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Song of the Thin Man

movieMoll — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 10:04:44 +0000

Thirteen years after Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell, Myrna Loy) first lit up the silver screen in “The Thin Man,” the pair give their farewell performance in the sixth and final entry of the series with “Song of the Thin Man.” Nick and Nora have aged a bit and eased up on their drinking a bit as doting parents of precocious Nicky Jr. (Dean Stockwell). The plot resolving the murder of a debt-ridden, womanizing bandleader gets pretty convoluted — it’s worth noting that this screenplay is based on characters created by Dashiell Hammett and not on an original story by Hammett as were the first three films in the series. However, the leads are as appealing as ever and their venture into the hepcat world of after-hours jazz joints with “reed man” Clinker (Keenan Wynnn) as their guide is a fun ride. (86 min.)

Unrated - 1947

Director:
Edward Buzzell

Starring:
William Powell
Myrna Loy
Keenan Wynn
Dean Stockwell
Jayne Meadows
Gloria Grahame
Leon Ames
Phillip Reed
Patricia Morison

Writers:
Dashiell Hammett (characters)
Stanley Roberts (story)
Steve Fisher (screenplay)
Nat Perrin (screenplay)

After the Thin Man

movieMoll — Sat, 30 May 2009 17:14:48 +0000

The second in the movie series, “After the Thin Man” finds Nick (William Powell) and Nora (Myrna Loy) fresh off train from New York and back home in San Francisco after Nick’s success in solving the celebrated Thin Man murder mystery. Although it’s New Year’s Eve, all the sophisticated, cocktail-swigging couple really wants is a quiet night in bed. Instead, they come home to find a house full of revelers planning to “surprise” the Charleses with a welcome home party. If that isn’t bad enough, the pair gets summoned to a family dinner at Nora’s stuffy Aunt Katherine’s, where they’re promptly assigned to discreetly look for Nora’s cousin Selma’s wayward husband. He turns up dead and Nick and Nora are on the trail of a motley assortment of suspects — including relatives, with plenty of action and witty banter along the way. This entry in the six-movie series features a surprising performance from a young James Stewart, and Nora wraps up the film with a surprise of her own for Nick. (112 min.)

Unrated - 1936

Director:
W.S. Van Dyke

Starring:
William Powell
Myrna Loy
James Stewart
Elissa Landi
Joseph Calleia
Jessie Ralph
Alan Marshal
Sam Levene
Penny Singleton
William Law
George Zucco
Paul Fix

Writers:
Dashiell Hammett (story)
Frances Goodrich (screenplay)
Albert Hackett (screenplay)

The Thin Man Goes Home

movieMoll — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:22:26 +0000

Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell, Myrna Loy) leave the big city and travel to Nick’s hometown to visit his parents. “The Thin Man Goes Home” is fifth of the six entries in the Thin Man series — and the least appealing. Powell and Loy don’t share enough screen time and there are more pratfalls and less witty banter than in the other movies. Plus, being set in small-town America rather than New York or San Francisco, Nick and Nora don’t get the chance to be glamorous and make the rounds at all the glitzy night spots as they do in the other films. There are some some fun scenes, including Nora getting dragged onto the dance floor and tossed around by a young, jitterbugging sailor. And, as usual, there’s an assortment of top-notch character actors. Andy Hardy fans may spot Dorothy Ford in an uncredited role as the tall girl with a dog in the railway station — she played the statuesque Coffy Smith whom diminutive Mickey Rooney had to jump up in the air to twirl around the dance floor in “Love Laughs at Andy Hardy.” (100 min.)

Unrated - 1944

Starring:
William Powell
Myrna Loy
Edward Brophy
Harry Davenport
Gloria DeHaven
Donald Meek
Lloyd Corrigan
Anne Revere
Lucille Watson

Director:
Richard Thorpe

Writers:
Robert Riskin (story)
Harry Kurnitz(story)
Robert Riskin (screenplay)
Dwight Taylor (screenplay)
Dashiell Hammett (characters)

Shadow of the Thin Man

movieMoll — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:44:49 +0000

Movie sequels are seldom satisfying, but the Thin Man Series is an exception. “Shadow of the Thin Man,” the fourth entry in the six-film series, is a rollicking ride with Nick Charles (William Powell) solving the death of a jockey and two subsequent murders in the seedy world of gambling. There’s an interesting mystery and a fun assemblage of character actors as suspects, plus a very young Donna Reed and a rare screen appearance by Stella Adler. And, if you look closely, you may spot Ava Gardner in an uncredited role as a passerby. But as usual, the best part of the Thin Man movies is the witty dialogue and winning chemistry between Nick and Nora (Powell, Loy). Some actors don’t like performing with children or animals because they steal the show. However, Powell and Loy hold their own and even seem to relish their scenes with the adorable Nicky Jr. (Richard “Dickie” Hall) and their comic dog Asta. (97 min.)

Unrated - 1941

Starring:
William Powell
Myrna Loy
Barry Nelson
Donna Reed
Sam Levene
Alaz Baxter
Henry O’Neill
Richard Hall
Stella Adler
Lou Lubin
Louise Beavers

Director:
W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:
Dashiell Hammett (characters)
Harry Kurnitz (story, screenplay)
Irving Brecher (screenplay)

The Thin Man

movieMoll — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 20:06:18 +0000

The first, and arguably the best of the six in the series, “The Thin Man” is a magical blend of glamour, witty repartee and a satisfying whodunit. Sophisticated, cocktail-guzzling private detective Nick Charles (William Powell) and his beautiful, elegant and wealthy wife Nora (Myrna Loy) are a match made in Hollywood heaven. The two entertain each other — and us — with humorous banter as they drink and dance their way through a maze of suspects, until Nick unmasks the murderer at a dinner party. The film, which is set during the Christmas season, is a special treat to watch over the holidays as Nick and Nora exchange gifts and host a lively Christmas party. (93 min.)

1934

Starring:
William Powell
Myrna Loy
Maureen O’Sullivan
Nat Pendleton
Minna Gombell
Cesar Romero
Natalie Moorhead
Edward Ellis
Porter Hall

Director:
W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:
Dashiell Hammett (wrote the story)
Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett (wrote the screenplay)

Available as individual DVD or part of “The Complete Thin Man Collection.”

Another Thin Man

GroovyMovieGuy — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:12:39 +0000

Third in the “Thin Man” series, “Another Thin Man” plays it straighter with more dry wit and less alcohol-fueled humor than other movies in the series. One of the great silver screen couples, Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy) add Nicky Charles Jr. (William A. Poulsen) to the family and solve the crime. But don’t forget Asta, the wire-hair fox terrier family pet, that plays his part as a furry sleuth. (105 min.)
Well worth adding to the your movie library. Get “The Complete Thin Man Collection” for all the fun.

1939

Starring:
William Powell
Myrna Loy
Virginia Grey
Otto Kruger
C. Aubrey Smith

Director:
W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:
Dashiell Hammett (wrote the story)
Frances Goodrich (wrote the screenplay)

Available as individual DVD or part of “The Complete Thin Man Collection.”