As close to perfection as any film will come, in terms of cast, performances, subtext, fidelity to the source material. . .nothing comes close, and nothing more really needs to said. Thank God this version didn't have a happy ending tacked on!

"It's the stuff dreams are made of. . ."

NOTE: In every published cast list, Charles Drake, WIlliam Hopper and Hank Mann are listed as playing reporters. Hank Mann can barely be seen as a reporter at the La Paloma fire, but the others are too indistinct to pick out. It appears that their scene was cut, and Spade instead gets the information from the mate. Thus, they are not shown in the cast list below. Additionally, Jack Mower is always listed as "announcer," but he is actually the clerk that accepts the Falcon from Spade in the bus terminal.