Spade & Archer: The Prequel to The Maltese Falcon

This week, Spade & Archer, the prequel to Dashiell Hammett's 1930 classic The Maltese Falcon landed in bookstores. Joe Gores, a former private eye and author of sixteen novels, was given permission from Hammett's daughter to pick up the story of detective Sam Spade ten years before The Maltese Falcon begins.

Spade & Archer explains how Sam Spade set up his office in San Francisco in 1921, how Effie Perrine became his secretary, how Spade and Iva Archer came to be involved, and how he and Miles Archer became partners in 1928. Aside from that, we follow Spade on investigations that take him all around the San Francisco Bay. If you are a fan of The Maltese Falcon, you will probably enjoy reading the prequel. The historical details were well researched, and the style of the book is respectful to the original work.

So, let's look back at some of the radio versions of The Maltese Falcon that were done after the release of John Huston's 1941 film adaptation  starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor. The radio versions are condensed, and we don't experience all of the cigarrette rolling and Bacardi drinking of the book, but they are still fun to listen to. All three of these productions were performed in front of live audiences.

The Screen Guild Theater (CBS Radio) presented a 30 minute radio adaptation on September 20, 1943. Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre reprised their roles from the film. (There is some audio static towards the end on this recording.)

. Download Sgt_43-09-20_ep162_The_Maltese_Falcon

(On May 18th, 1950, The Screen Guild Theater presented "The Maltese Falcon" again with Humphrey Bogart and his wife, Lauren Bacall, in the lead roles.)

Academy Award Theater (CBS Radio) presented a 30 minute radio adaptation on July 3, 1946. Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, and Sydney Greenstreet starred.

. Download Acad.1946.07.03_Maltese_Falcon,_The

Lux Radio Theater (CBS Radio) presented an excellent hour-long version on February 8, 1943. Edward G. Robinson, Gail Patrick, and Laird Cregar starred.

. Download Lux_1943-02-08_TheMalteseFalcon

Other radio programs that presented stories involving Sam Spade include Suspense ("The Kandy Tooth" and "The House in Cypress Canyon") and the series The Adventures of Sam Spade (1946-1951).

Below is a trailer for The Maltese Falcon that says it all.

(Image: Spade & Archer, Alfred A. Knopf Publishers, 2009)

Comments

[Shonokin]

I actually won Spade & Archer in a simple contest on Facebook. On the Hammett fan page Knopf offered an advanced readers copy to the first 5 people who responded. I responded and it was sent out right away! Very cool

[bath mateus]

I liked it.
Bathmate