Page One: ‘The Maltese Falcon’ (1941)

Screen play by John Huston, based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett

The movie version of the scene:

The role of Sam Spade, the hard-boiled private detective in The Maltese Falcon, was the perfect vehicle for Humphrey Bogart. Check out the way his character is introduced: “He looks rather pleasantly like Satan.”

You may download the screenplay here.

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!

Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. Comparing them is an excellent way to study a variety of writing styles and see how professional writers start a story.

For more Page One posts, go here.

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