 Watch carefully and you ll realize that this is, in fact, a movie based on the novel "The Maltese Falcon". John Huston s more famous version (starring Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade) stays close to the original story, where this re-telling changes names and objects (e.g., the Falcon is ... not a falcon). Still, this lighter version is entertaining, with its slightly comedic overtones and fun performances by Warren Williams and Bette Davis.