Retrospective: The Thin Man (1934)
Jerry Saravia
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
RATING: Four stars
"The Thin Man" is a film that most will admire but few will think it
is based on any given reality, hence, the beauty of most Hollywood
movies of the 30's and 40's. Among my favorites of these periods were
"His Girl Friday" (which no one can top for rapid-fire dialogue) and
"The Philadelphia Story," one of my favorite romantic comedies. I
would definitely add "The Thin Man," a 1934 classic that couldn't be
set in any other time period yet it resolutely has little bearing on
what went on during that period (no hint of the Depression here, for
starters). And that is okay because I never met anyone like the
characters shown in any of these films, mostly larger-than-life
characters living a life of luxury and ostentatious parties. But I
digress - "The Thin Man" is an exquisite marvel of a movie, completely
dependent on one witty exchange after another.
Based on Dashiell Hammett's last novel, William Powell plays a boozing
retired detective named Nick who is vacationing comfortably with his
rich wife, Nora (elegantly played by Myrna Loy), in their quite
decorous Manhattan apartment. Of course, neither partner is remotely
interested in sleuthing - all they want is to drink, be merry and
party. Naturally, the party stops briefly when an inventor scientist
(Edward Ellis) disappears without a trace on some secret business
trip. The inventor's daughter (Maureen O'Sullivan) is concerned, as is
the inventor's unbearable wife, his mistress, a few criminals, and so
on. Is the inventor dead? And what about the missing cash bonds? Who
took them, and why? Only Nick knows, but the order of the day is to
first be merry, gay, and don't interrupt his drinking.
"The Thin Man" is a seamless blend of detective mystery and screwball
comedy, something so few writers and directors could ever accomplish
so deftly. I can't say that I know how this genre mixing works, but it
works incredibly well. The movie begins with a never-ending party of
drinking and witticisms. All we discover at this party, related to the
kidnapping, is that some members of the police and the press are
interested in knowing what Nick might think of the kidnapping. And
there is a moment, very brief yet sudden, punctuated with violence
that is so perfectly realized and so unexpected that it stands almost
head and shoulders above any noir picture of the 40's or 50's.
"The Thin Man" works primarily because of the lovely chemistry between
Nick and Nora. His debonair attitude and brief nonchalance when it
comes to solving a crime and her facial expressions where she makes
funny faces and essentially keeps him and his drinking in line is what
makes this film sparkle and sizzle. Had someone else been cast besides
Myrna Loy and William Powell, it wouldn't have worked. Powell doesn't
exactly look like a detective or a boozing gentleman (or an alcoholic,
for that matter), yet you still believe he can see the truth and you
see his detective mind at work (even when he plays with an air rifle).
Myrna Loy fits as a rich wife type, yet she doesn't act as polished or
as bitchy as say Bette Davis. By the end of "The Thin Man," you get
the impression that Nick and Nora's relationship survives because they
privately act goofy and silly.
As directed with exceptional skill and a terrific use of space in
mostly a lavish apartment by W.S. Van Dyke, "The Thin Man" was
amazingly shot in two weeks with a low budget of $231,000, and it
became a huge box-office hit. Five more films in the series emerged,
yet the original is the one that will remain on everyone's mind as one
of the finest films of the 1930's. It is pure escapism and a complete,
first-rate entertainment with more humor and suspense than almost any
film I can think of. An absolute classic, and Powell and Loy will
leave you with a silly grin on your face.
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