Depression, Shmepression

THE THIN MAN (1934)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

"The Thin Man" is a film that most will admire but few will think it is based on any given reality, hence, the beauty of most Hollywood movies of the 30's and 40's. Among my favorites of these periods were "His Girl Friday" (which no one can top for rapid-fire dialogue) and "The Philadelphia Story," one of my favorite romantic comedies. I would definitely add "The Thin Man," a 1934 classic that couldn't be set in any other time period yet it resolutely has little bearing on what went on during that period (no hint of the Depression here, for starters). And that is okay because I never met anyone like the characters shown in any of these films, mostly larger-than-life characters living a life of luxury and ostentatious parties. But I digress - "The Thin Man" is an exquisite marvel of a movie, completely dependent on one witty exchange after another.

Based on Dashiell Hammett's last novel, William Powell plays a boozing retired detective named Nick who is vacationing comfortably with his rich wife, Nora (elegantly played by Myrna Loy), in their quite decorous Manhattan apartment. Of course, neither partner is remotely interested in sleuthing - all they want is to drink, be merry and party. Naturally, the party stops briefly when an inventor scientist (Edward Ellis) disappears without a trace on some secret business trip. The inventor's daughter (Maureen O'Sullivan) is concerned, as is the inventor's unbearable wife, his mistress, a few criminals, and so on. Is the inventor dead? And what about the missing cash bonds? Who took them, and why? Only Nick knows, but the order of the day is to first be merry, gay, and don't interrupt his drinking.

"The Thin Man" is a seamless blend of detective mystery and screwball comedy, something so few writers and directors could ever accomplish so deftly. I can't say that I know how this genre mixing works, but it works incredibly well. The movie begins with a never-ending party of drinking and witticisms. All we discover at this party, related to the kidnapping, is that some members of the police and the press are interested in knowing what Nick might think of the kidnapping. And there is a moment, very brief yet sudden, punctuated with violence that is so perfectly realized and so unexpected that it stands almost head and shoulders above any noir picture of the 40's or 50's.

"The Thin Man" works primarily because of the lovely chemistry between Nick and Nora. His debonair attitude and brief nonchalance when it comes to solving a crime and her facial expressions where she makes funny faces and essentially keeps him and his drinking in line is what makes this film sparkle and sizzle. Had someone else been cast besides Myrna Loy and William Powell, it wouldn't have worked. Powell doesn't exactly look like a detective or a boozing gentleman (or an alcoholic, for that matter), yet you still believe he can see the truth and you see his detective mind at work (even when he plays with an air rifle). Myrna Loy fits as a rich wife type, yet she doesn't act as polished or as bitchy as say Bette Davis. By the end of "The Thin Man," you get the impression that Nick and Nora's relationship survives because they privately act goofy and silly.

As directed with exceptional skill and a terrific use of space in mostly a lavish apartment by W.S. Van Dyke, "The Thin Man" was amazingly shot in two weeks with a low budget of $231,000, and it became a huge box-office hit. Five more films in the series emerged, yet the original is the one that will remain on everyone's mind as one of the finest films of the 1930's. It is pure escapism and a complete, first-rate entertainment with more humor and suspense than almost any film I can think of. An absolute classic, and Powell and Loy will leave you with a silly grin on your face.