Maltese Falcon

[Scoob]

I agree. I have two of his birds now and each time I look at them, I notices something else new and cool about them.

check out his Junkyard thread for some pics that I put up...

 

[scotthm]

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

I'm very intrigued by the many comments I've read that the pictures don't do it justice. I hope to soon see one in person.

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[GromitFan]

Film Noir is my favorite style, but "The Third Man" wasn't really a prop film.
Ozymandius,
When you do another run, I will be *very* interested in one.

I have seen the Falcons for sale from time to time, but I haven't seen one that impresses me as much as yours does.

 

[RTFM]

I have my order in for a black unweighted bird and money is sent.
Now I just have to wait . . . and look at the pictures.

Thanks Ozymandius!

 

[Feraud]

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?

The 1931 bird looks different from the 1941 version that Ozymandius has painstakingly re-created. From what I recall the '31 bird's stance seems a bit more upright with the wings almost raised.
I thought I had a few screencaps of it. I'll check tonight and see if I can post a few for reference.

 

[RTFM]

My black bird arrived from Ozymandius on Valentine's day-evening, while I was out.
I put it up on top of the entertainment center to admire for now.
(I have to keep restraining myself from just taking it down and "fondling" it every few minutes. :love)
It looks even better than the pictures. There is much more to it that just doesn't show up in a photo.
I am working out a lighting scheme and display for it next.

Thanks again Ozy!

 

[GeordieIndy]

I'm still trying to find anyone here on the RPF that has one of the full feathered Maltese Falcons. If you have one, I would be interested to see photos please.

Thanks.

 

[VonMagnum]

Whoops. I didn't realize how old the thread is.

The 1931 bird looks different from the 1941 version that Ozymandius has painstakingly re-created. From what I recall the '31 bird's stance seems a bit more upright with the wings almost raised.
I thought I had a few screencaps of it. I'll check tonight and see if I can post a few for reference.

I inquired about a 1931 bird before, but I don't think anyone has ever made a replica of it. I actually liked that version of the movie and a few things were better than the '41, but obviously not all.

1931 Bird:

If anyone wonders what the "OZ" bird looks like compared to the "Haunted Studios" version I took some side-by-sides awhile back for another thread as I own both (the Haunted Studios version is now on my Roland piano in the living room staring at guests as I put the (IMO) superior OZ bird in the Home Theater display room. The "OZ" Falcon is the one on the left in each photo.

 

[GeordieIndy]

Can anyone remember who posted this photo? I saved it when it was originally posted.

 

[Bothan Jedi]

Did you ever figure it out?

 

[scotthm]

I inquired about a 1931 bird before, but I don't think anyone has ever made a replica of it. I actually liked that version of the movie and a few things were better than the '41, but obviously not all.

As I recall, the 1941 version of the film was very faithful to the novel, being slightly modified to make it past the censors.
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[VonMagnum]

As I recall, the 1941 version of the film was very faithful to the novel, being slightly modified to make it past the censors.
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It was right down to the dialog in most scenes. I still liked a few things better in the '31 version. The woman playing Archer's wife Iva was more attractive, for instance. The secretary Effie was more interesting. The bath scene was included. They implied Spade had Ruth Wonderly strip to prove she didn't take the money (that was in the book). It was far more obvious why Kasper Gutman drugged Spade (not obvious at all in the '41 version except in a bit of brief summary dialog). The references were there to let you know Cairo and Wilmer were a ticket as in the book.

What I didn't like was the added bit about the guy in Chinatown testifying. If he saw what happened, then Spade knew all along as he talked to him (in Mandarin no less) and he was lying to the police all along. I'm not sure why they felt the need to add that scene at the end with Spade visiting Wonderly in jail (not in the book and neither version ended the way the book did with Spade going back to Iva Archer (kind of pathetic, really, but it was in the book). Ricardo Cortez smiled a little too much (to the point of seeming almost psychotic). Otherwise, I still liked his version of Spade. He was no Bogart, but I liked how he screwed with the police in a more playful manner (maybe it just seemed that way with all that smiling). Greenstreet was by far the better Gutman and I liked Peter Lorre and Elisha Cook Jr. better in their parts. It was interesting Archer was an older fat guy in the '31 version and along with the better looking actress playing his wife, it was at least easier to see why his wife was cheating on him with Spade. But they didn't leave him alive long enough to do anything with it (to be fair, neither did the book). I also preferred Mary Astor to Bebe Daniels. I liked her and Bogart in Across the Pacific as well.

I'd still like to see a '31 statue of the bird by someone at some point. It did look more like the one on the cover of the book and there's so many made of the '41 and none (that I know of) for the '31 bird.