Review of The Thin Man (1934) by Everett J — 16 May 2008

The Thin Man.

Directed by W.S. van Dyke.

Written by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich.

Starring William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen Oâ??Sullivan, Minna Gombell, Porter Hall, Henry Wadsworth, William Henry, Natalie Moorhead.

This noirish whodunit brings together Loy and Powell in one of their many screen appearances together. Nominated for a best picture Academy Award, this film employs Powellâ??s trademark sarcasm with Loyâ??s sharp witticisms in a winning formula that effortlessly carries the film aloft.

The story involves the murder of a blonde bombshell named Julia Wolf (Moorhead). Nick Charles (Powell) is a former detective who gets sucked into the case despite his best intentions to avoid it at all costs. His wife Nora (Loy) keeps him on his toes with her clever comments and the film rushes by at an economical pace. At the heart of the mystery is the disappearance of one Mr. Wynant (Edward Ellis) aka â??the Thin Manâ?? who quickly becomes a suspect in Juliaâ??s death.

Nora and Nick work together as a team. She mostly provides moral support for Nick as he slowly puts the pieces together. Naturally, Nick is smart enough to solve the thing and his method for doing so is equally impressive. He simply invites all the key suspects together for a dinner party and proceeds to unveil his assumptions until one of the guests cracks. This is precisely what occurs and the great hero rides off into the sunset with his darling, carefree wife (and their dog Astor who is used repeatedly for comic effect).

Myrna Loy possesses a modern flair that could see her starring in any number of contemporary romantic comedies. Her mannerisms and occasional diction would fit in quite well in many fims made today. The clothing in this film is occasionally quite futuristic; Loyâ??s gowns in particular have a strange, space alien quality to them that contrasts nicely with Powellâ??s conservative attire. Together, they make a smashing couple; they compliment each other and their smart banter serves each actor well. Nick Charles drinks massive quantities of alcohol and still maintains his affable, offputting demeanor. This is an age when everyone in films drank and smoked everywhere they went.

This film exploits the wealth of several of its central characters. Nora Charlesâ??s father left her several businesses when he died and the subsequent arrangement keeps Nick up to his ears in scotch and bourbon.

As Mimi, Minni Gombell is a square jawed hysteric, always on the verge of some crashing breakdown. Gombell gives us a character who is perpetually stumbling about forever in search of someone to take her misery-laden jaunts seriously. Maureen Oâ?? Sullivan is even more hysterical than Gombell; she perfects that bug-eyed terror that lends her character a frosty, abused quality. As MacCaulay, Porter Hall is perfectly calm and directed. Heâ??s suave despite his rumpled suits and sleepy aesthetic; heâ??s the one character who could really use a nap.

As totemic as Powell is, he is matched perfectly by Myrna Loyâ??s blistering cat calls. All told, they appeared together 14 times (six of them in the Thin Man series alone), and their chemistry is instantly apparent from the first reel of this film. Powell generates a genuine cool which can never be affected by an actor who doesnâ??t innately possess it. Nickâ??s instincts get sharper with every martini he slams. As he closes in, his arc gets narrower; the camera focuses more intently on the arrangements of objects and people in the frame. Perhaps this is due to the simple fact that a murderer is afoot and the audience becomes hellbent on apprehending him or her before Nick gets around to it. After rewatching certain sections, after the culprit has been nabbed, there is very little evidence to go on that might point to the individual responsible for Juliaâ??s murder.

Overall, this film snaps along with a quick, controlled rhythm. The dialog is razor sharp and each character fully developed. When the mystery takes hold, scenes start to build up in intensity. Although it isnâ??t particularly easy to follow Nickâ??s logic once he decides upon the killer, it makes more sense after another viewing. Still, this film is simply a showcase for William Powell and Myrna Loy. They make the film work with their expert comic timing and ability to transform the mundane into a scene of dire importance. Ultimately, the film succeeds because it maintains much of the original dialog and understands the necessity of the proper pacing for the material. Done poorly, this film wouldnâ??t crackle like it does. It would fail to ignite.