Maltese Falcon yes, Ben-Hur no.....just never thought Ben-Hur would be something I’d like........dunno why really.....;)
Both are remakes. Bogie’s Falcon was the 3rd time in 10 years that story was turned into a movie. Remakes are a part of Hollywood that goes all the way back. Movies are a very expensive undertaking, and the folks that finance them like guarantees (like an existing audience) and cut corners (like a property that’s already been bought). And some of those remakes are classics.