If at first...

The movie "The Maltese Falcon" (with Humphery Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet) is widely recognized as a classic.

Yet the 1941 movie did not simply spring into existence. There were two predecessors: a 1931 version also called "The Maltese Falcon" and a 1936 remake called "Satan Met a Lady". (Both of which were based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett.)

All three of the movies were made by Warner Brothers. The first two have been cast into oblivion; the third remains with us.

The third movie was a success for a number of reasons:

- Warner Brothers tried different approaches with each movie. The first movie was a serious drama. The second movie was light-hearted, almost to the point of comedy. The third movie, like Goldilocks' porridge, was "just right".

- They had the right technologies. The first version used modern (for the time) equipment, but Hollywood was still feeling its way with the new-fangled "sound" pictures. The first version relied on dialog alone; the classic version used sound and music to its advantage.

- They took the best dialog from the first two versions. The third movie was dramatic and witty, combining the straight drama of the first and the comic aspects of the second.

- They had better talent. The acting, screenwriting, and camerawork of the third movie is significantly better than the first two efforts.

In the end, Warner Brothers was successful with the movie, but only after trying and learning from earlier efforts.

Perhaps there is a lesson here for software development.