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Clive Owen was just about meant to select up the mantle of Sam Spade, the non-public investigator famously performed by Humphrey Bogart in 1941’s “The Maltese Falcon.”
Owen stars and govt produces the new AMC sequence “Monsieur Spade,” which follows Sam Spade in the South of France in the Sixties as he investigates the homicide of a number of nuns.
“It’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever done,” the “Children of Men” star instructed the Los Angeles Times. “I’m a crazy Bogart fan. I have an original poster from ‘The Maltese Falcon.’ When Scott [Frank, the series co-creator] called me, I sent him a picture of my poster and said, ‘You’ve come to the right guy.’”
Frank, the sequence co-creator, instructed the outlet, “Clive was just about the one individual we may see enjoying him.
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Clive Owen as Sam Spade in “Monsieur Spade” and Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade in “The Maltese Falcon.” (Jean-Claude Lother/AMC/Getty Images)
“When you begin writing, you at all times say, ‘Well, let’s make a listing.’ As I recall, our record by no means went past Clive.”
On “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Owen explained his unique approach to getting into character and giving due respect to Bogart.
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“I’m presupposed to go in and go, ‘I’m going to do my interpretation.’ But as a result of we have been taking pictures in France with a number of French actors, I wanted a grounding. And though we’re enjoying a later Sam Spade, he has to return … from that ’40s non-public detective. So, I kinda drowned in Bogart. I went and watched every thing once more.”
Owen ended up pulling all of Bogart’s dialogue from “The Maltese Falcon” and the actor’s other classic movie, “Casablanca,” and listened to it to “get into his cadence, his rhythm.”
Owen revealed he listened to Bogart’s dialogue from “The Maltese Falcon” and “Casablanca” over and over to get into character. (Jean-Claude Lother/AMC)
“It’s stunning as a result of what you study is you suppose he’s laconic, laid again. When you really take heed to him, he’s tremendous quick along with his dialogue. He simply makes it look simple and breezy. But, really, he’s tremendous nimble, tremendous fast,” he said.
“The factor about Humphrey Bogart and that fashion of performing is that they didn’t overindulge. They didn’t over clarify. It was all about trusting the rhythm of the piece, letting the phrases do the work.”
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Owen also told the LA Times he had a meal with Frank while he was writing the scripts and informed him he was listening and listening again to Bogart’s dialogue.
“And I stated to him, ‘Don’t freak out. But I’m listening so much to Bogart, and I wish to base my voice on him. I’m not going to do a nasty impersonation of Bogart. It’s simply the rhythm, the intonation.’ And he stated, ‘That’s so bizarre as a result of as I’ve been scripting this, I’ve to listen to Bogart say the dialogue.’”
Series co-creator Scott Frank, right, said Owen was his first choice for the role of Sam Spade in “Monsieur Spade.” (Jean-Claude Lother/AMC)
Bogart played Sam Spade in the noir classic “The Maltese Falcon,” directed by John Huston and based on Dashiell Hammett’s novel of the same name.
The movie co-stars Mary Astor, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet, who were all in pursuit of the bejeweled falcon statuette as Bogart’s private investigator deals with the twists and turns of their intentions and identities.
According to the American Film Institute, Bogart was not the first choice for the role. It was originally offered to actor George Raft. Raft reportedly turned it down over hesitancy working with first-time director Huston and an unwillingness to star in remakes. “The Maltese Falcon” had been adapted twice in the 1930s.
Bogart with “The Maltese Falcon” co-stars Peter Lorre, Mary Astor and Sydney Greenstreet. The film is widely considered one of the best examples of film noir. (John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
Bogart’s interpretation of the character was an instant classic, set the standard for the noir private detective archetype and helped launched him to stardom. According to Jeffrey Meyers’ book, “Bogart: A Life in Hollywood,” the actor said of the movie, “It is virtually a masterpiece. I haven’t got many issues I’m happy with … however that is one.”
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The movie was one of many first 25 films chosen by the Library of Congress to be included in the National Film Registry as “culturally, traditionally, or aesthetically important.”
For “Monsieur Spade,” the goal was to both honor and update Bogart’s character at the same time.
“It is virtually a masterpiece. I haven’t got many issues I’m happy with … however that is one,” Bogart reportedly said of “The Maltese Falcon.” (John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
“We’ve taken Sam Spade, we’ve jumped 20 years forward. He’s now dwelling in the South of France, attempting to dwell a quiet life,” Owen explained to “CBS Mornings.”
Owen said “Monsieur Spade” takes Sam Spade to a new time and location but “nonetheless has that type of ’40s P.I. vibe.” (Jean-Claude Lother/AMC)
“The factor about noir is everybody seems like they’ve seen it earlier than. As quickly as you do all these tropes, like we go, ‘Oh we know what that is, we know what noir is.’ But I feel it’s a really intelligent concept to take an iconic, ‘40s private detective, throw him 20 years later in the south of France. Already it’s a new model of it, however nonetheless, the guts of it, the essence of it, it nonetheless has that type of ’40s P.I. vibe.”
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“Monsieur Spade” is now streaming on AMC+.
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