27 Maltese Falcon Quotes From The Book And The Movie

'The Maltese Falcon' world is based on a book by Dashiell Hammett.

The movie and book feature various characters - such as Sam Spade, Brigid O'Shaughnessy, Kasper Gutman, Joel Cairo, and many more. If you enjoy 'The Maltese Falcon', why not look at [Hollywood] and James Dean quotes too?
 

'The Maltese Falcon' - is literally a "black figure of a bird", which is something multiple characters in the movie and book are looking for. This takes them all across the place, with Sam Spade - a detective dealing with them on multiple points - tries to maintain peace and law. Read on for some of the best quotes from the franchise.

1. "I hope they don't hang you, precious, by that sweet neck.  Yes, angel, I'm going to send you over. The chances are you'll get off with life.  That means if you're a good girl, you'll be out in twenty years. I'll be waiting for you.  If they hang you, I'll always remember you."

-Sam Spade.

2. "Belong? Well, sir, you might say it belonged to the King of Spain, but I don't see how you can honestly grant anybody else clear title to it—except by right of possession."

-Casper Gutman.

3. “I haven't lived a good life. I've been bad, worse than you could know.”

-Brigid O'Shaughnessy.

4. “Well, sir, here’s to plain speaking and clear understanding.”

-Casper Gutman.

5. "You won't need much of anybody's help. You're good. Chiefly your eyes, I think, and that throb you get in your voice when you say things like 'Be generous, Mr. Spade'".

-Sam Spade.

6. “You’re the most contemptible man God ever made when you want to be. Because she did something without confiding in you you’d sit here and do nothing when you know she’s in danger.”

-Effie Perine.

7. "We didn't exactly believe your story, Brigid O'Shaughnessy. We believed your 200 dollars. I mean, you paid us more than if you had been telling us the truth, and enough more to make it all right."

-Sam Spade.

8. "From the first instant, I saw you I knew."

-Brigid O'Shaughnessy.

9. “He looked rather pleasantly, like a blonde Satan.”

-Dashiell Hammett.

10. "Put the pot on, will you angel. I don't like to leave our guests. "

-Sam Spade.

11. "You always think you know what you're doing, but you're too slick for your own good. Some day you're going to find it out.”

-Effie Perine.

12. “But, well, If you lose a son, it's possible to get another. There's only one Maltese Falcon.”

-Casper Gutman.

This list would be remiss without some of the better quotes from the franchise. While there were many emotional moments, such as the one where Brigid O'Shaughnessy is confronted by Sam Spade, there are multiple other scenes that elicit laughter.

13. "You know down deep in your heart and in spite of anything I've done I love you."

-Brigid O'Shaughnessy.

14. “I'm so tired, so tired of lying and making up lies, not knowing what is a lie and what's the truth.”

-Brigid O'Shaughnessy.

15. “Joel Cairo: You always have a very smooth explanation ready.

Sam Spade: What do you want me to do, learn to stutter?”

-'The Maltese Falcon'.

16. "Sam Spade: And if I know you can't afford to kill me, how you going to scare me into giving it to you?

Kasper Gutman the Fat Man: Well, sir, there are other means of persuasion besides killing and threatening to kill.

Sam Spade: Yes, that's . . . That's true.  But, there're none of them any good unless the threat of death is behind them.  Do you see what I mean?  If you start something, I'll make it a matter of your having to kill me or call it off.

Kasper Gutman: That's an attitude, sir, that calls for the most delicate judgment on both sides.  Because, as you know, sir, in the heat of action men are likely to forget where their best interests lie and let emotions carry them away.

Sam Spade:  Then the trick from my angle is to make my play strong enough to tie you up, but not to make you mad enough to bump me off against your better judgment.

Kasper Gutman:  By gad, sir, you are a character."

-'The Maltese Falcon'.

17. “You've got to trust me, Mr. Spade. I'm so alone and afraid. I've got nobody to help me if you won't help me. Be generous, Mr. Spade. You're brave. You're strong. You can spare me some of that courage and strength surely. Help me, Mr. Spade.”

-Brigid O'Shaughnessy.

18. “I distrust a close-mouthed man. He generally picks the wrong time to talk and says the wrong things. Talking's something you can't do judiciously unless you keep in practice.”

- Kasper Gutman.

Sam Spade - lover, detective, friend, sleuth. Words fall short of describing the man, but maybe these quotes by him will do the trick.

19. "When a man's partner is killed, he's supposed to do something about it. It doesn't make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you're supposed to do something about it. And it happens we're in the detective business. Well, when one of your organization gets killed, it's-it's bad business to let the killer get away with it, bad all around, bad for every detective everywhere."

-Sam Spade.

20. "The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter."

-Sam Spade.

21. "When you're slapped, you'll take it and like it."

-Sam Spade.

22. "Stuff that dreams are made of."

-Sam Spade.

23. "Haven't you tried to buy my loyalty with money and nothing else?"

-Sam Spade.

24. “He felt like somebody had taken the lid off life and let him see the works.”

 -Dashiell Hammett.

25. "This is my city and my game."

-Sam Spade.

26. “I’m a detective and expecting me to run criminals down and then let them go free is like asking a dog to catch a rabbit and let it go. It can be done, all right, and sometimes it is done, but it’s not the natural thing.”

-Sam Spade.

27. "You're a good man, sister.”

-Dashiell Hammett.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Maltese Falcon quotes then why not take a look at Cary Grant, or Lauren Bacall quotes.