Sam Spade
| Sam Spade | |
|---|---|
 Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade in the trailer for The Maltese Falcon | |
First appearance | The Maltese Falcon |
Last appearance | Spade and Archer |
| Created by | Dashiell Hammett |
| Portrayed by | |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Private detective |
| Spouse | Unnamed wife (deceased) |
| Children | Sam Spade Jr. (son) |
| Nationality | American |
Sam Spade (Samuel Spade) is a fictional character and the protagonist of Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel The Maltese Falcon. Spade also appeared in four lesser-known short stories by Hammett.
The Maltese Falcon, first published as a serial in the pulp magazine Black Mask, is the only full-length novel by Hammett in which Spade appears. The character, despite his scant appearances, is widely cited as a crystallizing figure in the development of hard-boiled private detective, such as Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe.
Spade was a departure from Hammett's nameless and less-than-glamorous detective, the Continental Op. Spade combined several features of previous detectives, most notably his detached demeanor, keen eye for detail, and unflinching determination to achieve his own justice.