The Thin Man (1934)

Director:

W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:

Albert Hackett (screenplay) and
Frances Goodrich (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 May 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

A laugh tops every thrilling moment!

Plot:

Comedy-mystery featuring Nick and Nora Charles: a former detective and his rich, playful wife. They solve a murder case mostly for the fun of it.

Plot Keywords:

Dinner | Detective | Inventor | Murder | Criminal

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 1 win

Cast

William Powell	...	Nick
Myrna Loy	...	Nora
Maureen O'Sullivan	...	Dorothy
Nat Pendleton	...	Guild
Minna Gombell	...	Mimi
Porter Hall	...	MacCaulay
Henry Wadsworth	...	Tommy
William Henry	...	Gilbert
Harold Huber	...	Nunheim
Cesar Romero	...	Chris
Natalie Moorhead	...	Julia Wolf
Edward Brophy	...	Morelli
Edward Ellis	...	Wynant
Cyril Thornton	...	Tanner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Asta	...	Asta (uncredited)
Will Aubrey	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
William Augustin	...	Wynant's Butler (uncredited)
Polly Bailey	...	Janitress (uncredited)
Arthur Belasco	...	Detective (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict	...	Dance Extra (uncredited)
Tui Bow	...	Stenographer (uncredited)
Raymond Brown	...	Dr. Walton (uncredited)
Ruth Channing	...	Mrs. Jorgenson (uncredited)
Jack Cheatham	...	Detective (uncredited)
Clay Clement	...	Quinn (uncredited)
Nick Copeland	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty	...	Fighter at Party (uncredited)
Douglas Fowley	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Christian J. Frank	...	Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Kenneth Gibson	...	Apartment Clerk (uncredited)
Creighton Hale	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Sherry Hall	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Edward Hearn	...	Detective (uncredited)
Robert Homans	...	Billy the Detective (uncredited)
John Irwin	...	'Face' Tefler (uncredited)
Thomas E. Jackson	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Sydney Jarvis	...	Witness (uncredited)
Tiny Jones	...	Woman buying Newspaper (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Restaurant Table Extra (uncredited)
John Larkin	...	Porter (uncredited)
Dixie Laughton	...	Janitress (uncredited)
Walter Long	...	Stutsy Burke (uncredited)
Fred Malatesta	...	Joe - Headwaiter (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Detective Waiter (uncredited)
Henry Otho	...	Detective Waiter (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Detective (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Detective (uncredited)
Alexander Pollard	...	Waiter hired for Dinner (uncredited)
Albert Pollet	...	Waiter hired for Dinner (uncredited)
Bob Reeves	...	Cop (uncredited)
Bert Roach	...	Foster (uncredited)
Rolfe Sedan	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Gertrude Short	...	Marion (uncredited)
Lee Shumway	...	Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Pietro Sosso	...	Butler (uncredited)
Ben Taggart	...	Police Captain (uncredited)
Phil Tead	...	Reporter (uncredited)
George Templeton	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Guest at Nick's Party (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Leo - Waiter (uncredited)
Charles Williams	...	Fighter Manager (uncredited)

Directed by
W.S. Van Dyke

Writing credits
Albert Hackett		(screenplay) and
Frances Goodrich		(screenplay)
Dashiell Hammett		(novel)

Produced by
Hunt Stromberg	....	producer

Original Music by
William Axt		(as Dr. William Axt)

Cinematography by
James Wong Howe

Film Editing by
Robert Kern		(as Robert J. Kern)

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lesley Selander	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
David Townsend	....	associate art director
Edwin B. Willis	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Camera and Electrical Department
Ted Allen	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dolly Tree	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Wayne Allen	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
David Snell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Jack Virgil	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Howard Dietz	....	press agent (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents) (A Cosmopolitan Production)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1934) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | Netherlands:AL (DVD rating) | Canada:PG (video rating) | South Korea:12 (2003) | Sweden:11 (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Finland:(Banned) (1934-1938) | Finland:K-16 (1938) | USA:Approved (PCA #1304-R: 26 August 1935) | Germany:6 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:U

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Skippy, who played Asta the dog, bit Myrna Loy during filming.

Goofs:

Continuity: At Nick and Nora's apartment, Nora folds her arms in front of her. In the next shot, she's holding her hands behind her back.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Tanner: Your daughter's here, Mr. Wynant. Mr. Wynant! Mr. Wynant!
Clyde Wynant, the thin man: Haven't you got any more sense than to shout at me like that?

Movie Connections:

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs: America's Funniest Movies (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Jingle Bells

Classy, sassy fun

W.S. Van Dyke's 1934 film "The Thin Man" stars Myrna Loy and William Powell as Nora and Nick Charles, upper class sleuths who unwittingly become caught up in the case of a missing friend and former client. Nick is a former detective who has been in retirement for the last four years, living the high life with Nora when Dorothy Wynant (Maureen O'Sullivan) implores with them to help find her father, who has been missing for three months. Throughout the investigation, Nick and Nora rarely are without a drink in their hands, are forever trading bons mots and getting themselves into comical situations; they even get their terrier Asta in on their investigation.

"The Thin Man" is a great detective story that is enhanced by its classiness and humor. Powell is definitely the physical comedian of the pair, with Loy looking stunning and conveying so much with the looks she gives him. I honestly found myself guessing the outcome until the end, which culminates in a deliciously wonderful dinner party where all of the guests are suspects. It is stunning that this film was made in 1934, because it seems so ahead of its time; which is probably just one reason why it is so highly regarded and remains on many critics' lists. "The Thin Man" is so thoroughly enjoyable, and its stars (including Asta) are so engaging that I look forward to seeing more in the six-film series. Rent this one or catch it on Turner Classic Movies, like I did. It is well worth seeing, and surely an inspiration to many film genres ranging from screwball comedies to detective stories. A very strong 8/10.

--Shelly