"Released amid the cast-iron censorship of the Hays Code, the second big screen version of Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel had to heavily rely on subtext. In fact, it's likely many of the Academy's more conservative or sheltered members responsible for its nominations in Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, & Best Supporting Actor were entirely oblivious to its queerness."
"There are three heavily coded characters who now blatantly fit within the LGBTQ+ spectrum. And unsurprisingly, given the era, they're all criminal deviants who must be brought to justice by the paragon of masculinity. Representation here came at the cost of demonization. Nevertheless, the two given the most screen-time are undoubtedly far more interesting than any of the straights."
"Cairo rocks up to the office of Bogart's rugged private investigator Sam Spade with a business card drenched in his favorite gardenia scent, takes great delight at the prospect of frisking him from behind, and carries a phallic walking cane he repeatedly fondles, caresses and holds up to his lips."
The Maltese Falcon, released in 1941, launched director John Huston's career and elevated Humphrey Bogart to stardom while establishing the film noir genre. The film notably featured coded LGBTQ+ representation through three criminal characters, though many conservative Academy members likely remained unaware of this subtext. Peter Lorre's character Joel Cairo exemplifies this coding through effeminate mannerisms, including arriving with gardenia-scented business cards, carrying a phallic walking cane, and displaying exaggerated concern for his appearance. These queer characters were portrayed as villains requiring defeat by the heterosexual protagonist, representing representation achieved through demonization. Despite this problematic framing, the LGBTQ+ coded characters prove more compelling than their heterosexual counterparts.
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