Wini Shaw

Before Bogart and Huston created the most enduring film version of Dashiell Hammett's detective novel The Maltese Falcon, this Bette Davis rendition brought the thriller to the screen in a somewhat comedic style, telling the twisting tale of a detective who is caught between a lying seductress and a lady jewel thief. Detective Ted Shayne (Warren William) is hired by Valerie Purvis (Davis) to find a woman named Madame Barrabas (Alison Skipworth). But Valerie has a secret that endangers Ted's life, while a valuable jewel-encrusted ram's horn serves as the key to the whole affair.