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MY ORIGINAL SCULPTURE
THE NEWEST, HIGHLY DETAILED, HONESTLY ACCURATE MALTESE FALCON STATUE
PLEASE REVIEW THE SCREEN CAPTURES AND COMPARE FOR YOURSELF.
Real customer feedback:
"Brought the Falcon to my office on the Warner Brothers Studio lot, very near the filming stages, where the movie was made!"
"I still maintain that yours is by far the very best out there and I bought most of them over the years.
If I had gotten yours first I may have never found the need to search out the others
in my quest for the perfect Maltese Falcon.
Sadly, others have flooded the market for years with a product that
is only a representation of the Falcon at best.
Yours could have starred in the movie!"
"I've been a Hollywood Studio Prop Master for 35 years, and Greg's work is as set ready as it comes!"
"As a private detective, a person with a passion for the factual, I cannot say enough good about the facts of this statues authenticity and the artist behind it. I am happy to have it in an esteemed place in my office. His commitment to accuracy is incredible. I felt as if I was buying the bird from the original artist ? well, he is the original of this version and to me it is so true to form that it could have been directly from The Maltese Falcon movie set."
"Amazing work, best on the market -- thank you!!"
"THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF"
Introducing an original Sculpture two years in the making, by Greg Lewolt
On set props used in the movie were made out of Resin and some plaster Birds, 6 that know about. so actors could easily handle them, take after take, day after day.
Close inspection of movie frames shows different statues as noted by tail feather differences and smoothness of side wings along with tiny differences in head feathers.
One notable frame shows a hollow dent in the base when Kaspar tips the bird over on the table in the wide shot, proving this was not a 40 pound lead casting!
Until now , nobody bothered really researching and spending the time to refine and get this amazing Historical Bird correct.
Please take a moment to study frames and compare
My sculpture is not only Honestly accurate, but camera ready!
4 pounds .
Height: 11 1/4 inches, with at base 3, 1/2, depth
The Amazing Journey
Over two years ago, I began a Quest to create what fans have wanted for decades , an accurate Maltese Falcon statue of the highest quality. As is the case with all my projects, The object is something I want for myself and have a great interest in.
Every detail I could find is there and the proportions and rations are correct, off detailed four sided photos of the original resin cast bird with measurements, transferred with calipers onto the clay, which are needed as the bird is all over the place design wise, lopsided and nothing the same, which makes it so interesting , but so hard to recreate.
Over the course of two years I would think I was finished , only to stumble across a new high resolution photo that I could zoom in and find more details. The biggest example is tiny feather designs in the base, that I never knew existed, so of course, I had to go back and add those....
The months past by, where I researched all the details and sorted through all the folklore and downright false claims on a treasure hunt to discover the real Black Bird.
Recent high definition remastering of the film, and better photos helped, but the high key , shadow casting classic black and white lighting , falling on a three dimensional object distorts details. One good example was in the left side head feathers. I spent a lot of time shaping the clay to just the right rounded shape, only to discover , when I checked the film frame by frame, that the next frame as the Bird was moved and the shadow shifted showed that the tiny feather was actually pointed!
I was frustrated as I would finish one area of the feathers , only to find another frame with a curved tail feather , rather then the straight one that is on the photos where Sam Spade is holding the bird up. until I finally realized that more than one Bird was used on the film, not just one, as some claim.
Big Myth
-That the on set prop was made of lead and weighed 45 pounds! -
causing people to do all sorts of silly things over the years , to charge more money like adding fishing weights and all.
-see the frames from the film where Bogart actually bounces the bird up in the air a little, when it is handed to him, to test the weight, then holds it easily in one hand , while moving the furniture at the table to set the bird down.
proving this was not a 45 pound solid lead casting!
-That the on set prop was made of lead and weighed 45 pounds! -
causing people to do all sorts of silly things over the years , to charge more money like adding fis
I also understood that as a director myself, and actor, I would never ever have anyone work with a 45lb prop, and the belief that the lead Conrad Falcon was the only one used in the film, is false., so using that as my only reference just wouldn't do.
-That the on set prop was made of lead and weighed 45 pounds! -
causing people to do all sorts of silly things over the years , to charge more money like adding fishing weights and all.
-see the frames from the film where Bogart actually bounces the bird up in the air a little, when it is handed to him, to test the weight, then holds it easily in one hand , while moving the furniture at the table to set the bird down.
Try it yourself, pick up a 25 lb weight and hold it, then try a 50lb, and then think about actors holding and working with it take after take and day after day, as movie making is not done in one sitting. One good shot shows the passage of time as the wide shot of the bird left on the table moves in position from shot to shot.
Closer inspection of the movie shows that the prop, while heavy is not 45lbs, it bounces as Kasper Gutman is lifting it up,to an upright position, and cutting it, and he easily rotates it for a full rotation.
The other little story of the bird being dropped and striking Bogart's toes, also shows me that it could not have been the lead bird, as toes would not have been bruised, they would have been destroyed! and the little story that that's why the tail feather is bent is nonsensical as it is curved perfectly not mashed, and why in the world would a Director use a damaged prop, when 5 more are standing by? could the secretary, delivering the package carry almost half her weight so gingerly take after take, of course not!. -also note the photo in my listing showing Humphrey playing golf at the lakeside course across the street from Warner Brothers studio, right after the film wrapped?, does he look like he had a 45lb bird crushed his toes, nope, that's all just a 70 year old myth.
A friend worked on the first Iron man, making large numbers of Armour castings if one scratch got in the armor, it was replaced right away. Film making is too expensive by the hour to shoot damaged props or to not have replacements right there.
Further research revels frames with two different tail feathers on the right side, this side is shown in one shot, then the camera cuts away to Sam Spade's face, and when we cut back to the bird on the table it has been rotated and shows the other sides, but not the right side again. The space between the legs also has some variation between castings.
The Conrad Falcon might have been used in a take for the cutting, hard to ever know for sure, but I'm sure it was replaced with a plaster or resin one pretty quickly when realized how unmanageable it was.
You can see by the ease the actors hold the bird and extended arms and hands, that this is no 45lb bird!
Finally I found the explanation. The original sculpture was actually pretty basic, with big fat feathers, and did not look 600 years old. So out came the grinder and files, and several birds were ground down to make a realistic film prop, this created many different statues, mostly the same, but with differences in the details.
In the end, I wanted to create a piece that was pleasing to the eye for years to come, sitting on the shelf, or desktop in the real 3d world, going off flat 2d images, so Where there are slight differences, in the 2 or 3 birds used in the film and publicity photos, I chose the more interesting and matching feather details.
What all this means that even if the studio someday would make a casting , it would not be 100% accurate, as the old molds are gone and they would use the Lead Conrad falcon, that has smooth wing ends and sharper facial features, then the others used in the Film
Surface details
No Other Falcon ever made bothers with all of the interesting surface details, so right there all others claims of accuracy fail.
The reason for this is mold making is expensive, and getting good casts are much more difficult with lots of tiny details. Jello mold style with all smooth surfaces, is mostly what you see, as artists, just looking to make a buck, take the cheat short cut, of just dipping a brush in mineral spirits and brushing the clay surface smooth and getting it done quickly.
I spent more months, studying every crease and marking and breaks in the lines on the wing feathers, until i was satisfied
As a Actor and Director that has made 4 feature films, and countless other media, and spent many years working in Motion Picture film labs, transferring films to video , editing films, lighting them, and studying all aspects of the Business, I suppose I have a different insight , from that of an artist. I want things to look camera ready and believable.
My Studio is across the street, from Universal Studios Hollywood, and Warner Brothers Studios Burbank is just next door. When I ride the escalator down to the lower lot it overlooks the Lakeside golf course at the bottom of the hill where John Huston brought Bogart, Astor, Bond, Lorre and others to the Lakeside Golf Club next to the Warner lot to relax in the pool, dine, drink and talk until midnight, after the film was done, I just couldn't skip the finish details that make a great prop, I could not take any short cuts.
Thanks so much for your time and interest
Greg Lewolt
THE NEWEST, HIGHLY DETAILED, HONESTLY ACCURATE MALTESE FALCON STATUE
PLEASE REVIEW THE SCREEN CAPTURES AND COMPARE FOR YOURSELF.
Real customer feedback:
"Brought the Falcon to my office on the Warner Brothers Studio lot, very near the filming stages, where the movie was made!"
"I still maintain that yours is by far the very best out there and I bought most of them over the years.
If I had gotten yours first I may have never found the need to search out the others
in my quest for the perfect Maltese Falcon.
Sadly, others have flooded the market for years with a product that
is only a representation of the Falcon at best.
Yours could have starred in the movie!"
"I've been a Hollywood Studio Prop Master for 35 years, and Greg's work is as set ready as it comes!"
"As a private detective, a person with a passion for the factual, I cannot say enough good about the facts of this statues authenticity and the artist behind it. I am happy to have it in an esteemed place in my office. His commitment to accuracy is incredible. I felt as if I was buying the bird from the original artist ? well, he is the original of this version and to me it is so true to form that it could have been directly from The Maltese Falcon movie set."
"Amazing work, best on the market -- thank you!!"
"THE STUFF THAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF"
Introducing an original Sculpture two years in the making, by Greg Lewolt
On set props used in the movie were made out of Resin and some plaster Birds, 6 that know about. so actors could easily handle them, take after take, day after day.
Close inspection of movie frames shows different statues as noted by tail feather differences and smoothness of side wings along with tiny differences in head feathers.
One notable frame shows a hollow dent in the base when Kaspar tips the bird over on the table in the wide shot, proving this was not a 40 pound lead casting!
Until now , nobody bothered really researching and spending the time to refine and get this amazing Historical Bird correct.
Please take a moment to study frames and compare
My sculpture is not only Honestly accurate, but camera ready!
4 pounds .
Height: 11 1/4 inches, with at base 3, 1/2, depth
The Amazing Journey
Over two years ago, I began a Quest to create what fans have wanted for decades , an accurate Maltese Falcon statue of the highest quality. As is the case with all my projects, The object is something I want for myself and have a great interest in.
Every detail I could find is there and the proportions and rations are correct, off detailed four sided photos of the original resin cast bird with measurements, transferred with calipers onto the clay, which are needed as the bird is all over the place design wise, lopsided and nothing the same, which makes it so interesting , but so hard to recreate.
Over the course of two years I would think I was finished , only to stumble across a new high resolution photo that I could zoom in and find more details. The biggest example is tiny feather designs in the base, that I never knew existed, so of course, I had to go back and add those....
The months past by, where I researched all the details and sorted through all the folklore and downright false claims on a treasure hunt to discover the real Black Bird.
Recent high definition remastering of the film, and better photos helped, but the high key , shadow casting classic black and white lighting , falling on a three dimensional object distorts details. One good example was in the left side head feathers. I spent a lot of time shaping the clay to just the right rounded shape, only to discover , when I checked the film frame by frame, that the next frame as the Bird was moved and the shadow shifted showed that the tiny feather was actually pointed!
I was frustrated as I would finish one area of the feathers , only to find another frame with a curved tail feather , rather then the straight one that is on the photos where Sam Spade is holding the bird up. until I finally realized that more than one Bird was used on the film, not just one, as some claim.
Big Myth
-That the on set prop was made of lead and weighed 45 pounds! -
causing people to do all sorts of silly things over the years , to charge more money like adding fishing weights and all.
-see the frames from the film where Bogart actually bounces the bird up in the air a little, when it is handed to him, to test the weight, then holds it easily in one hand , while moving the furniture at the table to set the bird down.
proving this was not a 45 pound solid lead casting!
-That the on set prop was made of lead and weighed 45 pounds! -
causing people to do all sorts of silly things over the years , to charge more money like adding fis
I also understood that as a director myself, and actor, I would never ever have anyone work with a 45lb prop, and the belief that the lead Conrad Falcon was the only one used in the film, is false., so using that as my only reference just wouldn't do.
-That the on set prop was made of lead and weighed 45 pounds! -
causing people to do all sorts of silly things over the years , to charge more money like adding fishing weights and all.
-see the frames from the film where Bogart actually bounces the bird up in the air a little, when it is handed to him, to test the weight, then holds it easily in one hand , while moving the furniture at the table to set the bird down.
Try it yourself, pick up a 25 lb weight and hold it, then try a 50lb, and then think about actors holding and working with it take after take and day after day, as movie making is not done in one sitting. One good shot shows the passage of time as the wide shot of the bird left on the table moves in position from shot to shot.
Closer inspection of the movie shows that the prop, while heavy is not 45lbs, it bounces as Kasper Gutman is lifting it up,to an upright position, and cutting it, and he easily rotates it for a full rotation.
The other little story of the bird being dropped and striking Bogart's toes, also shows me that it could not have been the lead bird, as toes would not have been bruised, they would have been destroyed! and the little story that that's why the tail feather is bent is nonsensical as it is curved perfectly not mashed, and why in the world would a Director use a damaged prop, when 5 more are standing by? could the secretary, delivering the package carry almost half her weight so gingerly take after take, of course not!. -also note the photo in my listing showing Humphrey playing golf at the lakeside course across the street from Warner Brothers studio, right after the film wrapped?, does he look like he had a 45lb bird crushed his toes, nope, that's all just a 70 year old myth.
A friend worked on the first Iron man, making large numbers of Armour castings if one scratch got in the armor, it was replaced right away. Film making is too expensive by the hour to shoot damaged props or to not have replacements right there.
Further research revels frames with two different tail feathers on the right side, this side is shown in one shot, then the camera cuts away to Sam Spade's face, and when we cut back to the bird on the table it has been rotated and shows the other sides, but not the right side again. The space between the legs also has some variation between castings.
The Conrad Falcon might have been used in a take for the cutting, hard to ever know for sure, but I'm sure it was replaced with a plaster or resin one pretty quickly when realized how unmanageable it was.
You can see by the ease the actors hold the bird and extended arms and hands, that this is no 45lb bird!
Finally I found the explanation. The original sculpture was actually pretty basic, with big fat feathers, and did not look 600 years old. So out came the grinder and files, and several birds were ground down to make a realistic film prop, this created many different statues, mostly the same, but with differences in the details.
In the end, I wanted to create a piece that was pleasing to the eye for years to come, sitting on the shelf, or desktop in the real 3d world, going off flat 2d images, so Where there are slight differences, in the 2 or 3 birds used in the film and publicity photos, I chose the more interesting and matching feather details.
What all this means that even if the studio someday would make a casting , it would not be 100% accurate, as the old molds are gone and they would use the Lead Conrad falcon, that has smooth wing ends and sharper facial features, then the others used in the Film
Surface details
No Other Falcon ever made bothers with all of the interesting surface details, so right there all others claims of accuracy fail.
The reason for this is mold making is expensive, and getting good casts are much more difficult with lots of tiny details. Jello mold style with all smooth surfaces, is mostly what you see, as artists, just looking to make a buck, take the cheat short cut, of just dipping a brush in mineral spirits and brushing the clay surface smooth and getting it done quickly.
I spent more months, studying every crease and marking and breaks in the lines on the wing feathers, until i was satisfied
As a Actor and Director that has made 4 feature films, and countless other media, and spent many years working in Motion Picture film labs, transferring films to video , editing films, lighting them, and studying all aspects of the Business, I suppose I have a different insight , from that of an artist. I want things to look camera ready and believable.
My Studio is across the street, from Universal Studios Hollywood, and Warner Brothers Studios Burbank is just next door. When I ride the escalator down to the lower lot it overlooks the Lakeside golf course at the bottom of the hill where John Huston brought Bogart, Astor, Bond, Lorre and others to the Lakeside Golf Club next to the Warner lot to relax in the pool, dine, drink and talk until midnight, after the film was done, I just couldn't skip the finish details that make a great prop, I could not take any short cuts.
Thanks so much for your time and interest
Greg Lewolt
