Review of The Thin Man (1934) by Ben L — 04 Jun 2015

The Thin Man is the first in a series of murder mystery films featuring a couple named Nick & Nora Charles. In this film the mystery centers around a family who are dealing with divorce, infidelity, and bickering over money. It all starts with an inventor who disappears. Then, a short time later, his mistress who was stealing money from him is found murdered. The mystery has a fair number of twists and turns which I appreciate because it kept me constantly guessing who might be the guilty party. It also helps that they had a cast of suspicious characters and gave them all reason and opportunity to want to commit the crime. Not to mention the missing inventor who just might be the one behind it all. When the truth was revealed at the end of the film I wasn't terribly shocked, because it made logical sense, but I also hadn't puzzled it all out myself. That's about all you can look for in a murder mystery film. What is unique about this one is that, even knowing the truth behind the crime I think I might watch this movie again, because the film wasn't all about murder.

Actually the real joy of The Thin Man wasn't in the mystery. While that was fun, it was nothing compared to the amazing relationship between Nick & Nora. William Powell plays Nick as a friend to all, who could charm anyone into revealing a bit too much. I love how he is so likable that men he once got arrested when he was working as a detective are now hanging out at his parties. Nora is played by Myrna Loy, and she is a confident woman who clearly adores her husband. Yet she's not afraid to tease him, which makes for some of the better laughs in the film. She has this desire to see him exercise his detecting skills, but he is constantly trying to avoid it. I guess I have a very old-fashioned sense of humor because the witty one-liners that these 2 exchange elicit so many laughs from me. After their first scene together I absolutely loved them, and any scenes where they weren't front and center I missed them. As an added note, it's pretty clear this took place right after prohibition ended because in almost every scene we see Nick with a drink in his hand. This adds to the humor of his character as well, and he certainly makes some lighthearted comments about it. I don't think The Thin Man is the best example of a mystery film, but I found it to be so fun to watch the main characters that I didn't care. This is a series I might have to dig into a little more.