The Black Bird

A funny satire of THE MALTESE FALCON written and directed by young David Giler, whose father, Berne Giler, was one of Hollywood's best screenwriters in his day. Segal was never better then as Sam Spade, Jr., who inherits the detective agency, now in a desolate black area. Patrick (she played Effie the first time around) is still the secretary, mainly because she hasn't been paid since Mary Astor went to jail. The plot concerns that elusive Falcon again. Although this is a comedy, attention is paid to the antecedents and we never get the feeling that fun is being poked, only that fun is being had. Cook, Jr., reprises his Wilmer (the gunsel) role from the earlier fil...