Before Bogart and Huston created the most enduring film version of Dashiell Hammett's detective novel The Maltese Falcon, this Bette Davis rendition brought the thriller to the screen in a somewhat comedic style, telling the twisting tale of a detective who is caught between a lying seductress and a lady jewel thief. Detective Ted Shayne (Warren William) is hired by Valerie Purvis (Davis) to find a woman named Madame Barrabas (Alison Skipworth). But Valerie has a secret that endangers Ted's life, while a valuable jewel-encrusted ram's horn serves as the key to the whole affair.
