Thursday, February 18, 2010

I can't get the film out of my head ...

Over the past couple of days I've been reading The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. It's pretty rare for me to read a book after seeing the film, and I have to admit it's a strange feeling. As I'm reading I can picture and hear Humphrey Bogart as clear as day. It's quite disconcerting. I can't help wondering whether if I'd read the book first, whether Humphrey Bogart would have fitted my mental image of Sam Spade? Usually this is one of things I find most jarring about seeing a TV or movie version of a book - the character's aren't portrayed as I've come to think of them. Regardless, I'm enjoying the book immensely, even though the book has look and sound of the movie.

1 comment:

Mack said...

Rob, Be happy you saw the 1941 version with Bogart. You could have Ricardo Cortez in your mind. The 1931 version is interesting since it was pre-Hayes code and has a lot more sexual innuendo. In a couple of places it is closer to the book.