The Psychotronic Film Society’s long-running Wednesday night series of underappreciated or downright obscure feature films from around the globe continues at The Sentient Bean. That night, they’ll show the B&W film noir gem “The Maltese Falcon.”

You’re probably saying to yourself, “That’s not obscure at all. Why is the PFS showing ‘The Maltese Falcon?’” Well, what if I told you that 1941’s “The Maltese Falcon,” starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor and Peter Lorre, was actually the THIRD film version of Dashiell Hammett’s 1930 novel of the same name? That’s right. Most folks have no idea that barely a year after its initial publication, and a full 10 years before Bogart appeared as detective Sam Spade, the handsome Ricardo Cortez played that role alongside Bebe Daniels. This original version is notably more lighthearted than the ’41 remake; however, in many respects, the two films are almost identical.

And yet, this original film still adheres much more closely to the book itself. That’s at least partly because at the time of its production, Hollywood’s notoriously restrictive Hays Code had yet to go into effect. That act of “self-censorship” found the trade group now known as the Motion Picture Association of America voluntarily banning a variety of controversial subject matter from their films in an effort to avoid government intrusion and oversight of the movie business. As a result, the 1931 “Falcon” includes references to homosexuality, stripping and other “tawdry” aspects of Hammett’s tale that would be sanitized or ignored altogether by the time Bogart stepped into Spade’s shoes.

The 1941 version became such a worldwide hit that this original film was kept locked in a vault and out of circulation for decades, lest it somehow compete with or be confused with Bogie’s remake. However, enough time has gone by now that it can be appreciated for what it is: a very well-made crime film that gets the whole “noir” vibe — a full decade before most critics and viewers would even think that terminology applies to American films. The PFS will screen a full, uncut print of this forgotten gem, with discounts on craft beer and organic wine during the screening. 8 p.m. showtime.