Movie Review: Shadow of the Thin Man (Thin Man Movies #4)

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Great comedy and a decent mystery

Cons: Mystery could have started a little sooner

The Bottom Line:

Despite a slow start

Comedy, mystery mix

And entertain well

"Drunk Dear?"  "I Keep Seeing Purple Cows."

It's been close to a year since I dropped in on Nick and Nora Charles and The Thin Man film series.  I fixed that with a recent viewing of Shadow of the Thin Man.  This 1941 movie is the fourth appearance of the detecting duo.  And it's just as fun as ever.

This film franchise was popular in the 30's and 40's and was originally based on a book by Dashiell Hammett of Maltese Falcon fame.  Nick is a former detective who married rich socialite Nora.  Despite Nick's desire to do as little as possible, the couple keep finding themselves in murder mysteries.  Of course, this delights Nora who wants a chance to match wits with her husband.

This film finds Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy) back in San Francisco with son Nick Jr. (Dickie Hall) in tow.  But Nick's planned day at the races turns into anything but when a jockey who threw a race the day before is found shot in the shower.  (As Nora deadpans, "My, they are strict at this track.")  Nick refuses to get involved until another murder takes place.  Can Nick and Nora find the clues to catch the killer?

This film will equally appeal to those looking for mystery or laughs.  The mystery could have started a little sooner, but the comedy kept me entertained until then.  Once the mystery started up, it moved forward at a steady pace and even managed to make me hold my breath a couple of times.  There was one twist I still can't decide if was brilliant or lazy writing, but I'm willing to let it slide.  Unfortunately, the climax seems stuck in the "bring everyone to one room to explain it all" cliche.  Having said that, I did figure out who the killer was the exact same moment that Nick did, which made me proud of myself.

And yes, the comedy is still sharp here.  Nick and Nora have some pretty clever banter, although not quite as much of it as in past movies.  Still, what is here is fun.  And there are several pure comedy scenes.  This isn't slapstick that will have you rolling on the floor, but you will get some good laughs.  A scene involving milk is especially funny if you know the characters.  And Asta, the Charles' dog, steals quite a few scenes as well.

While never a couple in real life, William Powell and Myrna Loy were often paired on screen, and this movie makes it obvious why.  They have great chemistry, which makes their banter even more fun.  Their performances, as always, are flawless.

Not being a classic film buff, I must admit most of the supporting cast is unknown to me.  Co-stars include the likes of Barry Nelson, Sam Levene, Alan Baxter, Loring Smith, and Joseph Anthony.  The one name I did recognize was Donna Reed in an early part.  While the entire cast was fine, the standout was Stella Adler who gave her suspect character plenty of life without once going over the top.

This film, like the others in the series, is filmed in black and white.  But what I found funnier was how far out of the way they went to not show us a single dead body.  That provided an unexpected bit of comedy.

If you enjoy classic films but have missed these, correct that right now.  Shadow of the Thin Man is another funny mystery to please fans of the earlier films.