THE
THIN MAN (1934)
Starring
William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O’Sullivan, Nat Pendleton, Minna
Gombell, Porter Hall, Henry Wadsworth, William Henry, Cesar Romero,
Skippy the Dog. Directed by W.S. Van Dyke. (91 min).
ON
BLU-RAY FROM
Review
by Mr. Pawsđș
The
Thin Man is one of those old black & white films you show to
people who claim to hate old black & white films. We all know
someone like that, who probably also cites weekly box office totals as an
indication of a movie’s quality. So maybe you can inform them that
not-only was The Thin Man a huge hit, it spawned five sequels
and inspired a TV series.
"That
was then,” they might retort, arguing that movies of another
generation wouldn’t pass muster with “today’s audience.” I
love it when people throw that term around, as if “today’s
audience” - the same generation that made Adam Sandler a
multi-millionaire - are somehow more discriminating and
sophisticated.
But
I get it. The movies of my own generation are generally my favorites,
too. And even as much as I love checking-out the classics (i.e.,
those made before I was born), my assessment often considers the era of when a film was made. The Thing from Another World
is wonderful 1950s’ sci-fi, but I wouldn’t dream of comparing
it to John Carpenter’s 1982 version.
Then
there are movies like The Thin Man. This classic
comedy-mystery isn’t simply amusing for a 75-year-old movie. It’s
as sharply-written, witty and laugh-out-loud funny as any
movie, regardless of decade. Just like a great foreign language
film quickly has the viewer forgetting they’re reading subtitles,
The Thin Man is so consistently engaging that I find it hard
to believe even “today’s audience” would care what color the
bedroom drapes are.
 |
| "Sorry, my dear, but when there's a dookie on the carpet, he's your dog." |
Your
ignorant friend who thinks Jaws is the shark’s name is probably
right about one thing: A film like The Thin Man might not
connect with “today’s audience” because it would be impossible
to find two actors to play Nick & Nora Charles as perfectly as
William Powell and Myrna Loy (and trust me, they’ve tried). As a
husband & wife crime solving team, their onscreen chemistry seems
effortless. The innuendo-laced banter between them is as funny, cute and charming as
my wife and I always assume we are when trading good-natured
quips. Elsewhere, the story is filled with a variety
of quirky, interesting characters, including Asta, the Charles’
scene-stealing pooch.
Just
like Psycho can still terrify, High Noon remains the
perfect western and 12 Angry Men is as culturally relevant as
ever, The Thin Man belies its advanced age with a great story, snappy
dialogue and two main characters who aren’t your traditional
onscreen couple. This is a must-own for classic film lovers and
should be mandatory viewing for “today’s audience.” Best of all, there's five more where this came from. Here's hoping some of those are on Warner Archive's pipeline.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
"SCENE
OF THE CRIME” - An 1957 episode from The Thin Man TV
Series, which I didn’t know existed. It’s okay, but Peter Lawford
& Phyllis Kirk are no match for Powell & Loy.
LUX
RADIO THEATER BROADCAST – An adaptation that first-aired in 1937, also featuring
Powell & Loy.
TRAILER
KITTY CONSENSUS:
MEE-OW! LIKE BEING TURNED LOOSE IN A BIRD SANCTUARY.
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