When a book collector is murdered in a public library, private detective Sam Spade is hired to find the killer. He encounters a host of unsavory characters hunting for a valuable autographed edition of Dashiell Hammett’s masterpiece, The Maltese Falcon, that was mistakenly donated to the Friends of the Library book sale.
Commissioned by the Johnson County Public Library for the 2008 National Endowment for the Arts' Big Read, The Maltese Murder is a humorous parody of Hammett’s classic detective novel. Using characters and a plot line eerily similar to the original story, The Maltese Murder embraces Hammett’s sharp dialog while at the same time spoofing the film noir genre.
Production Info
Premiere performance April 2, 2008 at the Johnson County Public Library. Starring Michelle Cotton, Matt Koenen, Steven Eubank, Joe Nuzum, Kevin Albert, Alex Saxon, and Susan Glennemeier. Directed by Tara Varney.
The cast requires five males and two females. The running time is approximately 60 minutes. Suitable for all ages and ideal for production in libraries, esp. in conjunction with the NEA's Big Read.
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