After the Thin Man (1936)

Director:

W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:

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

Release Date:

25 December 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

Continuing the fun in their NEW hit!

Plot:

Nick investigates the case of a missing man and later a murder that is connected to Nora's family.

Plot Keywords:

Missing Husband | Murder | Accused Of Murder | New Year's Eve | Songwriter

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

William Powell	...	Nick Charles
Myrna Loy	...	Nora Charles
James Stewart	...	David Graham
Elissa Landi	...	Selma Landis
Joseph Calleia	...	'Dancer'
Jessie Ralph	...	Aunt Katherine Forrest
Alan Marshal	...	Robert Landis (as Alan Marshall)
Teddy Hart	...	Floyd Casper
Sam Levene	...	Lt. Abrams
Penny Singleton	...	Polly Byrnes (as Dorothy McNulty)
William Law	...	Lum Kee
George Zucco	...	Dr. Adolph Kammer
Paul Fix	...	Phil Byrnes / Ralph West
Asta	...	Asta
Mrs. Asta	...	Mrs. Asta
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jack Adair	...	Escort of Sexy Blonde (uncredited)
Eadie Adams	...	Singer at Welcome Home Party (uncredited)
Eddie Allen	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Murray Alper	...	The Kid (uncredited)
Charles Arnt	...	Drunk Greeting Nick and Nora at Party (uncredited)
Will Aubrey	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Vince Barnett	...	Wrestling Manager at Party (uncredited)
William 'Billy' Benedict	...	Blond Young Man Who Approaches Car (uncredited)
James Blaine	...	San Francisco Policeman (uncredited)
Jimmy Blair	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Ward Bond	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Jimmy Brewster	...	Thug with Joe at Nick's Table (uncredited)
Donald Briggs	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Harlan Briggs	...	Burton Forrest (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
William Burress	...	Cousin Lucius (uncredited)
Joe Caits	...	Joe (uncredited)
James Carlisle	...	Man Reading Newspaper (uncredited)
Noble 'Kid' Chissel	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Phyllis Coghlan	...	The Charles' Maid Who First Recognizes Them (uncredited)
Irene Coleman	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin	...	Trainman Seeing Nick Kiss Nora (uncredited)
Baldwin Cooke	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Edith Craig	...	Girl with Fireman at Party (uncredited)
Richard Cramer	...	Iceman at Party (uncredited)
Jack Daley	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Edgar Dearing	...	Bill (uncredited)
Cecil Elliott	...	Servant (uncredited)
Frank Fanning	...	Warden (uncredited)
Chester Gan	...	Chinese Waiter (uncredited)
Mary Gordon	...	Rose (uncredited)
Maude Turner Gordon	...	Cousin Helen (uncredited)
William Gould	...	Detective (uncredited)
Fred Graham	...	Newspaper Distributor (uncredited)
Jesse Graves	...	Red Cap (uncredited)
Jack Grey	...	Plainclothesman (uncredited)
George Guhl	...	Policeman at Party (uncredited)
Ben Hall	...	Butcher Boy (uncredited)
Sherry Hall	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Lew Harvey	...	Thug with Joe at Nick's Table (uncredited)
Sam Hayes	...	First News Radio Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
Allen 'Farina' Hoskins	...	Screwy (uncredited)
Arthur Housman	...	Man Rehearsing Welcome Speech (uncredited)
Bert Howard	...	Wrestling Manager's Assistant (uncredited)
Ethel Jackson	...	Girl with Fireman (uncredited)
John Kelly	...	Harold the Chauffer (uncredited)
Edith Kingdon	...	Aunt Hattie (uncredited)
Clarence Kolb	...	Cousin Lucius (uncredited)
Jean Laverty	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Hal Le Sueur	...	Polly's Admirer (uncredited)
Harry Leroy	...	Man in the Mob (uncredited)
Carl M. Leviness	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Bert Lindley	...	Station Agent (uncredited)
Richard Loo	...	Lichee Club Headwaiter (uncredited)
Jimmie Lucas	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Tom McGuire	...	Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Pat McKee	...	New Year's Partygoer (uncredited)
Charles McMurphy	...	Cop (uncredited)
Roger Moore	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Sue Moore	...	Sexy Blonde (uncredited)
Kewpie Morgan	...	Boyfriend of Girl Standing on Hands (uncredited)
Bob Murphy	...	Detective Arresting Nora and David (uncredited)
Jack Norton	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Paddy O'Flynn	...	Singing Guest (uncredited)
Frank Otto	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	...	Man Standing on Hands (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Flop House Proprietor (uncredited)
Joe Phillips	...	Willie the Weeper (uncredited)
Thomas Pogue	...	Uncle Willie (uncredited)
Richard Powell	...	Surprised Policeman Who Shot at Mirror (uncredited)
Jack Raymond	...	Photographer (uncredited)
George Reed	...	Dudley (uncredited)
Jack Richardson	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Tom Ricketts	...	Henry the Butler (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Jeanie Roberts	...	Girl Working with Jerry (uncredited)
Claire Rochelle	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Constantine Romanoff	...	Wrestler at Party (uncredited)
Dick Rush	...	San Francisco Detective (uncredited)
Fred Santley	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Bert Scott	...	Man at Piano (uncredited)
Marion Sheldon	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Alice H. Smith	...	Cousin Emily (uncredited)
Jane Talent	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
George Taylor	...	Eddie (uncredited)
Zeffie Tilbury	...	Aunt Lucy (uncredited)
Edith Trivers	...	Hat Check Girl (uncredited)
Charles Trowbridge	...	Ballistics Man (uncredited)
Harry Tyler	...	Fingers (uncredited)
Guy Usher	...	Police Captain (uncredited)
Monte Vandergrift	...	Detective Asked to Check On It (uncredited)
Dorothy Vaughan	...	Charlotte (uncredited)
Lucille Ward	...	Prison Matron (uncredited)
Bobby Watson	...	Leader of Late Crowd (uncredited)
Norman Willis	...	Fireman at Party (uncredited)
Eric Wilton	...	Peter - Nick's Butler (uncredited)
William Worthington	...	'Respectable' Man in Car (uncredited)

Directed by
W.S. Van Dyke

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

Produced by
Hunt Stromberg	....	producer

Original Music by
Herbert Stothart
Edward Ward

Cinematography by
Oliver T. Marsh		(photographed by)

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

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Henry Grace		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Dorian	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Harry McAfee	....	associate art director
Edwin B. Willis	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Camera and Electrical Department
Eddie Croninworth	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dolly Tree	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Wayne Allen	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Seymour Felix	....	dance stager
Wallace Worsley Jr.	....	script clerk (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1936) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1937) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1937) (France) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (1937) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

112 min | Canada:113 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) | UK:U (DVD rating) | Australia:G | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #2889)

Filming Locations:

Coit Tower, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Though William Powell and Myrna Loy were very close friends off-screen, their only romantic moments together occurred on-screen. The public, however, was determined to have them married in private life as well. When the two stars showed up in San Francisco (where most of this film was shot) at the St. Francis, the hotel management proudly showed "Mr. and Mrs. Powell" to their deluxe suite. This was an especially uncomfortable moment as Jean Harlow, who was engaged to Powell, was with them, and the couple had not made a public statement about their relationship. Harlow saved the day by insisting on sharing the suite with Loy: "That mix-up brought me one of my most cherished friendships," Loy said in "Being and Becoming", her autobiography. "You would have thought Jean and I were in boarding school we had so much fun. We'd stay up half the night talking and sipping gin, sometimes laughing, sometimes discussing more serious things." Meanwhile, Powell got the hotel's one remaining room - a far humbler accommodation downstairs.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dancer sees that Nora is going to use the pay phone (in the Lichee Club), he approaches the hat check girl to load her up with coins so that she can keep Nora from using the pay phone. When Dancer first approaches, the hat check girl is sitting in a chair, facing toward Dancer. Dancer continues to approach and she is now standing by the counter, facing away from him.

Quotes:

'Dancer', Lichee Club Owner:Once a gumheel, always a gumheel, huh? Well, I don't like gumheels, but I thought you'd quit it when you married a pot of money.
Nora Charles:Did he call me a pot?

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997) (V)

Soundtrack:

California Here I Come

Handling It In The Family

After solving the famous Thin Man case in New York and acquiring a trademark in the process, Nick Charles returns to San Francisco with wife Nora to spend some time with some of her family. As we learned in the initial film, Myrna Loy's parents are both deceased, but she's got one formidable aunt is Jessie Ralph and a cousin with a wayward husband in Elissa Landi.

Elissa prevails upon Myrna to get Bill to locate her husband who's been missing for a few days. Powell and Loy do locate Alan Marshal the husband and the rat's been living it up with nightclub chanteuse Penny Singleton. Marshal's a playboy wastrel and hasn't the slightest intention of returning to home and hearth. But in the wee small hours of New Year's Day, he gets himself murdered on the streets of San Francisco and two more bodies turn up before William Powell solves the case.

James Stewart appears in this second Thin Man film as Landi's patient former boyfriend. In the films of James Stewart book, Stewart mentions that he wasn't particularly happy with his work in this film though I'm sure it didn't hurt his career any. He felt it was way too much at variance with what his fans expected from him. It's reason enough to watch the film and see if you agree with Jimmy.

Sam Levene of the San Francisco PD isn't any brighter than Nat Pendleton of the NYPD just a little more excitable. Powell shows them up all the time so much so that you wonder why he's not made police commissioner of either city.

Asta the most famous terrier in the world gets a bit more screen time than usual for animal lovers. He's got a Mrs. Asta and several pups and a black dog who keeps trying to cut in on his time. He also at one point provides the highpoint in comedy as he almost eats a clue which is in the form of a note thrown threw a window. Lots of fun as Powell and Loy try to get him to spit out the note. Handling that doggie drool soaked note musn't have been fun for Loy and Powell.

After the Thin Man keeps up the high standards in film making set by the original Thin Man and shouldn't be missed.