The Thin Man (1934)

Former detective Nick Charles and his wealthy wife Nora investigate a murder case, mostly for the fun of it.

Director:

W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:

Albert Hackett (screen play), Frances Goodrich (screen play)

Stars:

William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O'Sullivan

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 3 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
William Powell	...	Nick Charles
Myrna Loy	...	Nora Charles
Maureen O'Sullivan	...	Dorothy Wynant
Nat Pendleton	...	Guild
Minna Gombell	...	Mimi Wynant Jorgenson
Porter Hall	...	MacCaulay
Henry Wadsworth	...	Tommy
William Henry	...	Gilbert Wynant
Harold Huber	...	Nunheim
Cesar Romero	...	Chris Jorgenson
Natalie Moorhead	...	Julia Wolf
Edward Brophy	...	Morelli
Edward Ellis	...	Clyde Wynant
Cyril Thornton	...	Tanner

Storyline

After a four year absence, one time detective Nick Charles returns to New York with his new wife Nora and their dog, Asta. Nick re-connects with many of his old cronies, several of whom are eccentric characters, to say the least. He's also approached by Dorothy Wynant whose inventor father Clyde Wynant is suspected of murdering her father's mistress (his former secretary ).. Her father had left on a planned trip some months before and she has had no contact with him. Nick isn't all that keen on resuming his former profession but egged-on by wife Nora, who thinks this all very exciting, he agrees to help out. He solves the case, announcing the identity of the killer at a dinner party for all of the suspects.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel | husband wife relationship | christmas party | police detective | shot in the back | 

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Taglines:

MAN OF 1000 THRILLS and 2000 Laughs! (Print Ad- Albany Times-Union, ((Albany NY)) 18 July 1934)

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the time of its release in 1934 William Powell was about 42 where Myrna Loy was about 29 close to the ages of Nick and Nora according to the Thin Man novel where Nick mentions his age about 45 and then Nora's later in the novel to be 26.

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Goofs

When Nick and Nora are walking with Guild, Nora has Asta's leash in her left hand. There is a close-up of her hand, her fingers open, and she drops the leash but almost immediately, her arm moves back as if she is holding the leash. When Nora and Asta get into the cab, she's holding the leash as if she never dropped it. Very strange that the camera focused on her hand when she let go of the leash.

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Quotes

Tom: [first lines]
Tom: 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?

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits are shown with the original novel by D. Hammett in the background.

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Connections

Featured in Precious Images (1986)

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Soundtracks

Our Big Love Scene
(1933) (uncredited)
Music by Nacio Herb Brown
Played as background music during the last scene

User Reviews

One of the funniest films ever made...

I am not really a fan of comedies, but I can definitely appreciate a good one when it comes along. Often times comedies only really work when they are combined with another genre (in the case of this film, the 'hard-boiled detective' film)... and sometimes they achieve brilliance.

In what might have otherwise been a sort of mediocre movie, Bill Powell and Myrna Loy breath a phenomenal life into the roles of Nick and Nora Charles, a rich woman and her dandyish (but dangerous) lush of a detective husband. This film entertains on so many levels and establishes (not exploits) so many cliches that it should be mandatory viewing in any introductory film class.

The plot of The Thin Man is pretty much peripheral to the performances by Low and Powell, but it is involving in its own way. Murder, loose women, police brutality (fun police brutality), adultery, polygamy, science, swindles, two dinner parties and drinking... lots and lots of drinking... all combine into one hell of fun movie. There is even a fair amount of tension in the film and all kinds of great one-liners and set-ups.

This is quite simply a phenomenal film, lots of fun (even for Gen Xers like myself), and well worth watching.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 May 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Thin Man

Filming Locations:

Southern Pacific Railway near Hwy 138. Mojave, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$226,408 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cosmopolitan Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1