Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23355 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-10-08
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese
• Running time: 91 minutes

Amazon.com Essential Video
The intoxicating chemistry and repartee between the oft-teamed William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles--America's favorite soused detectives--is fully 100-proof in the marvelously witty Thin Man movies. You simply won't find more delightful movie company than Nick and Nora. The title, of course, refers not to Nicky the dick, but to the mysteriously missing scientist he and his lovely partner set out to find. Powell and Loy deliver their sparkling dialog with giddy enthusiasm (and occasionally slurred speech) in this rapid-fire, three-martini suspense comedy directed by famously speedy W.S. Van Dyke and adapted from the novel by Dashiell Hammett. The success of The Thin Man spawned a litter of sequels, including After the Thin Man (featuring a young James Stewart), Another Thin Man (in which a baby is added to the Charles family), Shadow of the Thin Man, The Thin Man Goes Home, and Song of the Thin Man. --Jim Emerson

Review
The Thin Man works because of the chemistry between stars William Powell and Myrna Loy, and because screenwriters Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich had the good sense to transfer Dashiell Hammett's source novel to the screen without substantial alterations to the story. Planned by MGM as a lower-profile release, the film nonetheless featured first-rate talent in front of and behind the camera, including director W.S. Van Dyke, cinematographer James Wong Howe, art director Cedric Gibbons, and sound engineer Douglas Shearer. Shearer's role was of substantial importance in naturalistically capturing the casual banter of the stars and creating the film's atmosphere of sophistication and wit. The supporting cast features consistently good performances, with Maureen O'Sullivan the standout. Unlike many MGM films of the 1930s, the production design is understated, as the stars and the screenplay take center stage. Surprisingly popular at the box office, The Thin Man was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Picture. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide

On the DVD
ccThin Man trailer gallery
Languages: English & Fran�ais
Subtitles: English, Fran�ais, Espa�ol & Portugu�s (Feature Film Only)

Customer Reviews

The begining of a great franchise!
(...) this is a cute romantic mystery. Nick & Nora Charles broke new ground with their love bickering. The film is a nice break from the more typical hardboiled detectives of the 20's, 30's and 40's.

I think Nora (Myrna Loy) was at her best in this film. She is beautiful. Her cute nose, which as she aged grew less and less cute, and short dark hair came off as very sexy. This is the only film in which her desire to see Nick work as a detective came off as genuine. In the later films it seemed to be a little to scripted. I think my favorite scene is when Joe Morelli broke into Nick and Nora's bedroom. In order to keep Nora from getting shot Nick punches Nora in the jaw to knock her out of the line of fire. As a married man I can tell you Nick got to do what most men wish they could do at some point in time. (jk). Nora takes it like a champ. Instead being upset at Nick she's upset that she missed the action while she was dazed on the floor.

While not my favorite THIN MAN movie overall I do think it has the best romantic sparring between Nick and Nora. The plot is pretty good and the story moves at a good pace. If you're not familiar with that many 1930's films you'll get a kick out of the 30's lingo, especially some of the womens lingo, in the film. I don't know if recreational drinking was ever as carefree as it is with Nick but it doesn't come off as hokey and is quite funny.

The best thing about the film is the relationship between Nick and Nora. I wish there were more directors like Van Dyke around today. He, without lengthy dialogue scenes, was able to capture the love Nick and Nora had for eachother. He also kept the pace moving. He was able to deliver in a hour and a half what most directors spend 2 to 3 hours trying to do and not succeeding as well as he does.

I am grateful for the DVD release of this film and so I hate to complain. I do wish that the DVD producers had put a little more detail into the extra features portion of the DVD. This film kickstarted a sucessful fanchise, including 5 sequels and a radio program. I would think there are some movie historians that could have put together a good documentary and or some behind the scenes stories. The treatment this DVD got would be fine for the 5 sequels, if they ever make it to DVD. However, this film deserved more than it got.

Please serve the nuts
Dashiell Hammett is best known for his hard-boiled detectives, but he struck gold when he created "The Thin Man." And the movie adaptation is even better -- a witty, zingy mystery with a lovable pair of detectives and their dog. No wonder it spawned five sequels, even though Hammett never wrote another.

Inventor Clyde Wynant is missing. At a party, his daughter Dorothy (Maureen O'Sullivan) sees detective-turned-rich-hubby Nick Charles (William Powell) and asks for his help in finding her dad. But when Clyde's secretary/mistress is murdered, Clyde is the primary suspect -- especially when other bodies show up.

Nick is resolutely determined not to get involved, but between the police and his rich wife Nora (Myrna Loy), he finds himself enmeshed in the case. He believes that Wynant didn't do it, but the case is covered with false clues and hidden motives -- until Nick himself unearths a skeleton in Wynant's workshop, which will solve the whole case.

From the first moment you see Nick dancing with his shaker, it's obvious that "Thin Man" is a winner. It was the first of six films starring Nick, Nora and Asta the wire-haired terrier, and while Hammet never wrote anything more about this detecting team, that didn't stop Hollywood from continuing their saga.

This is a tight, suspenseful little mystery, with plenty of suspects that might have done it, but you never quite know who did actually do the murder. But the story is peppered with astoundingly funny dialogue ("I heard you got shot five times in the tabloids." "That's a lie! They didn't come anywhere NEAR my tabloids"), and a cast of weirdos, ranging from gangsters to greedy ex-wives to wooden gigolos.

Nick and Nora (based on Hammett and Lillian Hellman) are absolutely delightful. And Powell and Loy are absolutely electric in this movie, exchanging witty barbs ("Oh, Nicky, I love you... because you know such lovely people") and pretending they don't adore each other. This is ideal movie chemistry.

They're also backed by good performances from Nat Pendleton, William Henry and the Minna Gombell as the hard-boiled cop Nick is helping out, the creepy hyperintellectual Wynant son, and Wynant's greedy, pop-eyed ex-wife. But all the performances here are solid; the flattest acting is done by Asta.

With its kinetic dialogue and tight plot, it's easy to see why "The Thin Man" is a classic. But the real reason to watch it is simply Powell and Loy.

Nick and Nora outside the studio......
As an aside, I read a funny little story about how well William Powell and Myrna Loy got along in real life. Somewhere about 1937 or 1938 a magazine ran a nationwide poll to determine the most popular actor and actress in Hollywood. The response to the poll was huge, with Clark Gable and Myrna Loy winding up being the winners.

William Powell finished 4th in the actor's category, and wasn't about to take this lying down. He sent Myrna a long, florist box filled with sour grapes. The attached card read "Congratulations, from William the Fourth".

Gotta love it....... ;-)