"The Maltese Falcon" to be staged in Glendora in August

On Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, 1930, Dashiell Hammett’s landmark detective novel The Maltese Falcon was published. The mystery broke new ground in the genre by veering drastically away from the typical “butler did it” plotline.

Five years ago on Valentine’s Day, the Route 66 Radio Theatre staged its own original readers theater production of the classic mystery at the historic Aztec Hotel in Monrovia.

The theater troupe will again stage the production on Aug. 27 and 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the Village Book Shop, 123 N. Glendora Ave., Glendora CA 91741. Tickets are $10 and reservations are available by calling the bookstore at (626) 335-5720.

Adapted to film twice, the 1941 version starring Humphrey Bogart as hard-boiled detective Sam Spade was nominated for three Academy Awards. The film was written and directed by John Huston, his first directorial effort, and also starred Mary Astor as Spade’s femme fatal, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet in his film debut.

The film’s script and that of the The Route 66 Radio Theater are word-for-word and scene-for-scene taken from the Hammett novel, said director Russ Bundy. The mystery centers on the acquisition of a fabled statue called the Maltese Falcon, said to be made of gold and encrusted with jewels, and sought by various nefarious and dangerous characters.

“There were several 11 1/2"-tall falcon props made for use in the film. Some were cast of plastic resin, some of lead. Only two 45 lb. lead falcons and two 5 lb., 5.4 oz resin falcons are verified to be in existence today,” Bundy said, adding the prop in his production is plaster copy now on display at the Village Book Shop.

Ironically, Spade’s line at the end of the film referring to the Falcon as “the stuff that dreams are made of” could be applied to the value of the film’s props by cinema memorabilia collectors who sought to acquire them.

“The lead and resin falcons are valued in excess of $2 million – coincidentally the value placed on the ‘real’ Maltese Falcon by Kasper Gutman, Greenstreet's character in the 1941 classic movie,” Bundy said.

Route 66 Radio Theater cast members are Richard Large, Ed Thomas, Brad Stephenson, Natalie Howe, Terri Foy-Verheagan, Russ Bundy and Jody Bardin.

For more information and reservations, call Village Book Shop, at (626) 335-5720.