The Black Bird (1975) Reviews

The Black Bird is a satirical sequel to The Maltese Falcon. George Segal plays Sam Spade Jr., who has inherited his dad's detective agency in a seedy section of San Francisco. The ubiquitous, priceless Maltese Falcon, which eluded Bogart and company in the 1941 film, surfaces once again. This time, Spade's friends and foes include femme fatales Anna and "Decoy Girl" (Stéphane Audran and Connie Kreski), sixtysomething historian Dr. Crippen (Signe Hasso, who looks terrific), and midget villain Litvak (Felix Silla, who played Cousin Itt on the TV series The Addams Family). Gags abound, including a climactic steal from Jaws. Two of the surviving stars of The Maltese Falcon, Lee Patrick and Elisha Cook Jr., recreate their roles in The Black Bird . ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi