The Black Bird

The Black Bird
Directed by	David Giler
Produced by	George Segal Ray Stark Lou Lombardo Michael Levee
Written by	Gordon Cotler Don Mankiewicz
Starring	George Segal Stéphane Audran
Music by	Jerry Fielding
Cinematography	Philip H. Lathrop
Edited by	Lou Lombardo
Production company	Rastar
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	December 25, 1975
Running time	110 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Black Bird is a 1975 film released December 25, 1975 starring George Segal and Stéphane Audran. It is a comedy sequel to the well-regarded 1941 film version of The Maltese Falcon with Segal playing Sam Spade's son, Sam Spade, Jr., and Lee Patrick and Elisha Cook Jr. reprising their roles of Effie Perrine and Wilmer Cook.

The Black Bird was panned by critics and audiences alike, and is still considered the weakest film adaptation of the novel; Pauline Kael wrote that the film is "a dumb comedy, with an insecure tone and some good ideas mixed with some terrible ones."

When San Francisco private detective Sam Spade dies, his son, Sam, Jr., inherits his father's agency, including the sarcastic secretary, Effie Perine (also known as "Godzilla"). He must also continue his father's tradition of "serving minorities." When Caspar Gutman is killed outside Spade's building, his dying words are, "It's black and as long as your arm."

Spade is given an offer by a member of the Order of St. John's Hospital to purchase his father's useless copy of the Maltese Falcon. A right-wing thug named Gordon Immerman has been hired to make sure Spade delivers the bird. He later gets an offer from Wilmer Cook for the Falcon, but before they can negotiate, he is killed. Shortly thereafter he meets a beautiful and mysterious Russian woman named Anna Kemidov, daughter of the general who once owned the real Maltese Falcon. She also wants Spade's copy and is willing to seduce him to get it. Spade is soon dealing with Litvak, a bald Nazi dwarf who is surrounded by an army of Hawaiian thugs. In the ensuing chaos, Immerman tries to become Spade's partner. Spade discovers that his "false" copy may be the real thing.

Ray Stark owned the rights to The Maltese Falcon and hired David Giler to adapt. Giler tried to work on the script with his friend John Milius but they were unable to collaborate. Giler then decided to turn the project into a comedy, and Stark let him direct. Filming was notable for frequent clashes between Stark and star George Segal.