George segal is sam spade junior, in the black bird, a parody of the maltese falcon. Some fun faces in here. Ken swofford (police academy) and vic tayback (mel, for those old enough to remember) are police detectives. Lionel stander (max, for those old enough to remember). Effie and wilmer are played by the original actors from bogart's version! Although in this one, effie is a loud, ornery shrew, who hates her boss. It starts out strong, but loses steam about halfway through; the trivia section here tells us that the writers, producers, and directors were all fighting, which didn't help. I love the premise, but after a while, it just tries too hard. And the anna character just brings it to a halt every time she speaks. Where's madeline kahn when you need her? They really wasted vic tayback... he did this in between the film "alice doesn't live here" and the tv series alice. The first and last film directed by david giler. Segal did this one about ten years after "virginia woolf". Too bad. I really wanted to like this one.
Add a Review
-
ksf-216 November 2022
-
Apollo15AnnoPianoCatDogSnailAnt27 March 2020This has a lot of amusement very ok take on the Maltese falcon, nothing ordinary but a spin with some funny comedy and the guy acts kinda like the Sam Spade from the actual movie Maltese falcon but there is no other characters from that movie so it's a bunch of diff characters, I havent checked Maltese falcon so this movie is something interesting kinda just checking out this first.
-
mikemikeparker21 July 2023This could have been great. The original script was for a serious Spade sequel and the central conceit of the plot is excellent. The cast are superb and George Segal is perfect as the world weary, cynical and laconic Sam Spade. Some of the humour works in a sort of Pink Panther way...the runaway car long gag is genuinely hilarious but this could so easily have been a great move a la The Long Goodbye. The support cast, especially Lionel Stander , are really talented and would have been perfect for the serious incarnation. Such a shame, but I did enjoy this snapshot of the 70s, and San Francisco as it once was. Worth a watch, definitely.
-
plwblj-113 February 2006Certainly this flick is not a classic! However,it is guilty fun,quirky-and even affectionate towards the original-if only in its weird way...indeed there is no resemblance to the Bogart noir.Yet it works for me independently as a 70's aberration and a hoot to boot!Flaws?-you bet...so what!Stander is terrific and the two original characters(Cook & Patrick) from the early 40's are a pure delight and a connection from a past glory(also I would bestow honorable mention to Signe Hasso as a museum curator who plays her delightful role w\aplomb and the right kind of satirical dash).Don't know much if I especially like the midget or some of the over the top stuff,but-hey,its OK within the context of a silly little yarn. Moreover,George Segal,I think,is just right for a world weary sleuth in the shadow of a famed father detective.I like the opening credits w\ its promise of something more-but the absurd ending is less than satisfying...despite these things,I have watched the film numerous times and find it overall a "kick;"for you cannot take this one tale that seriously anyway:so go w\ the FLOW....
-
lemasque30 September 2007The Black Bird is not the worst movie I have ever seen - that would be Matrix Revolutions. I must confess, I did not make it all the way through to the end. However, I was able to get farther than my first attempt when I walked out of the movie theater around 1976. If you are going to spoof a CLASSIC, and one of the best movies ever made, you have to do a first class job or else the film looks like a low-budget mess. Three movies immediately come to mind as examples of great spoofs: Young Frankenstein, Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein and Play It Again Sam. Each of these fine films are excellent spoofs that capture the magic of the originals. The Black Bird violates the most important rule of any film, including comedies and spoofs. A film must take itself seriously, no matter how ridiculous the subject matter. I am never able to take George Segal seriously in this film, or any other character for that matter, including Effie, who was splendid in her small and effective part in the original. Segal's hat and cigar are totally ridiculous and out of place then (1975) and now. The rest of the movie and supporting characters are not really worth discussing, except to say the quality wavers from low-budget bad to just unwatchale. If you're looking for a film spoof, rent anything other than this mess, such as Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid or many others.
-
mark.waltz13 January 2022A painfully unfunny and unnecessary sequel to "The Maltese Falcon" has a truly convoluted storyline and far too many characters and even the returning characters from the original are ridiculously obnoxious. George Segal at this point in his career was like Elliott Gould, in far too many movies and way too over publicized, and a little bit of him goes up really long ride. At least it seems like this that is, his character is unlikable and has absolutely no charm. He's the son of the original Sam Spade, constantly ridiculed because of his name in a highly black San Francisco, a joke that would have been funny in smaller doses but only becomes obnoxious here. Any efforts to shock audiences with the Spade reference just goes flat because it's quite overused even more than lines that Mel Brooks used in his movies.
I'll give the film credit for one thing, in regards to its opening credits, they are very creative, looking very similar to film credits of the 1940s. But this wasn't made at Warner Brothers where all three versions of "The Maltese Falcon" were. It would have been nice to have that connection. The big mistake is that it is played as a comedy, and every effort to be funny falls as flat as Lee Patrick's secretary spread. Her character, a returnee from the original movie, nicknamed Godzilla, is given the most hideous wardrobe, and does nothing but bray through the entire film, becoming cumbersome in a very obnoxious way. Elisha Cook Jr. Returns as well, and in his limited time on screen. Reveals that his character, not the brightest bulb in the original film, is now a complete idiot.
The overused speech impediment of Stéphane Audran in a Mary Astor like role is also a riveting, as if they were trying to imitate Kay Francis who wasn't even involved in any of the three movies. At least John Abbott who plays the man initially looking for the fake bird comes off as somewhat dignified, fortunately bumped off for his second scene, but Lionel Stander unfortunately does not. Another issue is that the film never seems to be set in the modern times, somehow having moments that seem that it's back in the forties, with a conga line in a smart supper club straight out of the forties as well as the wardrobe that they obviously got a discount coupon from Western Costumes or sitting in mothballs in storage on the Columbia lot ever since the days of Grace Moore musicals. This was one of several big flops with nostalgic thing to use to come out in the mid 1970's, mainly the fault of the script writer and director. A complete disaster in every way. -
david-34018 November 1999Possibly the worst movie I have ever seen. Very little in this terrible remake of "The Maltese Falcon" even remotely resembles the original. Spade Jr.'s office, supposedly the same as Sr.'s, is different. The statue of the falcon is a decidedly different, sub-par copy of the original, and the plot left a great, great deal to be desired. Pure garbage.
-
tommythek17 November 2001I am proud to declare that I am one of only 18 people in America who actually like this movie. My basis for that statement? There are -- were -- only 17 voters at IMDb who rate this movie at "7" or higher (out of a whopping 50 total votes). My vote of "7" now makes that 18 people who like it.
How unpopular is this movie with everyone everywhere? Very little info is available on it here at IMDb and none at all at Rotten Tomatoes. IMDb users who hate it don't even deem it worthy of the usual brickbats. Only one user has taken the trouble to slice it and dice it and feed it to the sharks (appropos to the movie's ending). Leonard Maltin calls it "DA BOMB" (no stars, not even half of one). If anyone has a complimentary word to say about this movie, I don't know whom that person is nor where he or she said it.
That's where I come in. I think this movie is funny! Well, some of the time, anyway. It's not a laugh riot but it does have a lot of funny stuff in it, especially in the first half. It does start to run out of steam in the second half and by the time they get to the end, it appears that writer-director David Giler was just looking for some way -- any way -- to end it.
George Segal plays Sam Spade, Jr., San Francisco detective and son of his notorious father played by Humphrey Bogart in the original "The Maltese Falcon." And just as in the original, Jr. is once again involved with that black bird, trying to find out who wants it and what's the best price he can get for it. As far as plot goes, except for the ending, the plots of the two movies are fairly similar. And anyone who cares to razz the plot of "The Black Bird" as being nonexistent or worse should first take a close look at the plot of "The Maltese Falcon." The latter, just like the former, has an unfathomable plot. All of which is in no way to say that there is any quality comparison between the two movies. The original is filled with timeless characters, great setups and fabulous dialogue which will live for eternity. That's why it's such a great movie, even with an impossible-to-follow plot. "The Black Bird," on the other hand, is just a fairly decent movie with a number of funny moments and scenes.
George Segal does a good job as Jr. and has a lot of funny dialogue and shtick. Stéphane Audran makes for an alluring love interest and foil for Jr., playing the equivalent to Mary Astor's role in the original. But for me, there are two people who really stand out in this cast. One is old Lionel Stander, a constant thorn in the side to Spade, Jr. The other is none other than Lee Patrick. Just as she did in the original 34 years earlier, she is back once again as Effie, still playing Jr.'s secretary just as she was to his pop. Amazingly, she is much better in this latest version than she was in the original. That's because her later version is a powerhouse character with a ton of dialogue and shtick to go with it. That's something she didn't have in the orignal. But that is the ONLY improvement on the original.
I've seen "The Black Bird" about three or four times. And I still laughed at a number of things I'd forgotten since my last viewing. But I recommend seeing it no more often than about once every 8-10 years, at the most. Any more often than that and it can easily wear thin and lose its best humor.
There is one good thing, one advantage, to being one of only 18 people in America who like a particular movie: lots of elbow room! -
IcksPigeon11 February 2011Okay, he loved slapstick, and silly stuff, quick dialog, who's on first kind of stuff. He loved parodies. There were parts in this were he could not stop laughing. We saw this in the theater years ago, and it was embarrassing trying to shut him up. We later rented it on VHS and had to play it back several times ***Here be spoiler*** The empty car with the turn signal, him laughing with no sound coming out of his mouth, tears coming out of his eyes. And if I remember right, he and the girl, he kept thinking he had sex with her but he never did. That got him too. May he rest in peace. He told friends about this movie for years and no one had ever heard of it. I wonder why? I wish I could see it again now that he is gone, but it isn't carried by Netflix. I wonder why?
-
simsburyjet27 December 2005I liked the movie...thought it was funny, especially the bantering between George Segal and all of the co-stars. I watched the original version of unfaithful and saw the same actress was in This movie and the french version of unfaithful. I thought she was hilarious in this movie.
I saw this movie in a movie theater in 1976 and laughed and still laugh via VHS. Thought the ending was a little drawn out...so thats why I gave it an 8.. In Leonard Maltins book he gave it BOMB rating which I can not understand. I can watch this movie anytime where as a movie like Porkys or Dodgeball I find unwatchable. -
Lee Patrick and Elisha Cook jnr. Reprise their roles from The Maltese Falcon. Old timer Lionel Stander joins them and Segal in a movie which is consistently entertaining. It made me smile. I laughed 3 aloud times, twice at incidents which occur in the background. Not all the humour is good but then the next crack arrives and I don't care.
-
JFlack-36 February 2007I love this movie. It's filled with little gems that can only be appreciated with repeated viewings.
"I'll see the first person with a 10 dollar bill in his hand--and that's cash, we're not taking' food stamps anymore."
"What is this?" "What do you mean 'What is this?'--this is the Maltese Falcon!" "I'll give you $14.95 for it." "Why is it always $14.95? Why can't it be $15, at least a round figure?" "Would you like a round figure?" "Yes, I would." "Fourteen dollars." "Come on, its gotta be worth more than that." "It is. It's worth $14.95."
"It's open and shut: the girl wandered into the building by accident and he threw her down the shaft. Now, it could have happened that way!"
"Dsemboweled?" "They take a large knife and--" "I know what that is!"
"There's no use spilling milk on a dead horse."
"It is mine because I deserve it. Mine because I have killed for it and will kill again for it. Mine because I have spent thirty years in pursuit of it. It is mine because I have the means, the determination, and most of all the power to have it. It is mine because I want it!" "Look, if it's yours what do you need with me?"
"Litvak will kill her (Effie)!" "It's bad luck to talk about these things before they happen."
"Litvak, you get a lot of bad press, but I gotta tell you you're aces with me. This is the best day I've had in a year!"
"Nonsense, no one is always wrong." "I am."
"Gordon Immerman, but you can still call me Andrew Jackson if you want to." -
In 1975 San Francisco, Sam Spade Jr. has taken over his father's private investigation business, but he does not like the work, or his father's obnoxious secretary. One of the father's big cases comes back to haunt the young Spade. A man offers a lot of money for a statue which may or may not be the Maltese Falcon. In fact, there are several large offers for the bird, and it might be worth millions if it is the genuine article. A European woman who has some trouble with English claims to want the bird to help a children's hospital. And Spade gets unwanted help from a crazy character (one of the movie's funniest) who he calls 'Andrew Jackson' after the man offers a $20 bill for Spade's time. Whatever the significance of the bird, someone must want it badly because people start dying.
The movie started out really funny and showed promise, but later it lost something. The second half proved much funnier than the first. The jokes were not always obvious, and sometimes you had to pay close attention to realize why something was funny. Sometimes the jokes came at a rapid-fire pace, but other times I felt unsatisfied. One running gag was a rental car with a mind of its own. The last gag involving the car was hilarious. Overall, the movie proved to be worthwhile, but not quite in a league with similar style comedies such as 'Airplane!'
People offended by political incorrectness should probably stay away, but to me politically incorrect humor was the best part. Such as the time Spade was in a room with black men and when his name was called, all the black men got up. The funniest character was a midget (Spade's word) in a Nazi uniform with a group of large Hawaiian guards protecting him, and the hilarious jokes about or from him were anything but sensitive. Spade also referred several time to the children in the hospital as 'cripples' or an even worse variation of the word. -
cnevel19 October 2005The Black Bird is not really a parody, as it does not poke fun at "The Maltese Falcon".
It is just a very subtle comedy with very little plot, about another group of people searching for the bird.
It is not a great film, or a hilarious film, but worth watching mainly to see the performances of Lee Patrick and Lionel Stander.
The "8" that I gave it is for them, otherwise I would have given it a "5" or "6".
If they had given Elisha Cook Jr. a larger part it would have helped.
The running gag with the car was cute but nothing to write home about.
The addition of a little person playing a Nazi with Hawaiian thugs was just dumb.
The ending was about the same as the ending of most of this type of movie, a letdown to the tune of "Bye Bye Blackbird". -
dogma-536685 January 2021I love this movie I haven't seen it in years and I finally found a on YouTube it's not released on DVD. Otherwise I would own it. It's one of my favorites I'm a film Noir buff and George Segal is one of my favorite actors. The cameos are awesome and so is the cast. Not to be taken seriously it's just a fun romp.
-
"The Black Bird" is both a sequel to and spoof of "The Maltese Falcon" and is also its own entity.
Sam Spade's son (George Segal) has inherited his father's detective business, and harridan secretary (Lee Patrick, who has some of the best lines). Suddenly a lot of people are showing interest in the Maltese Falcon, which Spade knows to be phoney.
Spade must elude Hawaiian assassins and National Socialialist midgets (his word) and others (including Playboy Playmate Connie Kreski) to protect his life when all around him people are dropping like flies. And he's in a running Battle with a less than helpful helper (Lionel Stander).
It's offensive all around. Certainly not PC. I was offended by it myself, but I'm a big boy who can roll with it.
It's also hilarious. Segal's Spade isn't so much a detective as a pinball bouncing from one acquisitive group to another. He's the definition of "hapless."
The ending is a cop-out, but what're you going to do?
If you're easily offended or if the original "Falcon" is some sort of holy writ to you: stay away. You have been warned. Otherwise, you may enjoy this.