What a pleasant surprise! Settling myself down to watch 'The Thin Man,' W.S. Van Dyke's highly-suspenseful, hard-boiled detective film, based on Dashiell Hammett's mystery novel of the same name, I had no idea that the film would be a remarkably well-written comedy, with the murders themselves taking second tier to the witty banter of Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy). Hilariously scripted, with flawless acting from all involved, 'The Thin Man' is one of the most refreshingly funny films I have seen in a very, very long time.
Nick is a retired detective, but he is purported to have been one of the best. Nowadays, he is quite content to sit back, help himself to another martini and pay little mind to the mysteries that may pass his way. When we first sight Nick, he has his back turned to the camera, and he is teaching the bartenders how to properly prepare a martini: "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."
Nora, who can match wits with her husband at any time, is Nick's playful and exuberant wife, always itching for a little mystery and intrigue. The two have the sort of chemistry that we all hope for in a marriage, and is always the most fun to watch on screen. They have a playful understanding with each other; there is no obligatory family discord in this marriage, nor are there any secrets or mistresses (these evils are saved for the less "perfect" relationships in the film). Husband and wife take any chance they can to good-naturedly disparage each other and prove their own superiority, and, by the end of the film, they are about at level pegging. Walking into a bar on one occasion, Nora demands to know how many martinis her husband has already consumed. She immediately orders five more to be even with him!
The mystery itself is a bit of a muddle, but if you think too hard about it you'll miss all the clever repartee between our two detective spouses. When secretive inventor Clyde Wynant (Edward Ellis, who is the "Thin Man" referenced in the title, though most audiences and critics ostensibly referred to Powell's character as such) goes missing, and his former lover (Natalie Moorhead) is found dead, Wynant is considered the prime suspect. Eventually returning from retirement to clear his friend's name, Nick and an enthusiastic Nora enter a web of deceit, lies and betrayal to find the real murderer. Among the possible suspects are Wynant's ex-wife, Mimi (Minna Gombell), Mimi's new partner, Chris (Cesar Romero), a petty thief, Joe Morelli (Edward Brophy) and a shifty criminal, Arthur Nunheim (Harold Huber). Having finally come to a conclusion about who the murderer is, Nick invites all the prime suspects to a dinner party at his place, announcing to everyone at the beginning of the meal, "the murderer is right in this room. Sitting at this table! (and then to the waiter) You may serve the fish."
'The Thin Man' was nominated for four Oscars at the 1935 Academy Awards (Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Actor (Powell)), and spawned a respectable five sequels, a 1957 television series and a radio play. It also made a star of Skippy (later renamed Asta), the Wire-Haired Fox Terrier who accompanies the Charles' on several of their clue-finding missions. In terms of pure entertainment value, films do not get much better than this.
Nick is a retired detective, but he is purported to have been one of the best. Nowadays, he is quite content to sit back, help himself to another martini and pay little mind to the mysteries that may pass his way. When we first sight Nick, he has his back turned to the camera, and he is teaching the bartenders how to properly prepare a martini: "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."
Nora, who can match wits with her husband at any time, is Nick's playful and exuberant wife, always itching for a little mystery and intrigue. The two have the sort of chemistry that we all hope for in a marriage, and is always the most fun to watch on screen. They have a playful understanding with each other; there is no obligatory family discord in this marriage, nor are there any secrets or mistresses (these evils are saved for the less "perfect" relationships in the film). Husband and wife take any chance they can to good-naturedly disparage each other and prove their own superiority, and, by the end of the film, they are about at level pegging. Walking into a bar on one occasion, Nora demands to know how many martinis her husband has already consumed. She immediately orders five more to be even with him!
The mystery itself is a bit of a muddle, but if you think too hard about it you'll miss all the clever repartee between our two detective spouses. When secretive inventor Clyde Wynant (Edward Ellis, who is the "Thin Man" referenced in the title, though most audiences and critics ostensibly referred to Powell's character as such) goes missing, and his former lover (Natalie Moorhead) is found dead, Wynant is considered the prime suspect. Eventually returning from retirement to clear his friend's name, Nick and an enthusiastic Nora enter a web of deceit, lies and betrayal to find the real murderer. Among the possible suspects are Wynant's ex-wife, Mimi (Minna Gombell), Mimi's new partner, Chris (Cesar Romero), a petty thief, Joe Morelli (Edward Brophy) and a shifty criminal, Arthur Nunheim (Harold Huber). Having finally come to a conclusion about who the murderer is, Nick invites all the prime suspects to a dinner party at his place, announcing to everyone at the beginning of the meal, "the murderer is right in this room. Sitting at this table! (and then to the waiter) You may serve the fish."
'The Thin Man' was nominated for four Oscars at the 1935 Academy Awards (Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Actor (Powell)), and spawned a respectable five sequels, a 1957 television series and a radio play. It also made a star of Skippy (later renamed Asta), the Wire-Haired Fox Terrier who accompanies the Charles' on several of their clue-finding missions. In terms of pure entertainment value, films do not get much better than this.