from Stills The Maltese Falcon Dingus, falcon, black- bird in Sam Spade’s hands, grasped by Humphrey Bogart. Spade portrait: shadow falcon on the wall, against it, that blonde devil burns information leading to Brigid and in front of Effie, projects shade, almost reflection, smokes with the fake dingus prop, photographer struggling to encapsulate the film, to capture evil or Peter Lorre, corrupt Sydney Greenstreet or Astor portraying a betraying angel, Mary, whose unshot still would end the movie now. The Thin Man Train car martinis (luggage in foreground says “train”) dressed in p.j.s and Asta, always, before the one with the kid made them too human, William Powell and Myrna Loy at the boxing match, slumming, drinking at a speakeasy, when that speakeasy really was 21, a clue decadence requires a cover, a detective, too, and money keeps ethnicity and your name from all the papers. The Big Sleep Photos promote film, but also stars, so this film is a love story between the actors, reposed in the studio: Bacall in her furs, reclining to kiss “behind the scenes” and “candid.” It’s also character. Caught behind a webwork of lies, Bacall wears a hat, black netting pulled over her puss. Two in league with each other, she posed next to the passed out girl lying on an ornate bed. They cringe under a shadow which appears to be bars on a jail cell (only slightly illicit, unwed). Double Indemnity Stanwyck, MacMurray bargain in the grocery store. She’s blonde, she’s brunette in some of Wilder’s chosen lighting. He’s limping, wounded, on crutches, in a cast on the train; he’s sent down for ever….