The Maltese Falcon

The Maltese Falcon Quotes

Brigid O'Shaughnessy: I do know he always went heavily armed, and that he never went to sleep without covering the floor around his bed with crumpled newspapers, so that nobody could come silently into his room.

Sam Spade: You picked a nice sort of a playmate.

Brigid O'Shaughnessy: Only that sort could have helped me, if he'd been loyal.


Brigid O'Shaughnessy: I do know he always went heavily armed, and that he never went to sleep without covering the floor around his bed with crumpled newspapers, so that nobody could come silently into his room.

Sam Spade: You picked a nice sort of a playmate.

Brigid O'Shaughnessy: Only that sort could have helped me, if he'd been loyal.

Brigid O'Shaughnessy: Mr. Archer was so alive yesterday, so solid and hearty...

Sam Spade: Stop it. He knew what he was doing. Those are the chances we take.

Brigid O'Shaughnessy: Was he married?

Sam Spade: Yeah, with ten thousand insurance, no children, and a wife that didn't like him.


Bryan: Who killed Thursby?

Sam Spade: I don't know.

Bryan: Perhaps you don't, but you could make an excellent guess.

Sam Spade: My guess might be excellent or it might be crummy, but Mrs. Spade didn't raise any children dippy enough to make guesses in front of a district attorney, and an assistant district attorney and a stenographer.

Bryan: Why shouldn't you, if you have nothing to conceal?

Sam Spade: Everybody has something to conceal.

Bryan: I'm a sworn officer of the law, 24 hours a day, and neither formality nor informality justifies you withholding evidence of crime from me. Except, of course, on constitutional grounds.

Sam Spade: [ranting] Now, both you and the police have as much as accused me of being mixed up in the other night's murders. Well, I've had trouble with both of you before. And as far as I can see my best chance of clearing myself of the trouble you're trying to make for me, is by bringing in the murderers all tied up. And the only chance I've got of catching them, and tying them up, and bringing them in, is by staying as far away as possible from you and the police, because you'd only gum up the works.
[turns to stenographer]

Sam Spade: You getting this alright, son, or am i goin' too fast for ya?

Stenographer: No sir, I'm getting it alright.

Sam Spade: Good work.


[last lines]

Detective Tom Polhaus: [picks up the falcon] Heavy. What is it?

Sam Spade: The, uh, stuff that dreams are made of.

Detective Tom Polhaus: Huh?


[to Spade]

Joel Cairo: No, no. Our private conversations have not been such that I am anxious to continue them. Forgive me for speaking so bluntly, but it is the truth.


[first lines]

Sam Spade: Yes, sweetheart?

Effie Perine: There's a girl wants to see you. Her name's Wonderly.

Sam Spade: A customer?

Effie Perine: I guess so. You'll want to see her anyway. She's a knockout.

[repeated line]

Dr. Joel Cairo: You will please clasp your hands together at the back of your neck.

[to Spade]

Joel Cairo: No, no. Our private conversations have not been such that I am anxious to continue them. Forgive me for speaking so bluntly, but it is the truth.

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