The Thin Man (1934) Director: W.S. Van Dyke

★★★★☆

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 trying 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.