After the Thin Man (1936)

Waste of time

Just perfect...

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

"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 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, "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."

This Thin Man Sequel keeps together Nick & Nora Charles, and punishes their dog Asta with a Mrs. Asta who is fooling with the neighbors dog in a show of puppy love cheating. That is the price the dog pays for running around with the Charles.This one picks up where the first movie left off with the couple coming back home to the west coast after solving an east coast murder before. This time there are several murders and Nick Charles starts off as a suspect. What is interesting is how Powell and Loy get into the mix with James Stewart here in his 11th film. Stewart is not yet a star here, but he is a defined character who is not in his usual role. Considering it would be another 3 years before Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Jimmy success took some molding yet. Here with Powell and Loy, he is defined as a supporting player. While his character is a little bit crazy compared to other film roles later, he brings it off very well. He is even given a love interest in this film which does not happen for minor roles that often. The love is poison to his character, and that is a part of the fabric that makes this movie a cut above many sequels.

After the Thin Man clearly has a much higher budget than the first film so it does loose the grittier, low budget charm of the original but it still works in its own glossier way. I don't think any of The Thin Man sequels reached the standard of the first film but this was the best of them.After the Thin Man gives William Powell some of the best comedic moments of his career; the scene in which he has a conversation with the snoring gentlemen I could watch over and over; he manages to maintain composure and still act sarcastic no matter how frustrated he gets. Although my favourite part of the film is just watching Nick and Nora trying to get an important clue from Asta by chasing him through their giant manner of a house. Just how does a retired detective and a woman who doesn't work manage to afford to live in a palace like this during the great depression anyway? Every movie in the series had a long sequence in which Nick would go sleuthing on his own in the dark with no dialogue or music, and rightfully so, it's so captivating. The plot is even the easiest in the series and I was actually just barely able to keep up with it.The film's most notable contribution to cinema is having James Stewart's first really notable screen role.This would be the only time in his career in which he would play a villain as the suspiciously motivated David Graham. At the end of film when he's revelled to be the murder culprit, he has a breakdown and threatens everyone at gunpoint before being thwarted and then arrested. Jimmy Stewart as a heartless murder who is sent to prison, what kind of crazy movie is this? It's disheartening in a way to see this but of course this was before he became forever enshrined as the everyman. He does pull of the role and displays he was a natural acting talent from the start of his career and shows he could have potentially portrayed convincing villains. Also look out for the Asian bodyguard who throws his hat to get a gun from Jimmy Stewart's hand, Oddjob anyone?

Elissa Landi was one of Hollywood's most interesting failures. She was an English actress who came to Hollywood in a flurry of publicity. She was just so superior in every way, so well read and an aristocrat by birth - no wonder the average movie goer didn't warm to her. But she was very beautiful and had already proved herself capable in some English films. By the time "After the Thin Man" came along (her friend Myrna Loy had recommended her for the role) her career was almost over, as Hollywood had already discovered Madeline Carroll. I thought she was quite emotive in her role as Selma, Nora's cousin, who feels she is being driven insane.After solving the "Thin Man" case, Nick Charles is a celebrity, but Nora is determined that from now on they will lead a quiet life. During a rowdy New Year's Eve, Nora's cousin, Selma calls in a hysterical state. Her husband, Robert (Alan Marshall) is missing and she fears he is with another woman. An extremely youthful James Stewart plays David, who has always carried a torch for Selma. Vibrant Dorothy McNulty gives a spirited version of "Blow That Horn" - she even does a tap dance!!! Later she sings the beautiful "Smoke Dreams". She played the role of Flo in the 1930 version of "Good News" and specialised in an acrobatic style of dancing that was very exciting to watch. Soon after this film she changed her name to Penny Singleton, became a blonde and originated the role of "Blondie" for which she is remembered. She plays Polly, the girl who is having an affair with Robert. They are planning to run away together on the $25,000 he hopes to get from David who offered the money to keep him away from Selma. When Robert is murdered there are many suspects, foremost among them Selma, who has followed him into the fog with a gun!!!This is by far the best of the series (in my opinion). There are too many funny bits of business between Nick and Nora to mention. Apart from James Stewart and Dorothy McNulty, there is George Zucco giving his sinister best to the tiny part of Doctor Kammer and Sam Levene is wonderful as the harassed Inspector Abrams. As well Jessie Ralph is fantastic as dastardly Aunt Katherine, if you can't remember her, she was the wonderfully kind and comforting Peggotty in "David Copperfield". Also whoever played that wonderful, doddering butler - "Walk this way sir" - "I'll try"!!!!Highly Recommended.