The Thin Man Goes Home (1945)

Director:

Richard Thorpe

Writers:

Robert Riskin (screenplay) and
Dwight Taylor (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

January 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Drama | Family | Romance

Plot:

Nick and Nora go on holiday, and end up involved in a murder.

Plot Keywords:

Small Town | Murder | Vacation | Doctor | Painting

Cast

William Powell	...	Nick Charles
Myrna Loy	...	Nora Charles
Lucile Watson	...	Mrs. Marta Charles
Gloria DeHaven	...	Laura Belle Ronson (as Gloria De Haven)
Anne Revere	...	Crazy Mary
Helen Vinson	...	Helena Draque
Harry Davenport	...	Dr. Bertram Charles
Leon Ames	...	Edgar Draque
Donald Meek	...	Willie Crump
Edward Brophy	...	Brogan
Lloyd Corrigan	...	Dr. Bruce Clayworth
Anita Sharp-Bolster	...	Hilda (as Anita Bolster)
Ralph Brooks	...	Peter Berton
Donald MacBride	...	Police Chief MacGregor
Morris Ankrum	...	Willoughby Peavy
Nora Cecil	...	Miss Peavy
Minor Watson	...	Sam Ronson
Irving Bacon	...	Tom
Virginia Sale	...	Tom's Wife
Asta	...	Asta
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jean Acker	...	Tart (uncredited)
Oliver Blake	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Dick Botiller	...	Big Man's Companion (uncredited)
Lucile Browne	...	Skating Woman (uncredited)
Wally Cassell	...	Bill Burns (uncredited)
Clancy Cooper	...	Butcher in Montage (uncredited)
Joseph Crehan	...	Clancy, Policeman at Railroad Station (uncredited)
Tom Dillon	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Tom Dugan	...	Studs Lonnegan (uncredited)
Helen Eby-Rock	...	Tart (uncredited)
Sarah Edwards	...	Passenger on Train asking 'Why Should I?' (uncredited)
Rex Evans	...	Fat Man in Train Passageway (uncredited)
Tom Fadden	...	Train Passenger in Passageway (uncredited)
Sam Flint	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Dorothy Ford	...	Tall Girl with Dog (uncredited)
Edward Gargan	...	Mickey Finnegan (uncredited)
Connie Gilchrist	...	Woman on Train with Baby (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	...	Bartender in Pool Room (uncredited)
Jane Green	...	Miss Harvey - Clayworth's Housekeeper (uncredited)
Joseph J. Greene	...	Train Passenger (uncredited)
Charles Halton	...	R.T. Tatum (uncredited)
Mickey Harris	...	Contortionist (uncredited)
Harry Hayden	...	Train Conductor (uncredited)
Robert Homans	...	Railroad Clerk (uncredited)
Bill Hunter	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Frank Jaquet	...	Train Passenger with Glasses Askew (uncredited)
Paul Langton	...	Tom Clayworth (uncredited)
Mitchell Lewis	...	Third Man Outside Barber Shop (uncredited)
Bert May	...	Sailor (uncredited)
Mike Mazurki	...	First Man Outside Barber Shop (uncredited)
Etta McDaniel	...	Ronson's Maid (uncredited)
Catherine McLeod	...	Daughter in Montage (uncredited)
Clarence Muse	...	Porter on Train (uncredited)
Robert Emmett O'Connor	...	Baggage Attendant on Train (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Pool Player (uncredited)
Bill Smith	...	Skating Man (uncredited)
Ray Teal	...	Second Man Outside Barber Shop (uncredited)
John Wengraf	...	Big Man (uncredited)
Marjorie Wood	...	Mother in Montage (uncredited)
Joe Yule	...	Barber (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Thorpe

Writing credits
Robert Riskin		(screenplay) and
Dwight Taylor		(screenplay)
Robert Riskin		(original story) and
Harry Kurnitz		(original story)
Dashiell Hammett		(characters)

Produced by
Everett Riskin	....	producer

Original Music by
David Snell
Lennie Hayton		(uncredited)
Bronislau Kaper		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Karl Freund
Joseph Ruttenberg		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Ralph E. Winters

Art Direction by
Edward C. Carfagno		(as Edward Carfagno)
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Production Management
Edward Woehler	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Al Jennings	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Mildred Griffiths	....	associate set decorator

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
James Burbridge	....	unit sound mixer (uncredited)
Standish J. Lambert	....	sound effects mixer (uncredited)
Standish J. Lambert	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)
Frank McKenzie	....	sound effects mixer (uncredited)
Frank McKenzie	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)
Robert Shirley	....	sound effects mixer (uncredited)
Robert Shirley	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)
Newell Sparks	....	sound effects mixer (uncredited)
Newell Sparks	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)
William Steinkamp	....	sound effects mixer (uncredited)
William Steinkamp	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)
Michael Steinore	....	sound effects mixer (uncredited)
Michael Steinore	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)
John A. Williams	....	sound effects mixer (uncredited)
John A. Williams	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	transparency projection shots (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Harkness Smith	....	second camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irene	....	costume supervisor
Marion Herwood Keyes	....	associate costume supervisor (as Marion Herwood)
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Edward Baravalle	....	music mixer (uncredited)
Henry Eicheim	....	music technical advisor (uncredited)
Wally Heglin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
M.J. McLaughlin	....	music mixer (uncredited)
William Saracino	....	music mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Jeanette Bates	....	dance director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1944) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  presents

Also Known As:

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #10301) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2005) | UK:A (original rating) | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Liberal drinking of alcohol, a mainstay of the first four "Thin Man" movies, was curtailed for this movie due to wartime liquor rationing.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the baggage car scene, Asta twice hides behind a milk can; once running from the right and the second time, running from the left. In the second sequence, the writing on the crates behind her is backwards. This is because the film editor simply reversed the negative from the first sequence in order to "create" the second.

Quotes:

Nicholas 'Nick' Charles:A couple of weeks on this cider and I'll be a new man.
Nora Charles:I sort of like the old one.
Nicholas 'Nick' Charles:Why, darling, that's the nicest thing you've said to me since the time I got my head caught in that cuspidor at the Waldorf.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Hollywood Hist-o-Rama: Myrna Loy" (1961)

Soundtrack:

Happy Birthday to You

"Is There Anything Better Than Dancing?"

With entry 5/6 it was a more conventional series, more mature and sedate than the sophisticated romp of 10 years previous. But still good clean fun, even with the Ed Brophy in the bushes gag!

Nick and Nora vacate to Nick's parents home in in quiet Hicksville, but find it suddenly bristling with murder, base intrigues and seedy bars. The plot's easier to follow than before, but that doesn't make it less entertaining: Based on the data collected whilst watching the first four films I deduced who the murderer was straight off (but not the real baddies) - but it was still wonderful to take part in the denouement. Character actors from the Falcon and Boston Blackie fill the screen, and even Donald MacBride appears as yes, a detective. Asta followed Nick closely throughout, Junior was left at school for the sake of all the viewers, however Nora was given a few out of character padding sequences. Favourite bit: At a dance Nora getting whisked into a prolonged hep jive with a sailor much to Nick's transfixed amazement.

So well worth watching for those of us who are looking for olde time production-line family entertainment and not High Art.