Confession time: I’ve been a fan of the works of Dashiell Hammett for decades.
If I remember correctly, it was a college professor who recommended Hammett to me back in the day. I’d written something for a creative writing class that the teacher was impressed by, and he encouraged me to check some prose crafted by Raymond Chandler, Thomas Pynchon, and Hammett as part of my summer reading. Well, Pynchon just never quite took. I tore through four of Chandler’s novels over several weeks. Then, I settled in on Hammett, almost immediately falling in love with The Maltese Falcon and some of the stories involving his Continental Op. Afterwards, I briefly recall picking up a copy of The Thin Man, but – like some of the sentences and ideas slung around by Pynchon – it didn’t quite have the same feel as his other stuff. Some of it might be owed to the fact that I couldn’t get into the characters as easily as I could the more traditional and/or hard-boiled private detectives; so, I let that one go.
A few years later, I discovered The Thin Man film series on home video. Similar to my experience with the novel, the first film – simply titled The Thin Man (1934) – was a bit zanier and frenetic (at times) than I prefer my mysteries; and, yet I was somewhat captivated by the work of William Powell and Myrna Loy in the roles of Nick and Nora Charles onscreen respectively. I think it was one of the first times that I saw what I viewed as screen chemistry working on a level I fully appreciated in a classic film. The two strutted about as somewhat effete socialites without a care in the world and yet they were completely likable, almost as if they were daring the audiences to think less of them in the process. It was some delicious work, indeed, and watching it now a few decades later it’s clear to see why their match-up launched a series of productions that lasted across six films from 1934 through 1947. Even Wikipedia.org reports that audiences saw this husband-and-wife team working so effortlessly together that they fully believed Powell and Loy were married in real life!
That, my friends, speaks volumes about the effectiveness of true talent, great writing, and excellent production values.
Thankfully, the good people at Warner Archive have recently re-released The Complete Thin Man Collection on Blu-ray so that I can rediscover these stories one at a time for my readership as I think they remain the kind of screen gems that should never ever go out of style. Next up is 1939’s Another Thin Man directed by W.S. Van Dyke and adapted (from a Hammett story) by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. Powell and Loy returned are back in top form – as was Asta, the dog – and all were joined in this installment by Virginia Grey, Otto Kruger, C. Aubrey Smith, Ruth Hussey, Nat Pendleton, and others. This time out, the Charles find themselves pulled into a potentially murderous affair involving a distant family friend who may or may not be the target of some nefarious plot … and baby makes four!
Why, it’s an offer that this dynamic duo just couldn’t refuse …
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“An explosives manufacturer suspects a young man is out to kill him. He calls in new parents Nick and Nora to sort things out.”
Any reader of classic crime fiction will tell you that a big disadvantage to even some of the best is that the eventual identity of who performed the fateful deed – usually a murder – might have been beyond suspicion of the audience.
A great deal of these stories originated in the pages of novels – or in the cheapies like Black Mask Magazine – and in order to keep solutions reasonably fresh the writers often concealed a bit of trickery from disclosure. In fact, that’s always been a huge complaint of mine when it comes to appreciating the cases of the famed Sherlock Holmes as penned by the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: because I wasn’t shown all of the detail the chief detective was, there was no possible way I could solve the crime. As this is often why a good many readers show up in the first place, there’s likely to be some disappointment in those closing pages and/or their subsequent filmed moments. If I can’t enjoy the tale vicariously, then why take the journey in the first place?
If I remember correctly, it was a college professor who recommended Hammett to me back in the day. I’d written something for a creative writing class that the teacher was impressed by, and he encouraged me to check some prose crafted by Raymond Chandler, Thomas Pynchon, and Hammett as part of my summer reading. Well, Pynchon just never quite took. I tore through four of Chandler’s novels over several weeks. Then, I settled in on Hammett, almost immediately falling in love with The Maltese Falcon and some of the stories involving his Continental Op. Afterwards, I briefly recall picking up a copy of The Thin Man, but – like some of the sentences and ideas slung around by Pynchon – it didn’t quite have the same feel as his other stuff. Some of it might be owed to the fact that I couldn’t get into the characters as easily as I could the more traditional and/or hard-boiled private detectives; so, I let that one go.
A few years later, I discovered The Thin Man film series on home video. Similar to my experience with the novel, the first film – simply titled The Thin Man (1934) – was a bit zanier and frenetic (at times) than I prefer my mysteries; and, yet I was somewhat captivated by the work of William Powell and Myrna Loy in the roles of Nick and Nora Charles onscreen respectively. I think it was one of the first times that I saw what I viewed as screen chemistry working on a level I fully appreciated in a classic film. The two strutted about as somewhat effete socialites without a care in the world and yet they were completely likable, almost as if they were daring the audiences to think less of them in the process. It was some delicious work, indeed, and watching it now a few decades later it’s clear to see why their match-up launched a series of productions that lasted across six films from 1934 through 1947. Even Wikipedia.org reports that audiences saw this husband-and-wife team working so effortlessly together that they fully believed Powell and Loy were married in real life!
That, my friends, speaks volumes about the effectiveness of true talent, great writing, and excellent production values.
Thankfully, the good people at Warner Archive have recently re-released The Complete Thin Man Collection on Blu-ray so that I can rediscover these stories one at a time for my readership as I think they remain the kind of screen gems that should never ever go out of style. Next up is 1939’s Another Thin Man directed by W.S. Van Dyke and adapted (from a Hammett story) by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. Powell and Loy returned are back in top form – as was Asta, the dog – and all were joined in this installment by Virginia Grey, Otto Kruger, C. Aubrey Smith, Ruth Hussey, Nat Pendleton, and others. This time out, the Charles find themselves pulled into a potentially murderous affair involving a distant family friend who may or may not be the target of some nefarious plot … and baby makes four!
Why, it’s an offer that this dynamic duo just couldn’t refuse …
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“An explosives manufacturer suspects a young man is out to kill him. He calls in new parents Nick and Nora to sort things out.”
Any reader of classic crime fiction will tell you that a big disadvantage to even some of the best is that the eventual identity of who performed the fateful deed – usually a murder – might have been beyond suspicion of the audience.
A great deal of these stories originated in the pages of novels – or in the cheapies like Black Mask Magazine – and in order to keep solutions reasonably fresh the writers often concealed a bit of trickery from disclosure. In fact, that’s always been a huge complaint of mine when it comes to appreciating the cases of the famed Sherlock Holmes as penned by the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: because I wasn’t shown all of the detail the chief detective was, there was no possible way I could solve the crime. As this is often why a good many readers show up in the first place, there’s likely to be some disappointment in those closing pages and/or their subsequent filmed moments. If I can’t enjoy the tale vicariously, then why take the journey in the first place?
In my opinion, the first two pictures in The Thin Man series avoided that pitfall (mostly) by keeping the majority of the action along with the detective’s big reveal limited to things shown on film. While perhaps not everything was put up there in glorious black-and-white, there was still enough connective tissue that viewers had little trouble conceiving their own opinions on the criminal mastermind; when a little suspicion goes a long way, then you feed the audience more than enough to keep them invested. But in Another Thin Man, the denouement comes a bit from outside these elements, so much so that some might’ve been scratching their heads about how they could’ve possibly missed that despite never having been shown.
Having expanded upon their pairing with the addition of Nick Jr., Nick and Nora Charles are finally setting out to see the world once more, heading out to the Big Apple – aka New York City – to reconnect with friends, family, and society at large. Family friend and executor of the Charles’ family businesses Colonel Burr MacFay (played by C. Aubrey Smith) invites the family to his expansive country estate for the weekend, but – upon their arrival – the couple learn that he had an ulterior motive. As it seems, MacFay has drawn some unwanted attention from Phil Church (Sheldon Leonard), a small-time gangster who is convinced he has some minor powers of precognition. Once Church claims to have seen the old colonel dead, he naturally comes under suspicion once MacFay, indeed, turns up stabbed to death in his bed. This understandably draws the Charles back into the business of investigating some dark deeds they’d rather have nothing to do with, even though they initially try to avoid the association by heading back into the city.
From there, Another Thin Man pretty much evolves very similar in structure and tone to what’s been established as the recipe for the franchise: Nora finds herself minorly aghast with the unsavory characters that keep popping up in and around her husband’s shenanigan while Nick does his best to do the heavy intellectual lifting that police detectives seem to avoid. Actor Otto Kruger fills out the role of Van Slack, the assistant district attorney whose mission it is to solve the MacFay murder, and Nat Pendleton as Lieutenant Guild is back in action as a lumbering police presence who clearly is in a league of his own. It’s only with Nick’s direction that these somewhat bumbling forces of good can be pushed in the right direction; and the former detective proves once again that he’s only got eyes for his wife … and a life solving crimes.
Even though Another Thin Man feels at home with what’s come before, the script also takes a short cut of two necessary to conceal a key player’s identity, so much so that the real whodunnit doesn’t feel quite as authentic as perhaps it did in the two earlier films. While a bit of diversion is sometimes necessary to maintain a storyteller’s fascination with twists and turns, things shouldn’t be manufactured out of whole cloth in the last reel (as happens here). Doing so kinda/sorta cheapens the experience, although I’d offer that no legitimate fans will find a great deal of fault with the rest of the picture. In their third pairing as the husband-and-wife sleuths, Powell and Loy might be at the peak of their prowess here; and giving them a baby to work off of as well is a bit of surprising Hollywood charm. Though Asta occasionally feels a bit left out of the action, it’s still better than a dog’s life than most pooches ever got.
Another Thin Man (1939) was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Warner Archive. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds exceptional from start-to-finish. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The disc boasts a few extras – a short and a cartoon – from the era, along with the flick’s theatrical trailer. Meh. A bit of a disappointment, if you ask me.
Recommended.
One of the biggest complaints over the years regarding classic whodunnits is the plots tended to grow unnecessarily complex, and there are hints of that occurring across Another Thin Man (1939). The story involves a change in setting once more – the Charles do so like to travel – not once but twice; and a few of the character introductions are a bit truncated. As can also happen, a portion of the big solution details events that the audience wasn’t exactly privy to, so the big culprit feels like a bit of invention as opposed to be an organic development. Still, the formula works – quite well in the lighter sequences – and its great to see Nick and Nora back doing what they do best: entertainment themselves with us along for the ride.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Warner Archive provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Another Thin Man (1939) – as part of their The Complete Thin Man Collection – by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Having expanded upon their pairing with the addition of Nick Jr., Nick and Nora Charles are finally setting out to see the world once more, heading out to the Big Apple – aka New York City – to reconnect with friends, family, and society at large. Family friend and executor of the Charles’ family businesses Colonel Burr MacFay (played by C. Aubrey Smith) invites the family to his expansive country estate for the weekend, but – upon their arrival – the couple learn that he had an ulterior motive. As it seems, MacFay has drawn some unwanted attention from Phil Church (Sheldon Leonard), a small-time gangster who is convinced he has some minor powers of precognition. Once Church claims to have seen the old colonel dead, he naturally comes under suspicion once MacFay, indeed, turns up stabbed to death in his bed. This understandably draws the Charles back into the business of investigating some dark deeds they’d rather have nothing to do with, even though they initially try to avoid the association by heading back into the city.
From there, Another Thin Man pretty much evolves very similar in structure and tone to what’s been established as the recipe for the franchise: Nora finds herself minorly aghast with the unsavory characters that keep popping up in and around her husband’s shenanigan while Nick does his best to do the heavy intellectual lifting that police detectives seem to avoid. Actor Otto Kruger fills out the role of Van Slack, the assistant district attorney whose mission it is to solve the MacFay murder, and Nat Pendleton as Lieutenant Guild is back in action as a lumbering police presence who clearly is in a league of his own. It’s only with Nick’s direction that these somewhat bumbling forces of good can be pushed in the right direction; and the former detective proves once again that he’s only got eyes for his wife … and a life solving crimes.
Even though Another Thin Man feels at home with what’s come before, the script also takes a short cut of two necessary to conceal a key player’s identity, so much so that the real whodunnit doesn’t feel quite as authentic as perhaps it did in the two earlier films. While a bit of diversion is sometimes necessary to maintain a storyteller’s fascination with twists and turns, things shouldn’t be manufactured out of whole cloth in the last reel (as happens here). Doing so kinda/sorta cheapens the experience, although I’d offer that no legitimate fans will find a great deal of fault with the rest of the picture. In their third pairing as the husband-and-wife sleuths, Powell and Loy might be at the peak of their prowess here; and giving them a baby to work off of as well is a bit of surprising Hollywood charm. Though Asta occasionally feels a bit left out of the action, it’s still better than a dog’s life than most pooches ever got.
Another Thin Man (1939) was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Warner Archive. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds exceptional from start-to-finish. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The disc boasts a few extras – a short and a cartoon – from the era, along with the flick’s theatrical trailer. Meh. A bit of a disappointment, if you ask me.
Recommended.
One of the biggest complaints over the years regarding classic whodunnits is the plots tended to grow unnecessarily complex, and there are hints of that occurring across Another Thin Man (1939). The story involves a change in setting once more – the Charles do so like to travel – not once but twice; and a few of the character introductions are a bit truncated. As can also happen, a portion of the big solution details events that the audience wasn’t exactly privy to, so the big culprit feels like a bit of invention as opposed to be an organic development. Still, the formula works – quite well in the lighter sequences – and its great to see Nick and Nora back doing what they do best: entertainment themselves with us along for the ride.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Warner Archive provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Another Thin Man (1939) – as part of their The Complete Thin Man Collection – by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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