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Title: An Offbeat Mess
Review: Something went very, very wrong when Warner Brothers decided to do this version of the Maltese Falcon. It appears they decided to lighten it up, although I'm not sure if they were going for full out comedy. The result is a strange mess that succeeds neither as comedy or as detective mystery. Warren William overplays the detective hired by various people to locate a horn full of jewels. Bette Davis overplays the femme fatale, and various character actors overplay the rest of the gang looking for the horn. The mystery is a bit confusing, despite the fact I have read the book and seen the superior 1941 version. I guess you could kindly say this version is offbeat. It was too offbeat for me!
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