Review - The Thin Man (1934)
Being a bit of a classic/vintage movie buff, I had the opportunity to see The Thin Man (1934) this week, which proved to be a fine film to watch. It’s been quite sometime since I last saw this film, and I also remember the first time I saw it when I was a kid, catching it at a movie theater near where I lived that specialized in showing classic (i.e. OLD) movies. I enjoyed the film then and enjoyed it again this time around.
The Thin Man poster - IMDB
The Thin Man stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, and it is based on Dashiell Hammett’s novel. Not having read the novel, I can’t say how close it is to the source material, something I may have to correct as Hammett was a darn good writer.
There’s a lot of good stuff about The Thin Man that I had forgotten, including how well Powell and Loy played off of each other. Unsurprisingly, they were paired up for a lot of films, including five more Thin Man sequels. Lot’s of good patter between the two throughout the film, making this detective yarn a bit of a lighthearted comedy as well. Their dialog is smart and tight, some of the best bits in film. One example is when we meet Nick Charles for the first time; he is explaining the proper way to mix drinks to a bartender.
William Powell as Nick Charles - IMDB
“The important thing is the rhythm. Always have rhythm in your shaking. Now a Manhattan you shake to fox-trot time, a Bronx to two-step time, a dry martini you always shake to waltz time.”
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025878/quotes/?item=qt0289716&ref_=ext_shr_lnk
Such a funny bit. I don’t drink alcohol very often, but I think this could be fun to put to the test. Well, maybe at the next science fiction convention I go to. And, yes, I do know how to waltz.
The story opens with setting up the mystery, as we see an inventor, Wynant, and meet his daughter, her fiance, a few other people in his life, and the initial conflict. Wynant is going on a trip, and is secretive about it, but then never returns. Low and behold, people involved in his life are getting knocked off.
Nick Charles had done some detective work for Wynant some years in the past, and ends up being dragged into the mystery and having to find Wynant. Lot’s of action, some suspense, a good mystery, and a bit of comedy thrown in as Nora Charles insists in participating in the investigation.
Myrna Loy as Nora Charles making a face at Nick - IMDB
As I don’t want to spoil the film, I’ll stop there with writing about what goes on in the film and focus on some of the other reasons why I liked it.
Cesar Romero as Chris Jorgenson - IMDB
One of the important discoveries I made this time is that Cesar Romero appears in the film as a mid-tier supporting actor, Chris Jorgenson, who is a bit of a money-chasing chiseler, and not at all a nice guy. It turns out that this is the second movie he appeared in, so we’re catching Romero at the beginning of his film career.
Most of the rest of the cast are unfamiliar to me, even though a few looked familiar, I just couldn’t place them in any films that I have seen. The character who is The Thin Man of the story, Clyde Wynant, is played by Edward Ellis, and although he has a familiar look, can’t say I have seen him in any other movies. Clyde Wynant is an interesting character, described as being a bit of an absent minded professor, who can go from being an ornery jerk with a mean disposition to a nice old man. He is also suspicious of several people who are in his life, and thus not very trusting of people outside of his daughter. Dorothy (Maureen O’Sullivan).
Maureen O’Sullivan is another performer who looked familiar, but couldn’t place, probably because the films I have seen her in were mostly films I saw as a kid, a couple of which I’ll have to look up sometime, like A Day at the Races. She performs her role in The Thin Man quite well, showing concern for her missing father, and finding herself going through her own personal conflict as the overall story unfolds.
Finally, one more actor who looked familiar and couldn’t place, but should have, is Porter Hall who plays Wynant’s attorney, Herbert MacCaulay. He had supporting roles in several films I have seen numerous times, but not major roles, so the films didn’t stand out to me. Darn shame as he was pretty good in his performance in The Thin Man. I’ll have to look into some of the films Hall was in as I have a few of them in my movie library.
There is a lot to like in The Thin Man, especially if you like detective stories with a bit of goofiness thrown in for good measure. One seen is a Christmas Party that Nick and Nora are throwing, with the guest list comprising some of Nick’s foes that he had sent up the river. Only in fiction would this happen where the criminals end up being buddy-buddy with the guy who got them sent to prison. Still, it makes for an interesting scene as the various players in the murder mystery also show up, resulting in a bit of antics, while also dodging inquisitive news reporters.
Overall, The Thin Man is a great film, probably one of the best detective movies made in the /30s to ‘40s era. Good story, good dialog, great performances.
That’s it for this time around. Thanks for stopping by.
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