I just saw the original film, made in 1931 with Ricardo Cortez as Sam Spade. I always thought the John Huston version made about 1941 was the original.

This is an example of the remake being better than the original! Not a great film, but the story is so sweet to see a different version of...and the characters are the same and different. Guttman is there, Wilmur, Capitan Jacoby, Cairo, Archer, etc...but all a bit off, and San Francisco 1931 the scenes you see of it are amazing (I am a native San Franciscan).

But it was 1931 and this was a grade B movie at best, a pulp fiction of the time. If you are a fan I would find it just to see it and enjoy for the sake of more Sam Spade and the black bird and to see how much of this made it into Huston's version with is miles better and a real classic as we know.

 

Ive never seen either... i need too.