The Thin Man Goes Home (1944)

Nick and Nora visit Nick's hometown, and end up involved in a murder.

Director:

Richard Thorpe

Writers:

Robert Riskin (screen play), Dwight Taylor (screen play)

Stars:

William Powell, Myrna Loy, Lucile Watson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Powell	...	Nick Charles
Myrna Loy	...	Nora Charles
Lucile Watson	...	Mrs. Charles
Gloria DeHaven	...	Laurabelle 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 Brooke	...	Peter Berton
Donald MacBride	...	Police Chief MacGregor
Morris Ankrum	...	Willoughby

Storyline

Nick and Nora head to Nick's hometown of Sycamore Springs to spend some time with his parents. His father, a prominent local physician, was always a bit disappointed with Nick's choice of profession in particular and his lifestyle in general. With Nick's arrival however the towns folk, including several of the local criminal element, are convinced that he must be there on a case despite his protestations that he's just there for rest and relaxation. When someone is shot dead on his doorstep however, Nick finds himself working on a case whether he wants to or not.

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Plot Keywords:

fifth part | screwball comedy | vacation | nick and nora charles | murder | 

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Taglines:

Together again in M-G-M's riotous comedy. (Title lobby card).

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

January 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Thin Man's Rival

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Wartime audiences would have been very familiar with the packed passenger train, including the standing room only, as trains moving troops and war materials had priority over civilians traveling by rail for non-essential reasons.

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Goofs

When Peter Berton is standing in the doorway talking to Nick, when he speaks, the words come out, "You see, there's something I've gotta get off my mind." But the mouth movements indicate he said, "There's something I've gotta get off my chest."

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Quotes

Nicholas 'Nick' Charles: Thank you very much. Goodbye, now.
Willie Crump: I beg your pardon?
Nicholas 'Nick' Charles: I said goodbye, now.
Willie Crump: Goodbye - now? There's no sense to that? Obviously, it's now. I mean, you wouldn't say goodbye, tomorrow. Or, goodbye, two hours ago.
Nicholas 'Nick' Charles: You've got ahold of something there, brother.
Willie Crump: I've got ahold of some? I haven't got ahold of anything. And I'm not your brother!

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Connections

Followed by Song of the Thin Man (1947)

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Soundtracks

The Old Oaken Bucket
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Samuel Woodworth
Music by George F. Kiallmark
Performed by William Powell
[Powell sings the first line of the song then continues with "Deep in the Heart of Texas"]

User Reviews

"A couple of weeks on this cider and I'll be a new man."

Everybody has at least one skeleton in their closet, and Nick Charles is the man who can bring them out into the daylight. The fifth film in the excellent 'Thin Man' series sees our favourite married detectives, Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy), visiting Nick's parents in the small town of Sycamore Springs, a sleepy locale where everybody knows everybody and crime is practically non-existent… or so they thought! The famous detective's arrival is greeted with a wave of controversy, despite his own insistence that the visit is merely a quiet vacation. With everybody under the impression that Nick is investigating an important case, long-forgotten skeletons begin to emerge from their hiding-places, a young artist is shot dead on the doorstep and an ordinary-looking painting of a windmill becomes a vital clue in identifying his murderer.

'The Thin Man Goes Home' was the first film in the series not directed by W.S. Van Dyke, after he committed suicide in February 1943. Nonetheless, Richard Thorpe does a good job of recreating the mystery and good humour of the previous instalments, working off a script from Robert Riskin, Harry Kurnitz and Dwight Taylor. There are also a few notable adjustments to the usual formula: the action takes place in a small town rather than the city, and Nick Charles has gone completely teetotal {no doubt a consequence of the WWII liquor rationing}. Aside from obviously solving the mystery and apprehending the killer, the film has another important sub-plot concerning Nick and his disapproving father. Nora makes it her goal to convince Dr. Charles (Harry Davenport) that his son is, indeed, a detective genius, and fuels the rumours – in a not-so-subtle fashion – that he is here on a case. However, his father won't believe that Nick has gone off drinking, and various unfortunate moments of bad-timing do little to prove him otherwise.

Of course, the main reason we watch 'The Thin Man' movies is to enjoy the witty banter and playful rivalry between husband and wife, and a lot of it is still here, even if it takes a back-seat to the murder mystery itself. Just like the audience, Nora believes that she understands Nick's mystery-solving tactics to the letter, and she enthusiastically narrates his technique to the attentive Dr. Charles, occasionally tossing in her own opinion of the identity of the killer. Of course, she's almost always wrong. This mystery is a muddled affair, with seemingly everyone guilty for at least something, but it's the killer's name that proves a real surprise.