Artivels Undescribable Perfection

Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

Cleveronix A different way of telling a story

Cooktopi The acting in this movie is really good.

classicsoncall I've always wondered why a movie dust up in a restaurant or saloon between a couple of patrons has to eventually involve the entire place. It happens all the time in pictures and it happens here as well. Oh well, I guess it helped to stir things up when there was a lull in the action.They say the Thin Man movies got weaker as the series progressed but I think this one holds up pretty well as the fourth entry in the line up. That's not to say that I thought all of it was credible. In a real life situation for example, who would ever be led to believe that there was a discarded gun in the bottom of a shower drain? Really? Nick Charles came to that conclusion by eyeballing the angle of a bullet that killed a jockey? Sorry folks, I'm just not buying that one at all.And gee, what was Major Sculley (Henry O'Neill) thinking when he brought Nick in on the murder case? The Charles reputation by now was well known far and wide, so why even take the chance? Goofing up on Whitey Barrow's room number was just the icing on the cake for old Nick to finish up this story Charlie Chan style, pulling the resolution out of his hat with some panache and flourish that not one viewer could have figured out in a month of Sundays.But you know, that's what made the Thin Man series so much fun. The repartee and chemistry between William Powell and Myrna Loy was never better, and even Asta got to show off his acting chops with a meatier role than he'd had in the past. Where the shadow business of the title comes into play I'm still thinking about, but not that much.

lugonian SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1941), directed by Major W.S. Van Dyke II, the fourth installment to the popular series starring William Powell and Myrna Loy, re-teams the dual in another caper of murder, mystery and comedy. Aside from this being Powell and Loy's eleventh pairing, the roles as Nick and Nora Charles are certainly their most recognizable, if not credible, of anything they've ever done together on screen. Based on the characters created by Dashiell Hammett, and story by Harry Kurnitz, SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN, regardless of slight changes in scenery and additional characters, continues to stick closer it its given format.The story finds Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy) back in California with their four-year-old son, Nicky Jr. (Dickie Hall) and their dog, Asta, with a new addition to the household, Stella (Louise Beavers), the maid. Taking up residence at the St. Cloud Hotel, Nick and Nora take the afternoon driving to the race track where, upon their arrival, immediately encounter the police force and Sergeant Abrams (Sam Levene) of the Homicide Bureau investigating the murder of Gomez, a jockey, suspected of throwing a race. Instead of betting on the horses, Nick finds himself back to crime solving. Much to his dismay, Nora, thriving for excitement, attempts to accompany him on his latest case. Others involved are Paul Clarke (Barry Nelson), a news reporter and later prime suspect to a second murder; Whitey Barrow (Alan Baxter), a rival reporter associated with fixed races and racketeers; Claire Porter (Stella Adler), Whitey's girlfriend; Molly Ford (Donna Reed), secretary to loan-shark, Link Stevens (Loring Smith); Major Jason I. Skulley (Henry O'Neill), chairman of the State Athletic Commission; and McGuire (Will Wright), a mysterious ticket agent.By this time, the formula was becoming repetitious, especially along the spoken lines of Nick telling his gathered suspects that "someone has spilled the beans," as opposed to the similar lines, "someone has made a slip" from AFTER THE THIN MAN (1936), where co-star, Sam Levene, originated his role as Sergeant Abrams. Now that Nick and Nora have an addition to the family, domestic scenes seem to center upon the youngster's activities from his father's point of view rather than the mother's. For his introduction, Little Nicky (in military uniform), knows his father would rather read the racing form than fairy tales from his book. Later, at the breakfast table, Nicky won't drink milk until his father does, causing the cocktail drinker to change his ways. The third (and last) finds Nicky (in sailor suit this time) on the carousel in a department store where Nick tries to impress his son (and other obnoxious kids) by riding on it himself. "Who's a fraidy cat?" One can only assume that whenever Nicky is out of view during those long stretches that Stella is the one watching over him.Of the many amusements inserted here, the best happens to be one where Nick and Nora gets a police escort to the race track by a motorcycle cop (Edgar Dearing) after giving Nick a speeding ticket. With the 1940s in full circle, Myrna Loy's fashions change with it. She gets enough attention and slide remarks about her "screwy hat" (looking like a giant plate) while attending the wrestling match at the arena. Another scene set at Mario's Grotto Night Club also results to humor where it's Asta, the terrier, unwittingly stirring up some excitement there.One thing about series films such as this one, with a new theatrical release once every two to three years, is seeing how the stories were either progressing or regressing. Loy's Nora was becoming less sophisticated and more dim-witted at times. Still, the best part of the "Thin Man" mysteries is the method of Nick's deduction and the element of surprise when exposing the real killer. Whatever weakness the film contains, the final minutes make up for it, thus satisfactory entertainment for fans of the series. And who can forget such character names of Nick's oddball friends as Spider Webb (Joe Oakie), Meatballs Murphy (John Kelly) and Rainbow Benny Loomis (Lou Lubin), among others. Classic TV fans will take notice of Sid Melton (Ralph of "Green Acres") in a small role as Fingers.Available on home video before distribution to DVD, take notice the theatrical trailer inserted in the DVD names Nick and Nora as "Mr. and Mrs. Thin Man." Though no shadows, it's official. Nick Charles is "The Thin Man." This and five others in the series can be found on Turner Classic Movies. Next installment: THE THIN MAN GOES HOME (1944). (***)

Terrell-4 "You know that jockey, Gomez," says Lieutenant Abrams (Sam Levene) to Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy) as the two arrive at the racetrack for a little betting, "the one who was caught throwing the fourth race yesterday? He was shot." "My," says Nora, "they're strict at this track." And we're off on the fourth of the Nick and Nora Charles Thin Man series. The mystery isn't bad. The Powell-Loy chemistry is just as fine as always, and the characters...well, Nick remains the suave, gentleman private detective, fond of martinis and double-breasted suits, clever at putting puzzles together, and a man who seems to know everyone from distinguished officials to Rainbow Benny, a racetrack tout. Nora, his wealthy, socialite wife, remains most of the time a skeptical, affectionate, funny helpmate who can match her husband's martini intake whenever she chooses. However, slowly the series is turning Nora into a more conventional wife and mother. In Shadow of the Thin Man, the writers have Nora sometimes just being a ditzy, adoring wife. Myrna Loy makes it work, but some of Nora's smartness and wit have been dumbed down. Nick agrees to look into the death of the jockey, but then another shooting takes place, this time of Whitey Barrow, a corrupt reporter who is in cahoots with a ring of racketeers who are making a fortune on racetrack gambling. When the dignified Major Jason Scully, hired by the track commission to clean up the situation, and Paul Clark, a young, crusading reporter, visit Nick and try to enlist his services, he turns them down. He's got too much on his hands already with Nora and their three-year-old son, Nick, Jr. That second murder makes him change his mind. Before long he's up to his waist in suspects. There's Link Stephens, the tough smoothie who runs the syndicate and who is weak around the edges; Fred Main, his wise-guy enforcer; Claire Porter, Stephen's upper-class girl friend; and Baku, her chauffeur. There is even a ticket seller to be suspicious of. Plus, just maybe Paul Clark (Barry Nelson) isn't as honest as he seems, especially since his girlfriend, Molly (Donna Reed), works for Stephens. It all comes together, of course, with a big meeting of all the suspects, with Nick taking apart the case clue by clue until the murderer is unmasked. This time, Nora does a bit of heroics that ends with a loving smooch by our favorite couple, with Asta the dog covering its eyes with a paw. The movie features three genuinely funny set pieces. First up is Nick and Nora at a crowded wrestling match. It's reassuring to see that professional wrestling hasn't advanced an inch in more than 65 years when it comes to the need for great acting ability. Next is the merry-go- round where Nick has to prove that he's not a scaredy-cat to a group of sneering tykes. And finally is a classic that should be revived, where the waiter at Mario's Grotto is determined Nick and Nora and their two guests will all order the sea bass. He will not take broiled lobster as an answer. And let's spend a moment with Stella Adler, who plays Claire Porter. She was 40 when she made this movie. She was born into one of the leading Yiddish theater families in New York, and became a star in Yiddish theater in the Twenties. In the Thirties she joined the Group Theater, became a star on Broadway, went to the Soviet Union to study under Stanislavsky himself, and returned to become one of America's great drama teachers, as well as an actor and director. Adler never made much of an impression in Hollywood; she spent most of her life in New York. She taught and mentored Marlon Brando and was the single most important influence on his acting career. She died, honored and full of years, in 1992. Just watch her as Porter, a lush, well-bred blonde with a voice as cultured as clotted cream. Except that Claire had been a professional woman, as in the oldest profession. When Claire loses her temper, she loses her culture, her class and her accent. Nick finds this out. Adler handles the role with aplomb, and her instant transformation from cultured to common is something to see.

Snow Leopard In this fourth movie in the Thin Man series, the familiar formula still works pretty well, making "Shadow of the Thin Man" an enjoyable feature with plenty of wit, an interesting mystery, and most of all Nick and Nora. It's hard to think of any other screen couple that worked together better than William Powell and Myrna Loy. All it takes is a few seconds of seeing them interact before you feel as if you are in the company of old friends.The story and setting make use of Nick's fondness for the horse races, and this also allows for an entertaining assortment of characters. The mystery has several twists and turns, and the story developments alternate with lighter stretches of Nick and Nora being themselves. Besides the race track, there are some other imaginative settings that help in creating an atmosphere that is both believable and interesting.Most of the other characters are pretty straightforward, but Sam Levene gets quite a few good moments as the police lieutenant. Barry Nelson also has a decent role as a reporter. A very young Donna Reed gets a fair amount of screen time, but her character is not as interesting as the others. It's also interesting to see Stella Adler in one of her rare screen roles.This one is a cut below the earlier movies in the series, but it's still good fun. As well as the familiar combination works, there weren't a lot of reasons to make significant changes.