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.He was even opposed by some who considered his daring and unconventional, rhythm & blues-oriented (rockabilly) music too sexually-arousing and similar to southern black music.Slim: (interjecting) Were you?Eddie: You""re alright, lady.You and Harry""s the only one that ever...Morgan: Don""t forget Frenchie.Eddie: That""s right.You and Harry and Frenchie.You know, you got o be careful of dead bees if you""re goin"" around barefooted, ""cause if you step on them they can sting you just as bad as if they was alive, especially if they was kind of mad when they got killed.His heart was filled with longing as he watched it drift off.Something must""ve told him that we""d never live these days of happiness again, that they were gone forever.