The Thin Man Movies (under construction)
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Nora Charles: Pretty girl.
Nick Charles: Yes. She's a very nice type.
Nora Charles: You got types?
Nick Charles: Only you, darling. Lanky brunettes with wicked jaws.
Most aficionados of classic movies have their favorite onscreen pairings: such giants as Grant and Hepburn, Bogie and Bacall, Grant and the other Hepburn. Few however mention one of the first truly successful onscreen pairings: William Powell and Myrna Loy in the romantic detective comedies of the Thin Man series. As the crime fighting couple of Nick and Nora Charles, these two lovebirds solved crimes with a scintillating chemistry fueled by good stiff drinks and sarcastic bon mots.
'The Thin Man'
The first move in the series was the Thin Man released in 1934. The film was based upon the book written by Dashiell Hammett, wherein the Charles couple have their vacation in New York interrupted by a murder. Nick Charles is a former police detective, who retired from the force and married the wealthy soceity girl Nora. When a noted professor Dr. Wynant vanishes and his secretary is murdered, Nick is persuaded to take the case by his wife and his apprehension at the Police Department's mishandling of the case. As the story untangeles, more characters emerge from the wordwork, crucial details emerge, and Dr. Wynant's innocence starts to seem rather doubtful. After throwing himself into the case (despite being threatened and shot), Nick Charles uncovers another victim (the skeleton of a thin man in a suit) with the help of his wirehaired terrier Asta. This is the breakthrough clue, and Nick invites everybody to a climactic dinner where the truth of the crime is revealed.
It is an interesting story with some intricate plot twists, but the mystery in itself is not what made the movie so wildly appealing to contemporary artists. Rather, it was the dynamic rapport between Nick and Nora that captivated viewers. In the original novel, Nick Charles was a sullen older alcoholic cop who married a younger rich woman but stuggled to resist the charms of wealth1. As adapted by William Powell, Nick Charles is far more dapper, debonair, and at ease in his new comfortable lifestyle (in his first scene, he instructs a bartender on using different dance rhythms for different drinks). Although he has sent many criminals to jail, they all seem to revere him as a gentleman when they get out, frequently helping out on his cases. Nora was no passive housewife either. She in turn kept up with his heavy drinking2, teasing him mercilessly, and taking a part in solving the mysteries (despite his attempts to keep her out of the way). This was a revelation to audiences used to stories of loner male detectives bearing the weight of the world on their shoulders as they struggled in an uncaring city. Despite some concessions to the Hays Code3, it was fresh and audacious. As a result, the Thin Man reaped both commercial success and critical acclaim. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Actor and Director (impressive, given that it was shot in two weeks on a shoestring budget) but had the misfortune of being released in the same year as Capra's It Happened One Night, a film which made Oscar history by sweeping all five major categories.
The Sequels
The success of the first movie inspired the studio to create 5 sequels in the series, all of which performed rather well at the Box Office, although none are quite as good as the first film. Despite the fact that the 'Thin Man' of the original movie was a deceased skeleton, all other films included the word 'Thin Man' in the title, eventually transferring the term to Nick Charles himself.
After the Thin Man (1936)
In this installment, Nick and Nora have returned home to San Francico.
