The Thin Man (1934) Director: W.S. Van Dyke
“Say listen, is he working on a case?”
“Yes, yes!”
“What case?”
“A case of scotch. Pitch in and help him.”
★★★★☆
William Powell and Myrna Loy return! The Thin Man is based on Dashiell Hammett’s classic mystery novel of the same name. It offers an amusing comedy about Nick Charles (William Powell), a heavy-drinking, retired detective, and his wife Nora (Myrna Loy), who is hoping to settle down. They travel from San Francisco to New York, where Mr. Charles is approached by the daughter of a former client named Mr. Wynant. As she explains, her father, Mr. Wynant, was traveling on a business trip before he mysteriously vanished. During the course of the investigation, Mr. Wynant’s secretary is discovered dead. After a variety of twists and turns, the true killer is revealed during a famous dinner party scene, and Mr. Charles solves the case.
The Thin Man was one of the most popular films of the 1930s, inspiring no less than five sequels, and it was nominated for four Oscars included Best Picture. This quirky comedy is a fun, booze-fueled romp through one of Dashiell Hammett’s most celebrated hardboiled detective novels.
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Credits:
- Directed by: W. S. Van Dyke
- Screenplay by: Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich
- Based on: The Thin Man, a 1934 novel by Dashiell Hammett
- Produced by: Hunt Stromberg
- Starring:
- William Powell…..Nick Charles
- Myrna Loy…..Nora Charles
- Maureen O’Sullivan…..Dorothy Wynant
- Nat Pendleton…..Lt. John Guild
- Minna Gombell…..Mimi Wynant Jorgenson
- Cinematography: James Wong Howe
- Edited by: Robert J. Kern
- Music by: William Axt
- Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Distributed by: Loew’s Inc.