The Thin Man (1934) | |
| Director(s) | W.S. Van Dyke |
| Producer(s) | Hunt Stromberg |
| Top Genres | Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance |
| Top Topics | Book-Based, Detectives, Husband Wife, Marriage |
Featured Cast:
The Thin Man Overview:
The Thin Man (1934) was a Comedy - Crime Film directed by W.S. Van Dyke and produced by Hunt Stromberg.
The film was based on the novel of the same name and also Redbook Magazine Short Story written by Dashiell Hammett published in 1934 (novel); year n/a (magazine).
SYNOPSIS
Nick and Nora Charles, played by William Powell and Myrna Loy, an urbane, fun and martini-loving husband-and-wife detective team, were known as much for their snappy repartee as for their sleuthing. The couple's wire-haired terrier, Asta, was an important part of the team, getting lost or hiding under the bed, paws over ears, at just the wrong moment. The birth of Nick, Jr., in Another Thin Man (1939) didn't dampen the Charleses' enthusiasm for investigative capers, though it did somewhat curtail their debauchery (the all-night parties became kiddie birthday bashes - complete with babies stolen for the occasion by some of Nick's less savory acquaintances). Incidentally, Nick was not the lean man of the title - Edward Ellis was. He played an inventor whose death Nick and Nora investigated in The Thin Man (1934), which was based on Dashiell Hammett's novel. The Thin Man collection remains one of the best of its genre, attributable to the breezy pace of the films and the chemistry between Powell and Loy. Look for James Stewart playing a suspect in After the Thin Man (1936).
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
.The Thin Man was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1997.
Academy Awards 1934 --- Ceremony Number 7 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Actor | William Powell | Nominated |
| Best Director | W.S. Van Dyke | Nominated |
| Best Writing | Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett | Nominated |
| Best Picture | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | Nominated |
BlogHub Articles:
GlamAmor-ous Holidays - Merry Christmas from Nick and Nora Charles in THE THIN MAN (1934)
on Dec 15, 2020 From GlamAmorIn celebrating the holiday season through the lens of Old Hollywood, you can't do much better for style than William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles in The Thin Man (1934). It was based on the novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett, an author whose crime fiction would become much o... Read full article
On Blu-ray: William Powell and Myrna Loy Bring Thrills to Marriage in The Thin Man (1934)
By KC on Oct 10, 2019 From Classic MoviesThe first film in the Thin Man series has long been my cinematic comfort food. William Powell and Myrna Loy are the kind of stars that feel like home, because their wit and high spirits lift you, despite or maybe because of the sour past you can see behind the characters they play. Life has imbued t... Read full article
The Song of The Thin Man (1947)
By 4 Star Film Fan on Jan 3, 2019 From 4 Star FilmsThe Song of The Thin Man is really and truly the swan song of the series and while I did enjoy most of the additions, there is a sense that it was time to end the franchise. The year is 1947. The war is over. Things have changed. It really has little to do with William Powell and Myrna Loy being old... Read full article
The Thin Man Goes Home (1945)
By 4 Star Film Fan on Jan 2, 2019 From 4 Star FilmsSometimes it’s necessary to go back to the basics. We’ve been introduced to the social elite of New York and San Francisco, invited along to giant family estates, and frequented the race track and wrestling rings. It only makes sense that at some point we would finally be introduced to t... Read full article
Shadow of The Thin Man (1941)
By 4 Star Film Fan on Jan 1, 2019 From 4 Star FilmsLittle Nick Charles Jr. is growing up and his loving daddy, in lieu of fairy tales, reads to his son about the horse races. Some things never change. Despite an unfortunate stereotyped-laden portrayal provided by Louise Beavers, the picture quickly settles into another enjoyable jaunt. In fact, it&#... Read full article
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Quotes from
Dorothy: Oh, you used to fascinate me. A real live detective. You used to tell me the most wonderful stories. Were they true?
Nick Charles: Probably not.
Nick Charles: Hey, would you mind putting that gun away? My wife doesn't care, but I'm a very timid fellow.
Nora Charles: You idiot!
Nick Charles: [to the gunman] Alright, shoot! I mean, uh, what's on your mind?
Nora Charles: All right! Go ahead! Go on! See if I care! But I thinks it's a dirty trick to bring me all the way to New York just to make a widow of me.
Nick Charles: You wouldn't be a widow long.
Nora Charles: You bet I wouldn't!
Nick Charles: Not with all your money...
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Facts about
The title does not refer to Nick Charles (William Powell), but to the murder victim (Edward Ellis). Audiences and critics alike kept referring to Nick Charles as "the Thin Man", so subsequent films kept the name.
Louis B. Mayer, head of MGM, originally was against the idea of Myrna Loy being cast in this picture but director W.S. Van Dyke wanted to use the stars of the movie Manhattan Melodrama, William Powell and Myrna Loy. Mayer said that Powell was OK for the part since he had already played detectives in other films. Loy eventually got the part and made new image for herself.
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