SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN

US, 1941, 97 minutes, Black and white.
William Powell, Myrna Loy, Barry Nelson, Donna Reed, Sam Levene, Alan Baxter, Henry O’ Neill, Stella Adler, Joseph Anthony, Louise Beavers.
Directed by W.S. Van Dyke.

Shadow of the Thin Man was the fourth of the Thin Man films. The Thin Man was very popular in 1935, with Nick and Nora Charles, a married couple, he a kind of dilettante private eye, solving mysteries. They were based on characters by novel Dashiell Hammet.

Further films included After the Thin Man and Another Thin Man. In 1944 there was The Thin Man Goes Home and the final Thin Man film, The Song of the Thin Man in 1947. The characters were part of the entertaining comedy, Murder by Death.

William Powell is as always debonair as Nick Charles. Myrna Loy, who had played with Powell in many films, is his devoted wife, promoting his abilities as a detective. There is a good supporting cast including Barry Nelson as a reporter, Donna Reed as a secretary, Sam Levine as a policeman who needs advice from Nick Charles. Stella Adler appears as a vamp. Joseph Anthony is one of the gangsters – and he became one of Broadway’s best directors and made a number of films including The Rainmaker, The Matchmaker, Korea and All in a Night’s Work. Louise Beevers is the Charles family maid.

The film is set at the racetrack, the death of a jockey, the death of a double-dealing journalist, the death of a suspicious character who haunts the track. As with the other films, there are developments in the characters and the possibilities of guilt, with the whole cast gathering together for an explanation by Nick Charles. As with some of the other films, it is the seemingly most respectable character who is the villain.

The first four films were directed by W.S. Van Dyke. He was a prolific director of many MGM films during the 30s and early 40s.

1. The popularity of the series? The characters, comedy, the mystery?

2. MGM production values, black and white photography, the score, the cast?

3. Nick and Nora Charles, William Powell and Myrna Loy and their style? Their son, his age, in the family? Astor? The characters and their behaviour?

4. The introduction, Nick in the park with his son, pretending to read the story, the races, his son’s frank answers? Sensing the drink? Nora, Stella, the routines at home, the cocktails?

5. Going to the races, speeding, the police and the escort, the squads, the murder?

6. Lieutenant Abrams, the police, Abrams’ double-takes, in charge, yet always seeking advice?

7. The major, his concern, civic sense? Stephens and Macy and their rackets?

8. The death of the jockey, the witnesses, the jockey giving testimony, Paul and the reporters?

9. Rainbow, his contacts, on the track, involvement, his death?

10. Whitey, the reporter, wanting information from Paul? Contact with Macy? Claire Porter? Her relationship with Stephens? Her being blackmailed by Whitey? Taking the jewellery? His death?

11. Macy, his character, sleazy? Stephens, respectability? Claire?

12. Paul, journalist, the setup, his release?

13. Molly, her work for Stephens, giving the information, her relationship with Paul? Evidence?

14. The various murders, Nick and his following clues? Gathering everyone together including the seller of the tickets?

15. The probing of the characters, people talking, giving information, phoning the janitor, the clues about Rainbow’s apartment?

16. The confrontation of the major, the truth, Nora’s intervention and heroism? Solving the mystery?