Ms. Astor ignores Dean but seems quite taken by Sam. In The Maltese Falcon (1941), she falls for the detective, also named Sam: Sam Spade, played by Humphrey Bogart.
This episode is a salute to Film Noir movies of the 1940's into the early 1950's where there are twists and turns at every corner.
This episode is an homage to the classic film The Maltese Falcon (1941) and there are references to the movie throughout the episode.
Episode is directed by Amanda Tapping who played the Seraph Naomi, the angel who took charge of heaven after the Archangel Rafael was killed. She forced Castiel to spy on the Winchesters in season eight.
The original source Sam finds is named Miss or Ms. Astor. The love interest in The Maltese Falcon (1941) was played by Mary Astor. Ms. Astor wears classic clothing and has her hair styled in a 1940's style. She wears a string of pearls and pearl earrings, also common in the 1940's. In a later scene, she wears a 1940's style suit with a fox collar - something that would almost never be worn by a young woman in the 21st century.