Reviews

Nick & Nora Charles (William Powell, Myrna Loy) decide to go back to Nick's home town and visit his parents. It had been some time since the Charles family had been back to see Nick's parents, as relations between Nick and his father had been strained. We are introduced to a wide cast of characters in the small town and, as this took place in World War II, the themes of "wartime work" and "wartime security" became watchwords. As with any situation with "security", mysterious happenings soon take over, and a man is killed in front of the Charles house as he comes to Nick for help. In typical disavowal of taking on the case - preferring to leave the investigating to the local police - Nick finds himself getting more and more involved, as does Nora, both more by choice than by events. In the end, in the usual showdown of all potential subjects to the murders (there are others as the story develops), Nick uses his disarming wit and pointed questions to find the murders and traitors involved with wartime intrigue at the local manufacturing plant. This movie is quite entertaining, perhaps not as top-notch as other "Thin Man" movies, but very close, and in the process of solving the crime there is always the delightful word play and verbal sparring between the movies two stars, Powell and Loy. Watching them work together on the screen is a delight, as always.

and beyond, as Nick & Nora Charles (William Powell, Myrna Loy) are caught up in the death of a jockey quite by accident. The bodies begin to fall after that, as murder to cover up tracks, the crime syndicate, crossed lovers and crooked officials enter the picture before the showdown in the Charles' apartment sorts out the guilty from the innocent. I found this movie to be one of the more entertaining of the "Thin Man" series, with a pair of memorably funny scenes: when Nora discovers the joys of wrestling (and gets caught up in that excitement) and the restaurant fight scene. All in all, it is an entertaining movie, but then I could expect no less from the fine professional acting of both Powell and Loy.

"Running Scared" is a movie that didn't seem to generate much interest at the time of its release. Why it didn't I do not know (I may also be wrong about that, but the hits of the 1986-1987 movie season doesn't seem to include this movie). Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines play Chicago detectives trying to shut down the man who strives to be the first Hispanic godfather (Jimmy Smits), by trying to nab him before he kills them. In the process, our stars endure a forced vacation to Key West, recurrences of old love and comedy and action galore.

This movie, starring, two extremely talented men, is hilarious! Billy Crystal, with or without a script, is one of the funniest men in the business. Gregory Hines, known as a superb dancer, shows a comedic side with his wonderful acting skills. Besides being extremely funny, the story's action will leave you on the edge of your seat. This type of movie is one that I really enjoy: humor with action, and Peter Hyams had done a great job of combining both.

"The Little Princess" is a reversal-of-fortune movie, so to speak. Sarah Crewe (Shirley Temple) is the daughter of a wealthy soldier sent off to the Boer War in 1899. Having no relatives, Sarah is placed in an exclusive girls school until her father returns. When her father is reported dead and their fortune is wiped out, the friendly headmistress becomes not-so-friendly towards Sarah, who is made to work off her father's debt to the school. Sarah is convinced that her father is alive, though, and searches the area hospital for him, eventually finding him.

This movie serves as an excellent example of several things: movies like this just aren't made any more. Unfortunately, they can't be - people would say it was too corny. In the movie, Shirley portrays a child not only with unshakable hope but patience, manners, politeness and kindness in the face of terrible adversity, with only a couple of cracks in her steadfastness. She meets Queen Victoria. Who would believe that a child under the duress that she suffers could be so gracious? Who would believe that, being a pauper, she could meet the Queen of England? Today's movie child star would have filled the air with sassiness and expletives under the same situation. But Shirley/Sarah doesn't, and that's a reason that I really like this movie - it shows someone who tries to make the best of a bad situation, and never gives up hope.

I also believe that the movie is an accurate portrayal of the life and times of the turn of the century, as it was made only 40 years after the Boer War. I think that Victorian England was captured well in this movie; after all, we do a pretty good job of displaying the 1960s on film these days.

Overall, though, it is Shirley Temple at her singing/dancing/acting best in this movie, and she does a wonderful job from start to finish.

Imagine, if you will, being incarcerated in a maximum security prison in Alaska, escaping from this place in winter, trudging to a train depot where, you figure, you are on your way to freedom courtesy of an automated train system. You did not know, nor had any way of knowing, that the engineer of your train would die after setting the controls of the train, thus leaving you to the mercy of Mother Nature, man's architectural skills, physics, disbelief by the controllers of the automated railway system and a homicidal prison warden who will track you down at any cost. This is the basis for the brilliantly-composed story by Ryuzo Kikushima, of what desperate men do in desperate situations. Jon Voight, Eric Roberts and Rebecca DeMornay all give sharp performances, trying to find some hope in a situation where there is little. This film, which I own and still watch whenever it appears on TV, never fails to leave me on the edge of my seat, even though I know what happens in the end (the end is sad but is also justifiably appropriate for the people involved). If you haven't seen this movie, check it out - it's excellent, well-crafted adventure.

Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy) are back for their third film in this series, and sporting a new addition to the family (Nick Jr.) Family business with one of Nora's father's associates leads them to a Long Island estate, where the bodies and suspects appear even before they arrive at their destination. Before long, the body count rises and the suspects take on an international flavor (in the form of a very young Sheldon Leonard, who later gained fame as the producer of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "I Spy"). Between cocktails, flirting and playful banter between the co-stars, the movie reaches a suspenseful end as Nick put the clues together and reconstructs the crime, probing the minds of those present until the murder cracks. Between your own cracking up (with laughter), you'll be guessing who done it to who in this well-constructed mystery-romantic comedy.

For the suave and debonair couple Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell, Myrna Loy), the detective work that they do shares equal time with romance, quips, danger and mystery. In this case, Nora's cousin is accused of murdering her husband, and as Nick (and Nora) works to solve the crime, two more people are murdered. However, Nick's brilliant logic and observation lead us to a showdown with a room full of people. As the pressure of investigation builds, the murderer finally cracks - as usual, though, it isn't who you might think it is. As with many of the Thin Man movies, keep your eyes open for up-and-coming stars early in their career - in this case, a very young Jimmy Stewart makes an appearance. All in all, it's a hugely entertaining comedic mystery that will keep you guessing and laughing all the way through to the end.

Nick & Nora Charles (William Powell & Myrna Loy) combine comedy, mystery, highballs, romance, easy bantering and sleuthing into a movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat just to see what happens next. The movie, which was considered a fresh start for both Powell and Loy (both had made careers out of starring as movie "heavies") launched "The Thin Man" series of movies for both the co-stars. In this first movie, an eccentric inventor disappears and, as a favor to the inventor's daughter, Nick Charles investigates the man's whereabouts. With help from Nora, Asta (their dog), the New York police department, a cast of eccentric characters and some sharp detective work, the culmination of the investigation takes place at the Charles' dinner table. It's a fun ride to the party - don't miss it!