This is a
riff on The Maltese Falcon. Made in
1936, the Maltese Falcon had been made once before in 1931 and would be done
again – the definitive version – in 1940 with Humphrey Bogart. Here it is remade with Bette Davis and Warren
William, the names are changed (Bette Davis plays the Mary Astor role and
Warren William is “Ted Shane” instead of “Sam Spade”) and the Maltese Falcon
McGuffin is now a Horn filled with Jewels, but it is the same story.
.
But in this
case, it is played as almost a romantic comedy – albeit with no central love
story. Ted Shane doesn’t take life as
seriously as Sam Spade, and enjoys the hunt.
He is also much more callous to feminine wiles than Humphrey Bogart is. Bogart falls for Astor. Warren William never makes that mistake with
Bette Davies.
.
It is not
nearly as good as The Maltese Falcon – which is, let’s face it, a classic. But Satan Met A Lady is, to someone already
well acquainted with the Maltese Falcon a fun romp and a fascinating look at
the way Hollywood in the 1930s was matching the tone to the times. In 1936, the depression was lifting (it
proved to be short lived, but things were looking up for a few years). And Satan Met a Lady is primarily froth and
fun. In 1940, the War was bearing down
on the world, and the Maltese Falcon projects an air of doom. It shows the good-hearted American (Spade)
who is forced to go clean up a mess he wants no part of.
.
Movies
are cool that way.