The Black Bird

The Black Bird is a 1975 comedy film directed by David Giler and starring George Segal and Stéphane Audran. It is a comedy sequel to the well-regarded 1941 film version of The Maltese Falcon with Segal playing Sam Spade's son, Sam Spade, Jr., and Lee Patrick and Elisha Cook Jr. reprising their roles of Effie Perrine and Wilmer Cook.

The film was panned by critics and audiences alike, and is still considered the weakest film adaptation of the novel; Pauline Kael wrote that the film is "a dumb comedy, with an insecure tone and some good ideas mixed with some terrible ones."

Plot
When San Francisco private detective Sam Spade dies, his son, Sam, Jr., inherits his father's agency, including the sarcastic secretary, Effie Perine (also known as "Godzilla"). He must also continue his father's tradition of "serving minorities." When Caspar Gutman is killed outside Spade's building, his dying words are, "It's black and as long as your arm."

Spade is given an offer by a member of the Order of St. John's Hospital to purchase his father's useless copy of the Maltese Falcon. A right-wing thug named Gordon Immerman has been hired to make sure Spade delivers the bird. Spade later gets an offer from Wilmer Cook for the Falcon, but before they can negotiate, Cook is killed. Shortly thereafter Spade meets a beautiful and mysterious Russian woman named Anna Kemidov, daughter of the general who once owned the real Maltese Falcon. She also wants Spade's copy and is willing to seduce him to get it. Spade is soon dealing with Litvak, a bald Nazi dwarf who is surrounded by an army of Hawaiian thugs. In the ensuing chaos, Immerman tries to become Spade's partner. Spade discovers that his "false" copy may be the real thing.

Cast
 George Segal as Sam Spade, Jr.
 Stéphane Audran as Anna Kemidov
 Lionel Stander as Gordon Immerman
 Lee Patrick as Effie
 Elisha Cook, Jr. as Wilmer Cook
 Felix Silla as Litvak
 Signe Hasso as Dr. Crippen
 John Abbott as DuQuai
 Connie Kreski as Decoy Girl
 Howard Jeffrey as Kerkorian
 Ken Swofford as Brad McCormack

Production
Ray Stark owned the rights to The Maltese Falcon and hired David Giler to adapt. Giler tried to work on the script with his friend John Milius but they were unable to collaborate. Giler then decided to turn the project into a comedy, and Stark let him direct. Filming was notable for frequent clashes between Stark and star George Segal.

Lee Patrick and Elisha Cook, Jr., were reprising their roles from the original The Maltese Falcon.

See also
 List of American films of 1975

References

External links
 
 
 

Category:1975 films
Category:1970s parody films
Category:1970s mystery films
Category:American films
Category:American detective films
Category:American parody films
Category:American sequel films
Category:Color sequels of black-and-white films
Category:Columbia Pictures films
Category:Comedy mystery films
Category:English-language films
Category:Films based on American novels
Category:Films set in San Francisco
Category:1970s sequel films
Category:Films scored by Jerry Fielding