It's definitely no secret that I love a good classic movie and if I find one that I like, well, I will watch it over and over again till I basically know the entire dialogue. I may need to seek help on this habit. The Thin Man staring William Powell, Myrna Loy and Asta the dog is just this type of movie. The original was incredibly successful and inspired several adventures with Nick and Nora Charles.
The first Thin Man begins with Nick Charles having a four year absence from any detective work and living the life of luxury off his wife's inheritance. He is approached by a long time friend whose father is accused of murder. Nick is very reluctant to take the case but at the very cute and sweet pestering of his wife, Nora, he finally does and the mystery begins. The chemistry begin Powell and Loy has very rarely been matched. They play off eachother and bring a sense of silliness to an otherwise grim subject. For some extra comic relief is Asta the dog-the Charles' wire hair terrier (so stinking cute!).
The next in a number of sequels is my favorite-After The Thin Man. Nick and Nora have returned from the holiday in New York and are now home in San Francisco. On New Year's Eve Nora's cousin enlist the Charles to help her find her husband who has been missing for several days. We are all left to wonder, who killed who, who is in cahoots with who and what is going on with Mrs. Asta and that little scottie down the street. As an added bonus, we get to see a young Jimmy Stewart that is a little hard to recognize. This sequel definitely holds up to the first.
The third in the series-which is also wonderful, is Another Thin Man. This time we have a new baby added to the family. The Charles family is back in New York with little Nicky Jr. by their side and of course-don't forget Asta! They are invited by a family friend to Long Island for the weekend but there is an underlying motive that involves a mystery. Murder and Mayhem ensue and Nick and Nora solve another case with wonderful one liners.
There were three more in the series: Shadow of the Thin Man, The Thin Man Goes Home Song of the Thin Man, and Alias Nick and Nora. Each are wonderful comedy mysteries that will tickle your funny bone while having you on the edge of your seat.
The Thin Man series is such a wonderful example of classic movies that stand the test of time. I hear over at Amazon they even have a box set -just saying, ya know...Christmas is coming up. Where was I, oh yes-mix up your favorite martini, kick back and enjoy the exciting romp that only Nick and Nora can bring you.
3 comments:
It's so funny that you posted this. For one my Dad is obsessed with The Thin Man series. He's recently discovered all his childhood favorites on DVD. You should see his Christmas list; Superman (TV series), The Lone Ranger, etc. Don't get me started on Roy Rodgers. I think it's great, tho. I think he likes that we can re-live parts of his childhood with him. Drives my mum nuts, tho!
BTW, I think Asta is pretty cute myself and I don't mind watching them with him, but don't tell him ;)
No way! I have all of these movies, I got the box set for Christmas a couple of years back. One of the best on screen duos EVER!!!
have a drink!
-minnie
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