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:
Martinis, Mystery, and Marriage: William Powell and Myrna Loy in “The Thin Man”
By Stephen Reginald on Mar 24, 2026 From Classic Movie ManMartinis, Mystery, and Marriage: William Powell and Myrna Loy in “The Thin Man” Directed by W.S. Van Dyke, the 1934 classic The Thin Man introduces audiences to Nick and Nora Charles, played by the incomparable William Powell and Myrna Loy. Nick is a retired detective who prefers mi... Read full article
William Powell and Myrna Loy search for “The Thin Man” one martini at a time!
By Stephen Reginald on Nov 25, 2025 From Classic Movie ManWilliam Powell and Myrna Loy search for “The Thin Man” one martini at a time! Based on the classic Dashiell Hammett novel, The Thin Man (1934), directed by W.S. Van Dyke, introduces audiences to Nick and Nora Charles, cinema’s most sophisticated and spirited detective duo. Nic... Read full article
Casting The Thin Man Remake
By Judy on Oct 16, 2023 From Cary Grant Won't Eat YouBrad Pitt and Margot Robbie are discussing a remake of The Thin Man, which has its longtime fans abuzz. While many ingredients are essential to an effective remake, the most important step is to take inspiration from the original pairing–cast the unexpected. After all, William Powell and Myrna... Read full article
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
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Quotes from
Nick Charles: You wouldn't be a widow long.
Nora Charles: You bet I wouldn't!
Nick Charles: Not with all your money...
Nick Charles: The murderer is right in this room. Sitting at this table. You may serve the fish.
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?
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Facts about
Maureen O'Sullivan appears intoxicated in her entrance to the dinner party at the end of the movie. She falls against the door frame prior to entering the room and her speech is slurred and stilted. In subsequent scenes at the dinner itself she is fine.
Asta is played by a dog named Skippy, who continued in the first two sequels.
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