Another Thin Man (1939)

An explosives manufacturer suspects a young man is out to kill him. He calls in new parents Nick and Nora to sort things out.

Director:

W.S. Van Dyke (as W.S. Van Dyke II)

Writers:

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

Stars:

William Powell, Myrna Loy, Virginia Grey

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Powell	...	Nick Charles
Myrna Loy	...	Nora Charles
Virginia Grey	...	Lois MacFay
Otto Kruger	...	Van Slack
C. Aubrey Smith	...	Colonel MacFay
Ruth Hussey	...	Dorothy Waters
Nat Pendleton	...	Lieutenant Guild
Patric Knowles	...	Dudley Horn
Tom Neal	...	Freddie
Phyllis Gordon	...	Mrs. Bellam
Sheldon Leonard	...	Phil Church
Don Costello	...	'Diamond Back' Vogel
Harry Bellaver	...	'Creeps' Binder
William A. Poulsen	...	Nickie Jr.
Muriel Hutchison	...	Smitty

Storyline

In this adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's "The Farewell Murder", Nick and Nora (and their dog Asta) visit the estate of Col. MacFay, who is being threatened by a mysterious man wanting revenge for a past injustice. When MacFay is murdered, that man is the obvious suspect - maybe too obvious.

---

Plot Keywords:

sequel | screwball comedy | murder | held at gunpoint | shot to death | 

---

Taglines:

Their Merriest Hit! Mr. and Mrs. Thin Man Have a B-A-B-Y!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Romance

---

Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

17 November 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Return of the Thin Man

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the last of the "Thin Man" movies with the combined creative team of: William Powell and Myrna Loy, and director W.S. Van Dyke, and original story by Dashiell Hammett and adapted screenplay by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett.

---

Goofs

In the West Indies Club when Dum-Dum joins Nick at the table, the four drinks keep changing position on the table.

---

Quotes

Smitty: Nothing can stop that boy.
'Diamond Back' Vogel: He's a smart little guy.
Smitty: Too smart. Seven years I've been married to him and he's so slick he hasn't been outta the can long enough to finish our honeymoon!
'Diamond Back' Vogel: Don't seem to be breakin' your heart.

---

Connections

Follows The Thin Man (1934)

---

Soundtracks

Rock-a-Bye Baby
(1886) (uncredited)
Written by Effie I. Canning
Played at Nick Jr.'s birthday party
Reprised as part of the score at the end

User Reviews

A Deadly Trip To Long Island

The third of the Thin Man films finds Nick and Nora out on Long Island answering a distress call from an old friend of Nora's father, C. Aubrey Smith. Sheldon Leonard went to prison and he's got the idea that Smith should have been there with him. He's making all kinds of threats against Smith and eventually Smith winds up dead. Three other deaths occur, two of the human and a dog (not Asta) before William Powell solves the mystery.

Another Thin Man boasts the usual tightly written script with a good group of plausible suspects, the ending I have to confess was a real surprise to me.

MGM always gave Powell and Loy a great group of supporting players to work with. Some of the ones I enjoyed here not previously mentioned were Virginia Grey as Smith's daughter, Harry Bellaver as one of Nick's old criminal cronies and Marjorie Main as a landlady who thinks she's seen it all.

Abner Biberman has an unusual role given the times. He's a hatchetfaced stone cold killer named 'Dum-Dum' who works for Sheldon Leonard and has a devotion to him that leans pretty heavily on the gay side. I'm not sure it could be explained any other way.

Myrna is her bright and cheery self aiding Powell more with moral support than assisting Powell with the case. It's what the audiences expected from The Thin Man films and in this they were not disappointed.