Malmgren, Carl D. “The Crime of the Sign: Dashiell Hammett’s Detective Fiction.” Twentieth Century Literature 1999. From JSTOR [database online]. [Cited 4 Apr. 2006].

The version of The Maltese Falcon that was instantly accepted and grew to become an influential classic was in fact the Fourth version of the movie put into production. The first two versions of the movie were released under different titles, and the third was never released. Only this fourth version, however, ever gained the critical acclaim and immortal status it has come to hold. While the four movies obviously had their differences, what held them all together was Dashiell Hammett’s book, The Maltese Falcon, which was the basis for all four movies. This essay, about Dashiell Hammett’s work, is important for those interested in The Maltese Falcon because it allows the reader to better understand the author behind The Maltese Falcon, and to learn about the book from which the movie was adopted. This essay becomes especially important given the history Hollywood had with this book, having made it into a movie on four separate occasions.

This essay on Dashiell Hammett discusses the overarching themes in Hammett’s novels, as well as how other authors viewed Hammett’s work. The author writes that Hammett was known for the realism of Hammett’s detective stories, yet also points to the constant manipulation and confusion in these books. He mentions the overly shadowy universe of Hammett’s novels, and states that other detective writers believe the worlds Hammett conjured up were often too unstable. He also quotes critics as believing Hammett’s books to be too unpredictable. By the end, however, Malmgren states that Hammett’s work is both believable and realistic, but that its primary saving grace is the voice over of the narrator in the books. These voice overs, argues the author, anchor Hammett’s books in reality; giving the reader a voice they can trust in an otherwise overly deceptive world.