The Mirror 
Vidiot's Box

Warner Bros. has consistently proved itself as the major studio to beat when it comes to releasing classics from the vaults on DVD. You never feel that they’re skimping—their DVD packages are always lovingly put together, with thoughtfully selected special features and fascinating archival material.

That’s definitely the case with the new release of John Huston’s 1941 all-time classic private dick flick The Maltese Falcon, with Humphrey Bogart as Dashiell Hammett detective Sam Spade. The set’s first disc would be enough, really, featuring a restored transfer of the movie, commentary by writer Eric Lax (author of a Bogey bio), and a “1941 Night at the Movies” feature consisting of shorts, cartoons, trailers and a vintage newsreel.

But there’s more to this three-disc set. What you may not know is that The Maltese Falcon was actually adapted for the screen twice before Huston made his classic version, and both of the other versions are included here. Bebe Daniels and Ricardo Cortez star in the 1931 version of the same name, and Bette Davis stars in the 1936 Satan Met a Lady. Trailers for both are included, and speaking of which, there’s also a featurette called “Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart.” Rounding out the set is the doc “The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird,” and “Breakdowns of 1941,” a WB studio blooper reel from that year. See Jimmy Stewart say, “Son of a bitch!” —Mark Slutsky

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