Summary
Monsieur Spadefollows the later years of Sam Spade, one of Humphrey Bogart’s most memorable characters and the hero ofThe Maltese Falcon. Created by Dashiel Hammett in the 1930 novel of the same name, Sam Spade is among the most notable examples of the “hard-boiled private detective” archetype from 1930s and 1940s pop culture. Over the years, the character has been portrayed a handful of times, with Humphrey Bogart’s performance in the 1941 adaptation ofThe Maltese Falconobviously being the most high-profile interpretation.
Though not marketed as an official sequel series to the 1941 film, it’s clear within the show which version of the storyMonsieur Spadeis most closely connected with. Widely considered to be one ofHumphrey Bogart’s best movies,The Maltese Falconbears an indistinguishable mark on the show,which is made evident by its handling of the lead character inMonsieur Spade’scast. Clive Owen’s take on Sam Spade is easy to see as an older version of the Bogart character, who has clearly gone through a lot sinceThe Maltese Falconended.
Monsieur Spade Season 2: Will It Happen? Everything We Know
AMC’s clever neo-noir series Monsieur Spade wrapped up its first season in style, but will the legendary gumshoe return for a second season?
Monsieur Spade Takes Place Over 20 Years After The Maltese Falcon
World War II Was Raging During The Maltese Falcon
Monsieur Spadetakes place in 1963, roughly20 years afterThe Maltese Falcon. The film, directed by John Huston, never put a specific date on the timeframe of the story, but it was obviously made to match the current time period, thus placing it around 1940 or 1941. This is in contrast to the book, which was set in 1928. As for the TV show, it appears to be following a timeline aligned with the film more so than the novel, based on the age of Sam Spade. Clive Owen is 59 years old, so it’s unlikely that as many as 35 years have passed since the Maltese Falcon mystery.
What Sam Spade Has Done Since The Maltese Falcon Ended
Sam Spade Got Married (But Not To Brigid)
By this point in Sam Spade’s life, the events and characters inThe Maltese Falconhave been behind him for years. However, they are referenced heavily in the series premiere, allowing the chance to explain how Spade’s life turned out after he solved the mystery of the film’s titular bird mystery. Apparently,Spade stayed true to his word in the first movie, and waited for Brigid O’Shaughnessy to get out of prison. She was only incarcerated for two years, and after using a lie to get out early, she reunited with Spade.
However, their rekindled romance didn’t last. Brigid broke parole and started a new life in Istanbul, whereasSpade eventually moved away from San Francisco and settled down in southern Francewhere he married a local named Gabrielle. She passed away sometime later, leaving Spade a widower. Afterward, he remained in the area, making the most of his retirement and quiet life in a rural town. But of course, it doesn’t take for Sam Spade’s nature as an ex-private eye to bring him back into harm’s way inMonsieur Spade.
Monsieur Spade
Cast
Based on the works of Dashiell Hammet, Monsieur Spade is a mystery crime-drama series created for AMC by Scott Frank and Tom Fontana. The series follows Detective Sam Spade years into retirement, now living in France. His peaceful era is interrupted by a former foe who begins a string of murders, forcing Sam to return and uncover the truth about the town he now inhabits.
