Customer Reviews

Black Bird [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This movie is one of the funniest I've ever seen. It's a wonderful take-off on The Maltese Falcon. It is a "sleeper" comedy - full of subtle and not so subtlle gags. George Segal is in his prime and the word play between Segal and the other characters makes it a must-see. I recommend it highly to movie-buffs with a quirky sense of humor. (Note: the more times you watch - it the funnier it gets.)

I first saw this movie in the mid '70's and I just howled at it. Being familiar with "The Maltese Falcon" makes it even funnier. In fact for maximum impact,I recommend watching TMF first and then "The Black Bird". The writers skewered every scene in the original. "What good is torture without the threat of death behind it?.... It's fun!" This film also includes one of my favorite character actors, Lionel Stander, who does a great job as the tough guy. Add former Playmate Connie Kreske, three big Hawaiians and priceless dialogue and sight gags and you got 5 stars. I thought the ending was in perfect keeping with Sam Jr's luck. All together a classic movie that slipped through the cracks. Anxiously awaiting the DVD.

George Segal stars as Sam Spade Jr., a hard-luck private detective whose legacy from his famous father includes a harridan of secretary (Lee Patrick, reprising her role as Effie Perine from Bogart's 1941 film), a rattrap office in a neighborhood that's gone to hell, clientele of dubious bona fides, and the figure of a black bird that may -- or may not -- be the real Maltese Falcon.

The film is so rich with wacky characters, great running gags and plot twists that it nearly defies description. It's all the more astonishing, then, that the conclusion is so stunningly bad (and thus rates four stars instead of five). My guess is that it's the ending that gives it such a bad reputation but, if you can overlook that, you'll find a real gem.

It can't appear on DVD soon enough for me.

typical cheesy 70's movie. george segal is great as always. sit back and enjoy this goofy movie.

Not many film buffs are aware of this quite obscure little movie, I guess. Which is a pity, as it actually is quite funny and decently made parody of the so much better known classic, The Maltese Falcon. Available only on video, I think it really should be distributed in DVD format for a wider audience. It deserves more recognition, as much more inferior parodies are being churned out from movie companies every year. There are several funny scenes in the movie, and the dialogue is often hilarious. To like and appreciate this film, I'd presuppose three things: 1) that you know the original "Maltese Falcon" 2) that you find MAD magazine movie parodies funny 3) that you dislike the all-too-raunchy and too fastpaced American movie "comedies", calculated to appeal to infantile and brainless modern teenage moviegoers.

I'm with Point Dexter--this should be a double feature with The Maltese Falcon. (I just watched it that way.) I saw it when it first came out, remembered it ever since, and recently bought a copy of the VHS tape through Amazon. It IS hilarious. Not 100%? So what--it's good fun. As a general thing I ask God to spare us sequels--but this is a fine *parody,* which is a bird of a different color, if I may mix my metaphors.

The Black Bird, 1975 film

The film begins with a history of The Maltese Falcon from 1539 to 1940. In 1975 San Francisco Sam Spade Jr. runs the business located near the waterfront. The neighborhood has changed a bit. A fat man was killed in the lobby of Spade's office building. Spade has a visitor with a $50 bill. Dukay wants the replica for a museum in London, so Spade will search for it. Its not worth anything. A new visitor asks about the previous visitor. What is that bird worth? Effie is a valuable employee with a long history. Spade goes to that address. Will someone play a trick on him? Will Spade fall for it? [Note how the office door opened.] "Maybe they won't find out about it." Spade is released, that woman was a professional!

"The Rhythm Room" is like a scene from the 1940s. Spade meets Wilmer Cook to talk about the sale for $1,500. A telephone call draws him away. A woman warns him of danger from three Hawaiians. She slips him a big .44 revolver! There is a comic chase for action. Spade returns home to find a visitor. That woman returns to warn him of danger from those Hawaiians. "I'll drive." Ann\ae has an accent. She is the legal owner and wants it back to save a children's hospital. Will she do anything? "Was it good for you too?" Spade discovers where Dukay is and goes to his room. Will there be a load of paper work? Spade discovers a hidden paper. There are more comic scenes back at Spade's office. That paper is written in Arabic. "Is the bird safe?" "Be careful." Spade visits an expert, the message is written in Aramaic. The Hawaiians take him to Litvak, who offers $50,000 for the black bird.

A visitor, Gordon Immerman, gets on the yacht, rescues Spade and brings him to Anna. Anna tells Spade more about the Falcon. There is a clue to the real fortune. The next day Spade returns to learn the message. Is there a hidden clue in the language? Spade retrieves the Black Bird, then decides to measure and weigh it. "I don't believe I'm hearing this." Litvak exults, then collapses. There is action, and Immerman returns to stop the Hawaiians. "Who turned off the lights?" Where is the bird? Buried at sea! Can a diver find it? Not if a big shark gets it.

The original story was an example of a futile search for unearned wealth. This parody has the same message. The story is funny, but the ending is less so. Did you find it incredible? [It echoes the ending of "The Sign of Four".] They could copy sentences from the original, but not the ending. A better script makes a better story. But there is no other parody around. [This version in EP produced fuzzy images.]

Over 2,400 years ago a Greek philosopher devised a non-destructive test for gold. Weigh the object, then put it in a water-filled vessel and measure the water displaced by the object for its density. The female falcon is bigger than the male tercel. Falcons were used for hunting for many centuries. The improvement in firearms made them obsolete (except for the few who choose to follow this ancient sport).

In THE BLACK BIRD the son of Sam Spade inherits the old family detective business in a seedy neighborhood in San Francisco. After Caspar Gutman's body is found near the detective's office, a renewed search for the elusive Maltese Falcon is begun in earnest. Junior also inherits his father's secretary, Effie Perine. Wilmer Cook gets involved with the new search along with some other eccentric characters.

The movie was produced by George Segal who doubled in the role of Sam Spade, Jr. The supporting cast included Stephane Audran, Lionel Stander, Lee Patrick, Elisha Cook, Jr., Signe Hasso and John Abbott.