| Another Thin Man | |
|---|---|
) Theatrical film poster | |
| Directed by | W.S. Van Dyke |
| Produced by | Hunt Stromberg |
| Written by | Anita Loos |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by | Dashiell Hammett |
| Based on | The Farewell Murder by Dashiell Hammett |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Edward Ward |
| Cinematography |
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| Edited by | Fredrick Y. Smith |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
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Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,107,000 |
| Box office | $2,223,000 |
Another Thin Man is a 1939 American film directed by W.S. Van Dyke. It is the third of six in the Thin Man series. It again stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, and it is based on the writings of Dashiell Hammett. Their son, Nicky Jr., is introduced in the film. The cast includes their terrier Asta, Virginia Grey, Otto Kruger, C. Aubrey Smith, Ruth Hussey, Nat Pendleton, Patric Knowles, Sheldon Leonard, Tom Neal, Phyllis Gordon and Marjorie Main. Shemp Howard appears in an uncredited role as Wacky.[1][2]
The film was promoted in the United States under the title of Return of the Thin Man, and was followed by Shadow of the Thin Man (1941).
Plot
In this adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's "The Farewell Murder",[3] Nick (William Powell) and Nora (Myrna Loy) Charles are back in New York with Asta and a new arrival - Nicky Jr. They are invited by Colonel Burr MacFay (C. Aubrey Smith) to spend the weekend at his house on Long Island. McFay, the former business partner of Nora's father, and the administrator of her fortune, desperately wants Nick to put his well-known detective skills to work, as he has been receiving threats from Phil Church (Sheldon Leonard), a very shady character. When MacFay is killed, Church seems to be the obvious suspect. However, Nick is skeptical. He suspects there is something far more complicated going on. MacFay's housekeeper, his adopted daughter, and various hangers-on all may have had an interest in seeking the old man's demise.
Cast
- William Powell as Nick Charles
- Myrna Loy as Nora Charles
- Virginia Grey as Lois MacFay
- Otto Kruger as Assistant District Attorney Van Slack
- C. Aubrey Smith as Colonel Burr MacFay
- Ruth Hussey as Dorothy Walters, Charles' nanny
- Nat Pendleton as Lieutenant Guild
- Patric Knowles as Dudley Horn, Lois's fiancé
- Tom Neal as Freddie Coleman, MacFay's secretary
- Phyllis Gordon as Mrs. Isabella Bellam, MacFay's housekeeper
- Sheldon Leonard as Phil Church
- Don Costello as Diamond Back Vogel
- Harry Bellaver as Creeps
- Muriel Hutchison as Smitty
- Abner Biberman as Dum-Dum
- Marjorie Main as Mrs. Dolley
- Shemp Howard as Wacky
- The Afro-Cuban dance team of René and Estela, headliners at the Havana-Madrid Club in New York City, is featured in the floor show at the West Indies Club.[4][5]
Reception
Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 81% based on reviews from 16 professional critics, with a rating average of 7.04/10.[6]
According to Frank S. Nugent, "this third of the trademarked Thin Men takes its murders as jauntily as ever, confirms our impression that matrimony need not be too serious a business and provides as light an entertainment as any holiday-amusement seeker is likely to find."[7]
)
The film was third of six based on the characters of Nick and Nora:
- The Thin Man (1934)
- After the Thin Man (1936)
- Another Thin Man (1939)
- Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)
- The Thin Man Goes Home (1945)
- Song of the Thin Man (1947)
Box office
Another Thin Man grossed a total – domestic and foreign – of $2,223,000: $1,523,000 from the US and Canada and $700,000 elsewhere. It made a profit of $394,000.[8]
References
- ^ "Another Thin Man". The Three Stooges Online Filmography. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ^ "Cast: Another Thin Man". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ^ Library of Congress Copyright Office (1938). Catalog of Copyright Entries. p. 269. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
- ^ "'Thin Man' Shows Cuban Dance Team". The Pittsburgh Press. August 30, 1939. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
- ^ "Another Thin Man". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
- ^ "Another Thin Man". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
- ^ Nugent, Frank S. (November 24, 1939). "Post-Turkey Reports on Another Thin Man at the Capitol, Daytime Wife at the Roxy, Flying Deuces at Rialto and a Double Bill at the Palace". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
- ^ "The Eddie Mannix Ledger." Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study (Los Angeles).
External links
- Another Thin Man at IMDb
- Another Thin Man at AllMovie
- Another Thin Man at the TCM Movie Database
- Another Thin Man at the American Film Institute Catalog