Movie Review: The Complete Thin Man Collection

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Fun movies with great humor

Cons: Most of the mysteries could be a little better

The Bottom Line:

Classic movie set

Mixes mystery and laughs

For viewing pleasure

Nothing Thin About These Six Mirthful Mysteries

I started watching the films in The Complete Thin Man Collection on a whim one weekend last year.  When I discovered just how much fun they are, I borrowed this set from my boss so I could finish them.  Now I'm tempted to go out and buy a copy for myself.  Yes, they are that enjoyable.

Made during the 30's and 40's, the movies in the franchise follow the adventures of Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy), originally created by famed mystery author Dashiell Hammett, as they get involved in one mystery after another.  Nick is a former private investigator, and a darn good one, too.  He retired when he married wealthy socialite Nora so he could focus on enjoying the good life, including martinis.  But they seem to keep encountering mysteries, and Nora is always encouraging Nick to get involved.

The Thin Man is the only film actually based on a Dashiell Hammett novel.  The opening movie finds the duo hunting for a missing father of the bride in New York.  The man vanished a few months ago, promising to be back in time for his daughter's wedding, but the Christmas wedding is just days away, and the bride is getting worried.  This movie perfectly shows us what is to follow in the five sequels.  The mystery is a little weak (at least for this mystery fan) as Nick sometimes jumps to conclusions based on nothing.  And it also introduces the staple of gathering all the suspects together for the climax.  However, it also introduces the wonderful wit and banter between Nick and Nora that raise these movies above anything else.  You'll definitely laugh at these two as the movie goes along.  Watch for Maureen O'Sullivan as the worried bride.

The missing man was the thin man of the title of the first film, but the audience so associate the title with Nick that they all the rest of the movies included it in the title.  Hence we get After The Thin Man as the second film.  This movie opens just days after the first one as Nick and Nora head to San Francisco for New Years.  But there's a family crisis on Nora's side as her cousin's husband has vanished.  Forced to save the family's reputation, Nick once again starts investigating.  This one is a tad dated at times, and the actors just looked too similar to me.  But again, the wit carries the day, and the mystery provides a couple twists I never saw coming.  Watch for James Stewart in an early role here.

Another Thin Man introduces us to Nick Jr., still a baby at this point in the franchise.  We're back on the east coast, specifically Long Island as Nick is asked to protect the life of an industrialist who is a long time friend of Nora's family.  This is one of the strongest mysteries in the series, and also contains more great humor.

We're back to San Francisco for Shadow of the Thin Man.  A day at the races is anything but when a young jockey is murdered the day after he is caught throwing a race.  This one even takes us into the world of wrestling in the early 40's.  Nora's role seems to be growing here.  Another good mystery with lots of laughs.  And Donna Stewart is one of the actresses in the supporting cast.

Original series director W. S. van Dyke died after the fourth one was made, so two new directors were brought in for the final two films.  The Thin Man Goes Home suffers for it.  The plot finds Nick and Nora traveling to the small New York town where Nick grew up to visit his parents.  In an effort to get Nick's father to accept his chosen profession, Nora tries to stir up some trouble.  But she gets more than she bargained for when someone is shot on their front door step.  This movie relies more on physical comedy than banter and suffers for it.  It still has some laughs, but it is the only one where I was actually watching the clock to figure out how much I had left.  On the other hand, the mystery, once it got going, was one of the strongest in the franchise.

The series concludes with Song of the Thin Man.  Back in New York, the Charles are attending a fund raiser when the jazz band leader is killed.  Dean Stockwell has taken over the role of Nick Jr. here, and he is given the most to do in any of the movies.  This one returns to the banter I loved in the earlier movies even if the mystery is a tad hard to follow at times.  Also appearing is Keenan Wynn as a hip cat who tries to guide Nick and Nora through the world of jazz.

Honestly, I think the thing I love most about these movies is the humor.  And to pull it off, you need just the right amount of chemistry.  William Powell and Myrna Loy pull it off perfectly.  They look like they are having fun, and they pass it on to the audience.  It's so nice to see a movie married couple very much in love, and that stays true in all six movies.  Despite all the plots, there is never one about them having marital problems.  The rest of the actors over the course of the series are all good.  Yes, there are times that the differences in acting styles over the 60 years between then and now becomes apparent, but they are minor issues.

And if you love the movies, this is the way to get them.  For the price, you get all six movies.  Each movie is released on its own DVD.  The black and white picture is in full screen, which was the original aspect ratio.  The sound is mono, again, the original specification.  Both elements have been cleaned up, so these movies look and sound sharp.  True, there might be the occasional small issues, but considering the age, they are truly minor.  Each disc contains trailers and some MGM short pictures and cartoons from the era.  Frankly, they aren't anything to be excited about.

But then there's disc 7.  This one contains specials on both stars.  William Powell: A True Gentleman is only about 35 minutes, while Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home lasts almost an hour.  Both of these are interesting looks at the lives of the two who gave us so much pleasure.  But that's not all.  The Thin Man was also done as a radio show starring William Powell and Myrna Loy and is preserved here.  The Thin Man also turned into a TV series in the 50's, and we get an episode here.  It's okay, but stars Peter Lawford and Phyllis Kirk don't have the same chemistry.  Still, I am glad I got to see at least one of them.

If you love classic movies, you need The Complete Thin Man Collection.  And if you enjoy witty banter, you should check them out as well.  These classics have aged well and deserve to find an audience with each new generation.