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A rollicking adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s bestselling detective novel, this delightful hybrid of screwball comedy and murder mystery was a critical and commercial smash; it ultimately spawned five sequels, a radio show, and a TV series. Nearly 70 years after its theatrical release, The Thin Man hasn’t lost an iota of its charm. William Powell and Myrna Loy are in peak form as Nick and Nora Charles, wealthy sophisticates whose Christmas-season visit to New York is disrupted by the disappearance of an old friend accused of murder. Nick, a former detective who gave up gumshoeing when he married heiress Nora, becomes embroiled in the search for the killer and very nearly loses his own life in the bargain. Maureen O’Sullivan, Nat Pendleton, Edward Ellis, and a young Cesar Romero are cast perfectly to type and lend admirable support, but it’s just icing on the cake: Powell and Loy effortlessly dominate the film with their breezy portrayals of these perpetually sloshed sleuths. The Frances Goodrich-Albert Hackett script brims with clever dialogue, some of it rather risqué, and director W. S. Van Dyke (San Francisco) reportedly shot the whole movie in less than three weeks, his breakneck pace resulting in loose, improvisational performances. An Academy Award nominee for Best Picture, The Thin Man is a classic '30s movie that belongs in every serious collector’s home library. The DVD includes trailers for all six Thin Man movies. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Filmed on what MGM considered a B-picture budget and schedule (14 days, which at Universal or Columbia would have been considered extravagant) The Thin Man proved to be "sleeper," spawning a popular film, radio and television series. Contrary to popular belief, the title does not refer to star William Powell, but to Edward Ellis, playing the mean-spirited inventor who sets the plot in motion. The recently divorced Ellis discovers that his new girl friend (Natalie Moorhead) has stolen $50,000 and is carrying on with other men. Not long afterward, he disappears. Anxious to locate her father, Ellis' daughter Maureen O'Sullivan goes to private detective Nick Charles (William Powell) for help. Having just married the lovely and wealthy Nora (Myrna Loy), Nick has no desire to return to sleuthing, but the thrill-seeking Nora eagerly talks him into taking O'Sullivan's case. Shortly thereafter, Ellis' lady friend is murdered; so far as police detective Nat Pendleton is concerned, the still-missing Ellis is the guilty party. Nick is unsatisfied with this deduction, and with the help of his wire terrier Asta he manages to uncover several vital clues--including a decomposed corpse. At a fancy dinner party, between cocktails and the first course, Nick solves the mystery and exposes a hidden murderer. The story itself, lifted almost verbatim by scenarists Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich from the Dashiell Hammett novel on which The Thin Man is based, hardly matters. The film's strong suit is the witty repartee between Nick and Nora Charles, who managed to behave like saucily illicit lovers throughout the film even though they're married. The chemistry between William Powell and Myrna Loy would be adroitly exploited by MGM in several subsequent films, including five additional Thin Man mysteries produced between 1936 and 1948. Hal Erickson

Product Details

• UPC: 012569675681
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Full Frame
• Language: Français
• Editions: Subtitled, Dubbed, Jewel Case
• Time: 1:31:00
• Sales Rank: 9,237

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• The Complete Thin Man Collection

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