After The Thin Man (1936) ****

After The Thin Man (1936), the first of five sequels to W.S. Van Dyke's film adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's novel The Thin Man (1934) (my review here), is more of the same of what its predecessor provided, but that's honestly not a bad thing. It's the longest of the Thin Man films, so it drags a bit here and there, but it's also the second best of the series. 

You get more of that Nick and Nora Charles charm, more witty banter (some wonderful dialogue via returning writers Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett), more Asta the dog antics, and another Agatha Christie/Hercule Poirot style reveal in the finale. The whodunit aspect of this franchise is less important to me than the interplay between William Powell and Myrna Loy though—every bit as entertaining here as they were in the first film. Plus you get some cute dance numbers and a solid early James Stewart role—all in all a winner.


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