Attempt to give the Thin Man treatment to The Maltese Falcon isn't entirely successful, but is not the total failure most people seem to label it as. Rather unfair to compare a comedy to a serious work, even if based on the same source. If one were to leave one's preconceptions at the door and relax (such as thinking Bette Davis is too good for this type of film, though her performance indicates she thought she was), then one would have a pleasant little film to wile away a hour or so with. Warren William certainly seems to be having fun, at least. Plus Marie Wilson gets to play her patented ditz, Treacher his patented Englishman, and Olin Howland gets more lines here than he did in a dozen of his other films combined. And as a Hammett spoof, it's certainly a lot better than The Black Bird!