Hammett""s murder mystery novel had previously been filmed twice:The Maltese Falcon (1931), a low-budget, pre-Code film (directed by Roy Del Ruth)-renamed for TV asDangerous Female- with Ricardo Cortez as the gumshoe opposite femme fatale Bebe Daniels; it was faithful to Hammett""s novel, although its pre-censorship status allowed for steamier scenes (a nude bathtub shot, a portrayal of Spade as a womanizing Latin lover, and a clearly homosexual relationship between Casper "Fat Man" Gutman (Dudley Digges) and ""fall guy"" Wilmer (Dwight Frye))Satan Met a Lady (1936), a remake directed by William Dieterle) with Warren William and rising star Bette Davis as the femme fatale, but without the ""black bird"" (a ram""s horn was substituted)Huston was convinced that he could remake the film with a more precise screenplay and better acting than the other two adaptations.She still retained a telepathic, psychically-possessed link between herself and her uncle Michael, after touching his hand, and their movements mirrored each other.Mostly drunk throughout the film, he also holds off an inquisitive and persistent bank examiner with a Mickey Finn.As they grow up, by 1915, they cross the same paths, but now they are graduating to more advanced, young-adult pursuits.