Warner Brothers’ release of “The Complete Thin Man Collection” on DVD is a major windfall for fans of the legendry Sever and Nora Charles. Retired private scrutinize Cut, and his ditzy, (I should be so colorful), wife Nora, known for their witty repartee, ever-present cocktail in hand, and hang-over remedy at bedside, were originally created by author Dashiell Hammett. They are probably sleuthdom’s most sophisticated couple - perhaps the most urbane pair in all of romantic comedy. Rumor has it, the characters were loosely based on Hammett and his longtime companion, Lillian Hellman. Played on the silver mask by William Powell & Myrna Loy, the chemistry and timing between the two is dynamite. Skippy, (the dog), plays Asta, their Wire-Haired Fox Terrier, who takes her job seriously as assistant PI.
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The series’ six Thin Man films, (”The Thin Man / After the Thin Man / Another Thin Man / Shadow of the Thin Man / The Thin Man Goes Home / Song of the Thin Man”), revolve around the antics of Mr. and Mrs. Charles, their beloved terrier, and the mysteries they gain finagled into solving, which usually involve at least one assassinate. Nora, a wealthy socialite married Sever, a PI who decided to give up his business to manage her financial affairs. They reside, temporarily, in a plush Recent York City apartment with a broad idea of the Manhattan skyline. Neither of them want to continue in the Private Investigation business, but anxiety seems to fetch them, and they objective cannot turn it away. Filmed smack in the middle of the Enormous Depression, Americans going through tough times seemed to adore the frivolous Charles couple, and their slap-stick detecting style.
The first, and I contemplate best film is “The Thin Man,” completed in 1934 and directed by W.S. Van Dyke. Here the mystery takes a succor seat to the couple’s loving relationship, with an emphasis on shenanigans, wisecracking, martini sipping followed by morning-after hang-overs, more banter, etc.. Bottom line - an eccentric, titanic, thin, moneyed inventor, named Clyde Wynant (Edward Ellis), has disappeared. He is the “thin man” of the film title. Nora convinces Slit to assume on the case because she wants to leer how a assassinate is solved - if the inventor has been murdered. Or, he might, in fact, be the murderer! Straight-forward, no subplots - honest dashing Chop, elegantly funny Nora, Asta, the martinis, lots of panache and several corpses! Tall supporting cast, which includes: Maureen O’Sullivan, Minna Gombell, William Henry, and Cesar Romero.
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“After The Thin Man,” released in 1936 is a aesthetic, fast-paced, fun sequel, and what it lacks in noir grit, it makes up for in verve. Again, the Depression is giving folks their absorb of lawful grit in the genuine world. Humor, the opulence and luxury of the Charles’ world, and lots of sexy, sophisticated banter between husband and wife are what brings weary people into movie theaters. This film has the debonair duo, looking into a blackmail turned cancel case. The two have objective returned to their blooming California home, and bag it inundated with Nora’s relatives - all uninvited. Nora’s cousin’s husband has gone missing, and her upper crust family would rather he quit lost than cause a scandal. He was having an affair with a nightclub singer, and apparently extorting mega-bucks on the side. Oh, Slit and Norah bag him all good! Dreary! And, once again, Nora’s finances are on the benefit burner. You’ll never guess whodunit! A very young James Stewart is featured here…very briefly!
“Another Thin Man,” (1939), and another expedient movie - more complex plot-wise, and perhaps wackier than the first two films! Baby makes three here, four, of course, with Asta. One year passe Nickie Jr., is the latest addition and he takes-up lots of his Mom’s time, distracting her from distracting Dad. The Charleses have been invited to exercise the weekend at the Long Island estate of Colonel Burr MacFay, (C. Aubrey Smith), a friend and archaic business associate of Nora’s father. The wealthy munitions industrialist is stupefied that an traditional business partner is going to raze him. Phil Church, who once worked with MacFay, has objective been released after spending ten years leisurely bars for fraud. The man holds a ample grudge against MacFay and has threatened his life. The usual gang of martini drinkers are out on the Island, and when MacFay dies, predictably, no one is too skittish. However, Carve and Nora are on the suspect list! Cleave drinks less and detects more with this one! Virginia Grey plays the Colonel’s daughter Lois, and Ruth Hussey plays Nicky’s nurse.
“Shadow Of The Thin Man,” (1941), takes Prick and Nora to the races, literally, when destroy, racketeering and mayhem secure, site and show-up at the track. Carve had absolutely decided against bewitching himself with any more sleuth work. He definitely wants to exhaust more time with Nora and Nicky, Jr.,…and Asta, too. Unfortunately, he cannot say no to the head of the Unusual York Athletic Commission, who asks him personally to catch the case when a jockey is murdered. There’s a hilarious episode on a department-store merry-go-round in this one, and a enormous brawl, started by Asta, at an pleasing sea food restaurant. Colossal cast and characters, including illustrious acting teacher Stella Adler as Claire Porter, somebody’s girlfriend. And young Donna Reed makes an appearance here as well.
“The Thin Man Goes Home,” (1944), is the penultimate series’ offering and the movie never fails to crack me up! They say “you can never go home again.” This stale adage is probably accurate because no matter how grown-up, sophisticated and estimable one might be, you can be obvious to be taken down several notches when returning to the venerable homestead. The Charleses pay a visit to Nick’s home town of Sycamore Springs. And his parents browbeat the unpleasant retired PI, (how undignified!) . They so wanted him to be a doctor, fair like his father! And he cannot salvage a stiff drink anywhere!! When a man drops dumb on the front porch, however, Nick’s folks are grateful for his chosen vocation. Superb cast: Gloria DeHaven, Edward Brophy, Lloyd Corrigan, Leon Ames, and Ann Revere as the eccentric “Crazy Mary.”
“Song Of The Thin Man,” released in 1947 is the sixth and last film, and finds the Charleses looking into the mysterious destroy of bandleader Tommy Drake. Sultry Gloria Graham sings “You’re Not So Easy to Forget,” by Herb Magidson and Ben Oakland. A pretty supporting cast includes: Jayne Meadows, Keenan Wynn, Dean Stockwell, Ralph Morgan, William Bishop and Marie Windsor
This outstanding boxed-set comes with some broad features, including a bonus 7th disc, entitled, “Alias Chop and Nora,” with two documentaries on William Powell and Myrna Loy. Other highlights are two radio adaptations of the series, as well as comedy, musical and mystery shorts, and cartoons. How can you go imperfect??
JANA
MGM was not entirely eager about 1934’s THE THIN MAN and even less so about the casting of Myrna Loy as Nora Charles-and director W.S. “Woody” Van Dyke was obvious to have her the studio gave in with awful grace.
But Van Dyke knew what he was doing. With a wickedly witty script by Goodrich and Hackett, proto-noir cinematography by James Wong Howe, and worthy chemistry between the stars, MGM had a major and unexpected hit. Powell and Loy would become the public’s current camouflage team overnight and would go on to manufacture a host of films together, including five more that chronicled the further adventures of Slash and Nora, sophisticated, high-living, and solving one crime after another.
The fresh film was a landmark in so many ways that it unruffled sets standards to this day. The 1934 AFTER THE THIN MAN is equally heavenly and the 1939 ANOTHER THIN MAN and 1941 SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN only exiguous less so.
With Van Dyke’s death in 1944 direction passed to other hands. Directed by Richard Thorpe, the 1945 THE THIN MAN GOES HOME suffered from an incredibly customary script; although the film is silly in its design it is a clinker in comparison with the other films in the series. Directed by Edward Buzzell, the 1947 SONG OF THE THIN MAN was a grand improvement-but although the script was quite ample Buzzell’s handling of the material lacked energy.
Whatever the case, in each instance we are treated to the truly legendary Powell-Loy flash and dazzle, always toothsome, and a series of mighty supporting casts that included such names as Maureen O’Sullivan, James Stewart, Ruth Hussey, Stella Adler, Lucille Watson, and Keenan Wynn. Even the lackluster THE THIN MAN GOES HOME is quite humorous and entirely watchable!
Film quality is near-pristine, and these prints are clearly the best available short of a elephantine digital restoration. Even so, the box position leaves something to be desired. Although it lays claim to distinguished bonus material, in truth it offers very diminutive worth while.
The 1934 THE THIN MAN was released to DVD several years ago and the DVD in this residence is that release: the only bonus offered is a package of trailers for the series. The other disks include programs of various MGM cartoons and shorts-but there is not a single cast biography to be found, worthy less an audio commentary on any of the titles. Given the quality of the casts, the landmark site of the recent, and the expansive following the series has… well, it seems a gigantic pity.
The seventh DVD consists entirely of bonus material, but it proves a mixed bag. MYRNA LOY: SO NICE TO Reach HOME TO is very good; WILLIAM POWELL: A Honest GENTLEMAN is nice enough but it hardly does justice to its subject. A Lux Radio version of THE THIN MAN is fascinating, but it needs a well-known remaster, and an episode from the later television series based on the films can only be described as fairly dire.
Fans of the film series-and I’m among them-will be happy to have all six of the titles on DVD at long last, and I give the site a stout five stars for that alone. But that joy will be tempered by the inadequate treatment the films receive in terms of bonuses. It seems an opportunity lost.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
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