Hi Gang,
According to the internet, it was on this date in 1941 that the film The Maltese Falcon had its premiere. I just watched a clip from this film of a dramatic confrontation scene featuring arch and enigmatic villain Kasper Gutman (played by the immortal Sidney Greenstreet) and his accomplice, the rather fey but lethal Joel Cairo (Peter Lorre). And I realized that somewhere in the back of my mind, I've been aware for years that the original characterizations of Count Petofi and his fey but lethal accomplice Aristede must have been inspired by these two. Particularly the Petofi characterization--in an interview, DS writer Violet Welles, who invented the character of the Count, mentioned that she'd thrown in a reference to him in an early 1897 script, and the character sort of grew and grew until he more or less demanded to be brought onstage.
Needless to say, the casting of Thayer David as the Count was a must--and resulted in some of the most brilliant and eccentric scenes of DS.
Count Petofi,wherever you are, I salute you! Remembering your words: "I know but one god... and his name is Petofi!"
G.