"After the Thin Man" is the second film in the "Thin Man" series that stars William Powell and Myrna Loy. Oh, yes, and Asta their talented pet, Scottie. James Stewart has the next lead and is at the head of a large cast of good actors.
After the success of his first book and the movie based on it, Dashiell Hammett was commissioned to write more stories about Nick and Nora Charles. So, he wrote screenplay stories for this film and the next one, "Another Thin Man." MGM hired another man and wife team, Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich, to write the screenplays. It was decades after Hammett's death that manuscripts for these two novellas were found. They had publication notes from Hammett urging that the screenplay revisions by Goodrich and Hackett be made in the stories themselves before their publication. That happened in 2012, in a book entitled, "Return of the Thin Man."
This story has a huge cast with an intriguing plot of betrayal, infidelity, blackmail, forgery, fraud and murder. About the only crimes not part of this one are bank robbery and kidnapping. It's another very good comedy-mystery for nick and Nora Charles to tackle.
It occurred to me, watching this film again recently, that there is one specific distinction about the crimes in Dashiell Hammett stories compared to the great detective mysteries of Agatha Christie. Hammett's crime stories generally have many possible suspects, whereas Christie's Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple crimes have just a few suspects. Both Hammett and Christie were master storytellers who could do what it took to keep the solutions close to secret until near the end. And, that has most always been to the delight of we mystery story and film aficionados.
Here are some favorite lines from this film. For more humorous dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the movie.
Nora, "Dear, you know the most interesting people."
Nora exchanges greetings with a couple in another open car that is passing in the opposite direction. Nick says, "Who's that?" Nora, "Oh, you wouldn't know them. They're respectable."
Nick, "Come on. Let's get something to eat. I'm thirsty."
Nora, "Do you know why Robert wasn't here tonight?" Nick, "Because he's smart." Nora, "I'm not fooling, darling. He's disappeared." Nick, "That's swell. Now if we could just get Aunt Katherine to disappear."
Nora, "Well, how you gonna do it?" Nick, "I haven't the faintest idea. I'm just gonna look and listen and pray that somebody makes a slip. Just one slip."
Polly, "What do ya mean, illiterate? My father and mother were married right here in the city hall."
After the success of his first book and the movie based on it, Dashiell Hammett was commissioned to write more stories about Nick and Nora Charles. So, he wrote screenplay stories for this film and the next one, "Another Thin Man." MGM hired another man and wife team, Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich, to write the screenplays. It was decades after Hammett's death that manuscripts for these two novellas were found. They had publication notes from Hammett urging that the screenplay revisions by Goodrich and Hackett be made in the stories themselves before their publication. That happened in 2012, in a book entitled, "Return of the Thin Man."
This story has a huge cast with an intriguing plot of betrayal, infidelity, blackmail, forgery, fraud and murder. About the only crimes not part of this one are bank robbery and kidnapping. It's another very good comedy-mystery for nick and Nora Charles to tackle.
It occurred to me, watching this film again recently, that there is one specific distinction about the crimes in Dashiell Hammett stories compared to the great detective mysteries of Agatha Christie. Hammett's crime stories generally have many possible suspects, whereas Christie's Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple crimes have just a few suspects. Both Hammett and Christie were master storytellers who could do what it took to keep the solutions close to secret until near the end. And, that has most always been to the delight of we mystery story and film aficionados.
Here are some favorite lines from this film. For more humorous dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the movie.
Nora, "Dear, you know the most interesting people."
Nora exchanges greetings with a couple in another open car that is passing in the opposite direction. Nick says, "Who's that?" Nora, "Oh, you wouldn't know them. They're respectable."
Nick, "Come on. Let's get something to eat. I'm thirsty."
Nora, "Do you know why Robert wasn't here tonight?" Nick, "Because he's smart." Nora, "I'm not fooling, darling. He's disappeared." Nick, "That's swell. Now if we could just get Aunt Katherine to disappear."
Nora, "Well, how you gonna do it?" Nick, "I haven't the faintest idea. I'm just gonna look and listen and pray that somebody makes a slip. Just one slip."
Polly, "What do ya mean, illiterate? My father and mother were married right here in the city hall."