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| The Maltese Falcon |
The Grand Master of the Order of St John of Jerusalem had to pay an annual tribute to the Emperor Charles V and his mother Queen Joanna of Castile as monarchs of Sicily, for the granting of Tripoli, Malta and Gozo. There were also other conditions.
The annual tribute payable on All Saints day, 1 November, was one falcon. The grant was made at Castel Franco and is dated the 23rd day of the month of March, Third Indiction, in the Year of Our Lord 1530; in the 10th year of our reign as Emperor, the 27th as King of Castile, Granada, the 16th of Navarre, the 15th of Aragon, the Two Sicilies, Jerusalem and all our other realms.
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We grant, and of our liberality we bountifully bestow upon the aforesaid Very Reverend Grand Master of the Religion and Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, in feudal perpetuity, noble, free and unencumbered, our cities, castles, places and islands of Tripoli, Malta and Gozo, with all their cities, castles, places and island territories; with pure and mixed jurisdiction, right, and property of useful government; with power of life and death over males and females residing within their limits, and with the laws, constitutions, and rights now existing amongst the inhabitants; together with all other laws and rights, exemptions, privileges, revenues and other immunities whatsoever; so that they may hereafter hold them in feudal tenure from us, as Kings of both Sicilies, and from our successors in the same kingdom, reigning at the time, under the sole payment of a falcon; which every year, on the Feast of All Saints, shall be presented by the person or persons duly authorised for that purpose, into the hands of the Viceroy or President, who may at that time be administering the government, in sign and recognition of feudal tenure; and having made that payment, they shall remain exempt and free from all other service claimable by law, and by custom performed by feudal vassals.
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| Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon |
The investiture had to be renewed in every case of a new succession, and completed according to the dispositions of common law. Other conditions included:
-Non-aggression against Sicily.
-No immunity to fugitives of justice.
-Nomination of bishop of Malta.
-Appointment of bishop as Grand Cross and membership of the Order's Council.
-Preference to appoint an Italian as Admiral of the Order.
-Prohibition of transferability of the fief.
-Arbitration in case of dispute.
-No immunity to fugitives of justice.
-Nomination of bishop of Malta.
-Appointment of bishop as Grand Cross and membership of the Order's Council.
-Preference to appoint an Italian as Admiral of the Order.
-Prohibition of transferability of the fief.
-Arbitration in case of dispute.
Under whatsoever laws or conditions they may have in favour of the people already residing there.
The order and grand master paid the annual falcon until 1798 when the Order was expelled from the Maltese islands by the French Directory.
The Maltese Falcon is a 1941 film noir written and directed by John Huston in his directorial debut, and based on Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel of the same name. The film stars Humphrey Bogart as private investigator Sam Spade and Mary Astor as his femme fatale client. Gladys George, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet co-star, with Greenstreet appearing in his film debut.
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| The Maltese Falcon Film Poster |
The story follows a San Francisco private detective and his dealings with three adventurers, all of whom are competing to obtain a jewel-encrusted falcon statuette. The film premiered on October 3, 1941, in New York City, and was nominated for three Academy Awards. The Maltese Falcon was selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry in 1989. The Maltese Falcon is a part of Roger Ebert's Great Movies series and was cited by Panorama du Film Noir Américain as the first major film noir.
In 1539 the Knight Templars of Malta, paid tribute to Charles V, by sending him a Golden Falcon encrusted from beak to claw with rarest jewels, but pirates seized the galley carrying this priceless token and the fate of the Maltese Falcon remains a mystery to this day.
In San Francisco in 1941, private investigators Sam Spade and Miles Archermeet prospective client Ruth Wonderly. She claims to be looking for her missing sister, who is involved with a man named Floyd Thursby. Archer agrees to follow her that night and help get her sister back.
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| Sam Spade, Ruth Wonderly and Miles Archermeet |
Spade is awakened by a phone call early in the morning and the police inform him that Archer has been killed. He meets his friend, Police Detective Tom Polhaus at the murder scene and then tries calling his client at her hotel, but she has checked out. Back at his apartment, he is grilled by Polhaus and Lieutenant Dundy, who tell him that Thursby was also murdered the same evening. Dundy suggests that Spade had the opportunity and motive to kill Thursby, who likely killed Archer. Archer's widow Iva later visits him in his office, believing that Spade shot his partner so he could have her.
Later that morning, Spade meets his client, now calling herself Brigid O'Shaughnessy. She explains that Thursby was her partner and probably killed Archer, but claims to have no idea who killed Thursby. Spade distrusts her, but agrees to investigate the murders.
At his office, Spade meets Joel Cairo, who first offers him $5,000 to find a black figure of a bird, then pulls a gun on him in order to search the room for it. Spade knocks Cairo out and goes through his belongings. When Cairo comes round, he hires Spade. Later that evening, Spade tells O'Shaughnessy about Cairo. When Cairo shows up, it becomes clear that Spade's acquaintances know each other. Cairo becomes agitated when O'Shaughnessy reveals that the Fat Man is in San Francisco.
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| Sam Spade with the Maltese Falcon |
In the morning, Spade goes to Cairo's hotel, where he spots Wilmer, a young man who had been following him earlier, and gives Wilmer a message for his boss, Kasper Gutman.
When Spade goes to meet Gutman, alias the Fat Man, in his hotel suite, Gutman will only talk about the Black Falcon evasively, so Spade pretends to throw a temper tantrum and storms out.
Later, Wilmer takes Spade at gunpoint to see Gutman. Spade overpowers him, but meets Gutman anyway. Gutman relates the history of the Maltese Falcon, then offers Spade $25,000 for the bird and a quarter of the proceeds from its sale.
After Spade passes out because his drink had been spiked, Wilmer and Cairo come in from another room and leave with Gutman.
More information: Mental Floss
On coming round, Spade searches the suite and finds a newspaper with the arrival time of the freighter La Paloma circled. He goes to the dock, only to find the ship on fire. Later, the ship's captain, Jacobi, shot several times, staggers into Spade's office before dying. The bundle he was clutching contains the Maltese Falcon.
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| The Maltese Falcon |
O'Shaughnessy calls the office, gives an address, then screams before the line goes dead. Spade stashes the package at the bus terminal, then goes to the address, which turns out to be an empty lot. Spade returns home and finds O'Shaughnessy hiding in a doorway.
He takes her inside and finds Gutman, Cairo, and Wilmer waiting for him, guns drawn. Gutman gives Spade $10,000 for the Falcon, but Spade tells them that part of his price is someone he can turn over to the police for the murders of Thursby and Captain Jacobi, suggesting Wilmer. After some intense negotiation, Gutman and Cairo agree and Wilmer is knocked out and disarmed.
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Just after dawn, Spade calls his secretary, Effie Perin, to bring him the bundle. However, when Gutman inspects the statuette, he finds it is a fake and Wilmer escapes during the tumult. Recovering his composure, Gutman invites Cairo to return with him to Istanbul to continue their quest. After they leave, Spade calls the police and tells them where to pick up the pair. Spade then angrily confronts O'Shaughnessy, telling her he knows she killed Archer to implicate Thursby, her unwanted accomplice. She confesses, but begs Spade to not turn her over to the police. Despite his feelings for her, Spade gives O'Shaughnessy up.
I don't care what your secrets are.
But I can't go ahead without more confidence in you than I've got now.
You've got to convince me that you know what this is all about,
hat you aren't just fiddling around, hoping that it will all
come out right in the end.
Sam Spade
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