JohnHowardReid In 1934, there were only seven or eight people on the vast Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lot, whom Mayer permitted to walk into his office any time of the day or night, without an appointment. These privileged few included his secretary, Ida Koverman; his executive producer, Irving G. Thalberg, and Thalberg's wife, Norma Shearer; film editor, Margaret Booth; and director, Woody Van Dyke. One day, Van Dyke approached Mayer with his idea of teaming Powell and Loy in "The Thin Man". Although he strongly disapproved of Van Dyke's suggestion – in fact he told him to his face that the whole idea of casting Powell and Loy was "insane" – Mayer compromised (as he often did in his dealings with "favorite sons"). Extracting a promise from Van Dyke that he would complete the whole picture in just 3 weeks, Mayer reluctantly gave him the go-ahead.Woody's first problem was to find a cameraman sufficiently speedy yet masterfully skillful to photograph an "A" picture in an unheard- of eighteen working days. Fellow-director Jack Conway recommended James Wong Howe."Van Dyke didn't cheat on his commitment to Mayer by working overtime on the picture," Wong Howe recalled in a 1969 interview. "He'd come in at nine. At twelve, we'd break for lunch. Back at one. Then leave at five. Van Dyke was a real expert. He'd rehearse the players and often as not, shoot just one take."The picture actually starts with a shadow effect – and very dramatic too – as the flickering shadow of the Thin Man is eerily cast on the wall of his warehouse as he works on some new invention. As colorfully played by Edward Ellis, the title character dominates the first quarter-hour or so of the action. He's not a nice man at all. Grumpy, short-tempered, dominating, cruel, sadistic – yet his daughter likes him. When he fails to turn up for a promised Christmas re-union, the action really starts, for at this point the film finally introduces us to Nora and Nick, both engaged in their favorite pastime – drinking.Prohibition had recently been repealed in the USA, so audiences were not accustomed to seeing people openly drinking on the screen in lush surroundings. Drinking was associated with gangsters, speakeasies and dives.Oh yes, the mystery side's very engrossing too. Impossible to pick the killer, though a few clues are fairly thrown our way. And there's one chilling sequence in a deserted warehouse which will raise goose bumps on even the most jaded flesh.Like some contemporary Warner Bros pictures, the script is very critical of the police. Nat Pendleton (usually cast as a moronic clown) plays the police inspector as not exactly dumb but certainly three or four shades removed from the sort of competence we might expect.The most telling scene occurs when Nick suggests to serio-comic crook Joe Morelli (played by Ed Brophy who specialized in aggressive but stupid henchmen) that he should ask the police some questions. "Me, walk into the police station and start asking questions?" Morelli snarls. "They'd like that – right down to the end of their blackjacks." – A prophecy fulfilled less than a minute later when a uniformed cop walks up to the now helpless little thug and, for no particular reason, smashes him in the face.The Thin Man was nominated for four of the prestigious annual awards voted by members of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: Best Picture, Best Actor (William Powell), Best Director (Woody Van Dyke), and Best Adapted Screenplay (husband and wife team, Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett). The movie also scored at the domestic box-office with a rentals gross of $1.2 million (which made it the 5th most popular release of the year).

Antonius Block This was the movie that would launch the 'Thin Man' series, and as in the sequels which would follow, William Powell and Myrna Loy are so damn charming, endearing, and wonderful that you'll want to eat them up. The movie starts off with a gritty feeling, as an inventor finds he's been robbed of bonds from his safe, and angrily approaches his mistress. His daughter, played by the lovely Maureen O'Sullivan, is about to get married, and when he disappears shortly thereafter, she begins to worry. She runs into William Powell in a bar (where else?), and explains things to him, but he's on vacation and doesn't want anything to do with the case. Eventually of course, he gets sucked in.Powell is simply outstanding in this movie. His character is what every man wishes he could be: witty, charming, one step ahead of everyone else, calm under pressure, married to the cute and playful Myrna Loy, and able to hold an incredible amount of liquor. Far from being stressed out, he's bemused by it all. Powell plays this role perfectly, and his chemistry with Loy is extraordinary. Their banter and quirky behavior quickly takes over the movie, rendering the mystery of the 'thin man' secondary. There are just so many funny lines and facial gestures that I was literally laughing out loud 83 years later. All that and 'Asta' the dog too! The actual solving of the crime is a little convoluted, but don't worry too much about that, you'll be highly entertained.

clanciai A drinking detective with his wife on the wagon resolves some murders with their dog: Still more hilarious than ever after 80 years and better than most comedies made since, in its well mixed cocktail of screwball comedy and serious murder stuff - the murder doesn't occur until after 20 minutes and many drinks, which most of the film is decently decorated with, including Christmas parties and many other drinks and parties, keeping the intrigue and comedy going all through the film, while the drinking detective just keeps plodding on in resolving the perfectly impossible murder case, which no one else would have been able to get any head or tail out of. Maybe the dog Asta with her constant intrusions helps the case progressing and adding to the very entertaining tempo. The real thriller doesn't set in until after the first hour, with the dog really adding to it. The triumph of the film though is the sustained witty dialogue, which never tires off or stops shooting with hits every time. Wonderful to see it again after half a century - hope to see it again after another half century.

utgard14 Former detective Nick Charles (William Powell) has come out of retirement to investigate the case of a missing inventor whose wife has just been found murdered. Nick is reluctant to get back into the sleuthing business but his wife Nora (Myrna Loy), a wealthy heiress, thinks it's all very exciting and pushes him to solve the case. The first of a wonderful series of comedy-mysteries. Possibly the best. Based off of Dashiell Hammett's last novel. Nick and Nora would become the trademark roles for Powell and Loy. This first entry in the series is excellent and one of the finest detective films made in the '30s. The wonderful comedy is a great plus. Nice support from Maureen O'Sullivan, Nat Pendleton, Edward Ellis, Cesar Romero, and many more. Just a fantastic cast with a great script and fine direction from Woody "One Take" Van Dyke. The Thin Man series was also one of the best at the wrap-up segments where all the suspects are gathered together at the end as the detective explains what happened (to them and to us, the viewers). These parts of detective movies are always either exciting and fun or boring and talky. This series always managed to be fun.