It was a Maltese Falcon kind of week as I continued my way through my DVD collection. Here's what I watched:
November 19: Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - the epic to end all epics. Even on the small screen, David Lean's biopic of T.E. Lawrence is majestic in scope and execution and Peter O'Toole has never been better than he is here as the film's complicated, contradictory hero.
November 20: The Maltese Falcon (1931) - this pre-code version of Dashiell Hammet's novel lacks the polish of its more famous remake, but it does have a scrappy, rough around the edges charm. Ricardo Cortez is no Bogart, but he makes for a decent Sam Spade.
November 21: Satan Met a Lady (1936) - a remake of The Maltese Falcon which, like the previous entry, is included in the special edition of The Maltese Falcon. This one foregoes noir in favour of broad comedy and stars Bette Davis as the femme fatale.
November 23: The Maltese Falcon (1941) - and then, finally, the big ticket item. Sam Spade is one of Bogart's signature roles and his performance here helped make him a bonafide star. It's not just a great noir film, it's one of the best films ever made.
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