Dieselpunk + Steampunk Culture
Sam and Effie from The Maltese Falcon - Would they, or wouldn't they?
For example, in the film, Humphrey Bogart plays Sam Spade as a rather likeable, hard-boiled hero who definitely likes his women, but in the novel, I found Sam Spade less likeable and a bit more of a dickhead (I still like him though, he's allowed flaws).
Effie, on the other hand, gets a bit more meat in the novel. As I'd watched the film before reading the book, there were some aspects that weren't quite clear - Effie's only meant to be 17, whereas the actress playing her in the film is much older. She does come off as a bit younger in the book compared to the film, where I fully expected her to wallop Spade one if he stepped too far.
Which is why, I guess, I always wondered why Sam and Effie never got together. I suppose that Effie's age in the book would've prevented that, but in the film, she seemed the safer bet after Sam's regret at getting involved with the widow Iva, and getting strung along by Brigit. Also, I got the impression that in the novel, Effie twigged that Sam could get a bit lustful and pushed him away.
So, I reckon that film Effie would've been the better woman for film Sam despite the total lack of any hint of a relationship between the two, but novel Effie was right to stay away from novel Sam.
Thoughts?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jonny B. Goode on -
Then again, 17 wasn't the big taboo back then that it is today; that's really relatively recent, within the last few decades or so.. So who's to say.
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Permalink Reply by Ella Kremper on -
Yeah, I wasn't sure what was considered taboo, as 17 to me sounds fine (age of consent in the UK is 16 anyway).
Jonny B. Goode said:Then again, 17 wasn't the big taboo back then that it is today; that's really relatively recent, within the last few decades or so.. So who's to say.
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Permalink Reply by Docneg on -
Watch "A Dangerous Woman", the first film version with Ricardo Cortez as Sam. It's not a bad movie and very interesting to compare. Made before the Hays office started sanitizing things, this version clearly shows Sam having an affair with Archer's wife, and lots of frank sexuality. Also the relationship between Gutman and Wilmer is a bit less disguised. What a difference a few years made in what was allowed on the screen!
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Permalink Reply by Tome Wilson on -
You thought Humphrey Bogart was likable in The Maltese Falcon?
I always felt exactly the opposite. Bogart's pimp hand was used on more than one occasion, and the cold way he picks up the case after his partner is killed is pretty sociopathic if you ask me.
Compared to Marlowe in The Big Sleep, Sam Spade had the emotional range of a tenured prison guard.
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Permalink Reply by Ella Kremper on
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Well, my opinion of what I think is 'likeable' - for example, in the Gormenghast trilogy, Steerpike is an utter bastard and the villain of the piece, but I personally think he's awesomely characterised within the plot confines.
On a scale of book to film, I thought book Spade was a total creep, and compared to that, Bogart's Spade seemed nicer. Still a git, but less of one. Take 'likeable' to mean in relative here. Heh, I don't mean that I'd love to socialise with them. I might end up dead!
Tome Wilson said:You thought Humphrey Bogart was likable in The Maltese Falcon?
I always felt exactly the opposite. Bogart's pimp hand was used on more than one occasion, and the cold way he picks up the case after his partner is killed is pretty sociopathic if you ask me.
Compared to Marlowe in The Big Sleep, Sam Spade had the emotional range of a tenured prison guard.
© 2012 Created by Tome Wilson.
