Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew Up… without a whole lot. Sam’s not from riches. He’s seen enough of the world to know what “too good to be true” looks like.
Living… in 1930’s San Francisco. Unlike the way most think of San Francisco, this version seems dark and gritty. Competing interests abound and deceit is common.
Profession… private investigator. After being asked by a beautiful woman who calls herself “Miss Wonderly” to track down a man named Thursby, Sam starts to realize he might be being used to track down something much more valuable than a vigilante.
Interests… he doesn’t seem to have any hobbies as such. He’s really just trying to take care of himself. Sam makes no bones about the fact that he puts himself and his own interests first.
Relationship Status… single and not looking for love, it seems. Sam’s certainly had past relationships; he may even have been previously married. But looking out for No. 1 doesn’t always leave room for someone else. Then again, Miss Wonderly – who turns out to really be Brigid O’Shaughnessy – is looking more intriguing all the time.
Challenge… finding the truth about the murder of his partner and locating the Maltese Falcon, an object of inestimable value. If he can determine who’s to be trusted and who’s not, he might make it out alive and with something to show for his efforts.
Personality… jaded, worldly, and plucky. Sam has a sense of humor, if slightly dark. He’s neither an optimist nor a pessimist, but rather a realist. And he’s not afraid of getting his hands dirty: “I don't mind a reasonable amount of trouble.” He’s a hard man to get close to, but always interesting to watch.
Get to Know him in...
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Spade and Archer is the name of a San Francisco detective agency. That's for Sam Spade and Miles Archer. The two men are partners, but Sam doesn't like Miles much. A knockout, who goes by the name of Miss Wanderly, walks into their office; and by that night everything's changed. Miles is dead. And so is a man named Floyd Thursby. It seems Miss Wanderly is surrounded by dangerous men. There's Joel Cairo, who uses gardenia-scented calling cards. There's Kasper Gutman, with his enormous girth and feigned civility. Her only hope of protection comes from Sam, who is suspected by the police of one or the other murder. More murders are yet to come.
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A coolly glittering gem of detective fiction that has haunted three generations of readers, from one of the greatest mystery writers of all time. A treasure worth killing for. Sam Spade, a slightly shopworn private eye with his own solitary code of ethics. A perfumed grafter named Joel Cairo, a fat man name Gutman, and Brigid O’Shaughnessy, a beautiful and treacherous woman whose loyalties shift at the drop of a dime. These are the ingredients of Dashiell Hammett's iconic, influential, and beloved The Maltese Falcon.
