Shadow of the Thin Man
Directed by W. S. Van Dyke
Written by Harry Kurnitz and Irving Brecher based on characters by Dashiell Hammett
1941/USA
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
First viewing/Netflix Rental
[box] Lieutenant Abrams: You know that jockey Golez, the one who was caught throwing the fourth race yesterday? He was shot.
Nora Charles: My, they’re strict at this track![/box]
This is one series that maintained its quality standards through several films. The dialogue still sings in the fourth “Thin Man” movie.
Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy) still enjoy married bliss and plenty of cocktails as little Nicky hits pre-school age. Nick has become a bit of a horse racing devotee and is that the track when the body of a jockey that rode in a fixed race is found. He resists the urging of the police to come out of retirement and remains strong when his friends, a commissioner and crusading reporter Paul Clarke (Barry Nelson) who are fighting organized crime in gambling urge him to get involved. But when Paul is accused in the murder of a racketeer, Nick and Nora are on the case. With Donna Reed in one of her first roles as Paul’s girlfriend.
I picked out the murderer early on (one of the least likely suspects) but who watches these for the mystery? The wisecracks are still great and the chemistry between Loy and Powell only seems to deepen.
Trailer
