The Maltese Falcon/ Le Faucon Maltais (1941), re-release poster (1950s), French

The Maltese Falcon/ Le Faucon Maltais (1941), re-release poster (1950s), French

Artist: Jacques Bonneaud (1898-1971)

Unframed: 62 x 46 in. (157.5 x 116.8 cm)

The film only had a short re-release in the 1950s and therefore not many posters were printed. This poster does not surface very often.

This landmark film noir was written by John Huston and was also his directorial debut. The film - based on Dashiell Hammett's novel of the same name - stars Humphrey Bogart as private investigator Sam Spade, Mary Astor as his femme fatale client, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet. This was Greenstreet's film debut at the age of sixty two. He had previously worked as a theatre actor. His portrayal of Kasper Gutman is captivating, and includes the memorable line 'I couldn't be fonder of you if you were my own son. But, well, if you lose a son, it's possible to get another. There's only one Maltese Falcon'.