The Thin Man (1934) ****1/2
Nick and Nora Charles are one of my favorite cinematic couples. In W.S. Van Dyke's film adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's novel The Thin Man (1934) and its five sequels, William Powell and Myrna Loy portrayed said couple with an on-screen chemistry like no other. Their playful back and forth banter, their dry wit, their enviable and flirtatious marriage—pure movie magic.
Only a movie could make retired detective Nick's alcoholism seems so amusing and only Powell could ooze charm in the role the way he does. Nick's clever, adventure-seeking socialite wife Nora is his perfect match (and perfectly embodied by Myrna Loy)—ever willing to go toe to toe with him in every regard. Nora is a unique female character for the time—no doting housewife is she, but her love for Nick is always apparent through their sarcastic jabs at each other. Of Nick and Nora's relationship, film historian Andrew Sarris was quoted as saying they were the "first on-screen Hollywood couple for whom matrimony did not signal the end of sex, romance and adventure." And let's not forget their lovable, scrappy, yet cowardly fox terrier Asta!
In this first entry in the series (which ran from 1934 to 1947), despite his protestations, Nick is brought back onto a case involving a disappearance and eventually a murder. Nick is a decent sleuth, but one gets the sense that luck plays a large factor in his detecting skills. This is most evident in the finale—an Agatha Christie/Hercule Poirot style reveal, where Nick gathers all the players together at a dinner party to expose the killer. Nick even quips to Nora that he's essentially making it up as he goes, by pitting the potential killers against each other.
85 years along, The Thin Man remains a noir-tinged comedy/mystery classic, featuring a delightful, beloved cinematic couple that can't be beat.
Comments
Post a Comment