post in for 45 days...so tacking on to an old thread with a question...
Relative weight....I note that the resin bird checks in at around 5 lbs; the shot filled resin is 12 lbs. The Bronze at around 12?....the SU metal bird at 47-50 lbs....so what would the "real" jewel-encrusted GOLD bird have weighed if anyone had ever acquired it....?

What is the "bird's weight in gold?"

 

[Ozymandius]

Short answer: about 85 lbs.

While the atomic weights of lead and gold are nearly the same, gold is nearly twice as dense.

 

[pathfinder]

Thank you sir! I have followed all of this discussion and read much more off the forum. I am fascinated by the forensics. What I haven't been able to find are any screen caps from the 1931MF to see what their bird looked like. I watched the movie one late-night a month or so ago but failed to DVR it. No clips or out takes on You-Tube...anyone have any stills from 31?

 

[Cedicst]

Well boys & girls, rumor has it that a certain bird is on its way to me. Here's a "teaser shot" to whet everyone's appetite:

Gee - is that GOLD under that enamel? Could THIS be "the real Maltese Falcon"?:love

Well, I have to admit, while I'm a huge fan of Classic Hollywood, and its iconic props, I've actually only seen The Maltese Falcon once, but after seeing the images of the aged version of the falcon, I simply MUST have one! This bird looks absolutely beautiful!

 

[JHY]

Oz's bird is magnificent. Months after its arrival I'm still fascinated.

Get a copy of Richard Layman's book "Discovering the Maltese Falcon" if you're a Hammett or falcon fan... there are other related books in the Ace Performer Series if your interests are broader.