Another Thin Man (1939)

Director:

W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:

Dashiell Hammett (story)
Frances Goodrich (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 November 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Mystery | Drama | Crime | Romance

Tagline:

It's a blessed event

Plot:

An explosives manufacturer suspects a young man is out to kill him. He calls in Nick and Nora (with new baby) to sort things out.

Plot Keywords:

Cocktail Bar | Irish Wolfhound | Husband Wife | Nick And Nora Charles | Wit

Cast

William Powell	...	Nick Charles
Myrna Loy	...	Nora Charles
Virginia Grey	...	Lois MacFay / Linda Mills
Otto Kruger	...	Assistant District Attorney Van Slack
C. Aubrey Smith	...	Colonel Burr MacFay
Ruth Hussey	...	Dorothy Waters, Charles' Nanny
Nat Pendleton	...	Lieutenant Guild
Patric Knowles	...	Dudley Horn, Lois' Fiance
Tom Neal	...	Freddie Coleman, MacFay's Secretary
Phyllis Gordon	...	Mrs. Isabella Bellam, MacFay's Housekeeper
Sheldon Leonard	...	Phil Church
Don Costello	...	'Diamond Back' Vogel
Harry Bellaver	...	'Creeps' Binder
William A. Poulsen	...	Nicky Charles Jr.
Muriel Hutchison	...	H. Culverton 'Smitty' Smith
Abner Biberman	...	Dum-Dum, Church's Henchman
Marjorie Main	...	Mrs. Dolley, Landlord Chesterfield Apartments
Asta	...	Himself (dog)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alexander D'Arcy	...	Gigolo Who Danced with Nora Charles at West Indies Club (scenes deleted)
Murray Alper	...	Larry, a Father (uncredited)
Sandra Andreva	...	Woman Sitting with Nick in Cafe (uncredited)
Roy Barcroft	...	Slim, a Guard (uncredited)
James Blaine	...	Policeman in Charles' Suite (uncredited)
Charles Brokaw	...	State Trooper (uncredited)
Paul E. Burns	...	Ticket Agent (uncredited)
Eddie Buzard	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Richard Calderon	...	Raphael, Wacky's Baby (uncredited)
Anita Camargo	...	Hat Check Girl (uncredited)
Jack Clifford	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Frank Coletti	...	State Trooper (uncredited)
Nell Craig	...	Charles' First Nursemaid (uncredited)
Carmen D'Antonio	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Joe Devlin	...	Barney, MacFay's Bodyguard (uncredited)
Joe Downing	...	Hoodlum (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Baggage Man (uncredited)
Dick Elliott	...	Detective (uncredited)
Matty Fain	...	Hoodlum Telephoning Nick (uncredited)
Walter Fenner	...	Detective (uncredited)
Miguel Fernández Mila	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Jack Gardner	...	Driver (uncredited)
Edward Gargan	...	Detective Quinn (uncredited)
Martin Garralaga	...	Pedro, the Informant (uncredited)
Eddie Gribbon	...	Baggage Man (uncredited)
Rosemary Grimes	...	Woman Sitting with Nick in Cafe (uncredited)
George Guhl	...	Second Gate Guard (uncredited)
James Guilfoyle	...	Jake (uncredited)
Eddie Hall	...	Second Baggage Man at Train Station (uncredited)
Edward Hearn	...	Detective (uncredited)
Shemp Howard	...	Wacky (uncredited)
Thomas E. Jackson	...	Detective (uncredited)
Gladden James	...	Fingerprint Man (uncredited)
John Kelly	...	A Father (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Detective (uncredited)
Toni LaRue	...	Woman Sitting with Nick in Cafe (uncredited)
Alphonse Martell	...	West Indies Club Waiter (uncredited)
Pat McKee	...	A Father (uncredited)
Horace McMahon	...	MacFay's Chauffeur (uncredited)
Rudolph Medina	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Tina Menard	...	Woman Sitting with Nick in Cafe (uncredited)
Howard M. Mitchell	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Frank Moran	...	Butch, a Father (uncredited)
Alberto Morin	...	West Indies Club Waiter (uncredited)
Paul Newlan	...	Tom, a Bodyguard (uncredited)
Nellie V. Nichols	...	Raphael's Mother (uncredited)
William Pagan	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Nestor Paiva	...	West Indies Club Headwaiter (uncredited)
Eddie Parker	...	State Trooper (uncredited)
Milton Parsons	...	Coroner (uncredited)
Guy Rett	...	First Waiter (uncredited)
Bert Roach	...	Cookie, the Drinker (uncredited)
Claire Rochelle	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Ramon Ros	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Police Photographer (uncredited)
Lee Shumway	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Rafael Storm	...	Gigolo Who Danced with Nora Charles at West Indies Club (uncredited)
Frank Sully	...	Pete, a Father (uncredited)
William Tannen	...	State Trooper (uncredited)
Stanley Taylor	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Fred Velasco	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Blanca Vischer	...	Woman Sitting with Nick in Cafe (uncredited)
Doodles Weaver	...	Gatekeeper, MacFay Estate (uncredited)

Directed by
W.S. Van Dyke		(as W.S. Van Dyke II)

Writing credits
Dashiell Hammett		(story)
Frances Goodrich		(writer) and
Albert Hackett		(writer)
Anita Loos		(contributing writer) uncredited

Produced by
Hunt Stromberg	....	producer

Original Music by
Edward Ward

Cinematography by
William H. Daniels		(as William Daniels)
Oliver T. Marsh
John F. Seitz		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Fredrick Y. Smith

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hugh Boswell	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Hugh Boswell	....	director of retakes (uncredited)

Art Department
John S. Detlie	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
William Edmondson	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dolly Tree	....	wardrobe

Other crew
Eddie Larkin	....	dance director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Loew's
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1939) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Renee & Stella Rhumba Specialty  group cast members

Also Known As:

Return of the Thin Man (USA) (promotional title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

Spanish | English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #5826) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Bidwell Park - Manzanita Avenue, Chico, California, USA

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

Rafael Storm replaced Alexander D'Arcy as the gigolo during the retakes.

Goofs:

Continuity: When baby Nickie is crawling on Nick as he sleeps, Nick is on his back. When the shot changes angles and Nora picks up baby Nickie, Nick is rolling onto his back from his left side.

Quotes:

Nora Charles: I got rid of all those reporters.
Nick Charles: What did you tell them?
Nora Charles: We're out of scotch.
Nick Charles: What a gruesome idea.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Hollywood Remembers: Myrna Loy - So Nice to Come Home to (1991) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Adios Muchachos (I Get Ideas)

Witty & Entertaining; A Worthy Entry in the Series

With plenty of wit and plenty of entertainment, "Another Thin Man" is a worthy entry in the enjoyable Thin Man series. Although much of it relies on the now-standard formula, the characters never seem to lose their charm, and the writing is still resourceful. The pairing of William Powell and Myrna Loy alone would make any movie worth watching, but there is plenty more here as well.

The story combines the usual oddball assortment of characters with an interesting mystery, plus some new developments in the private lives of Nick and Nora. Their need to look after their new baby even as they get more and more involved in the mystery creates some good moments. The mystery itself is pretty good, with twists and plenty of action. The supporting cast is solid, and a couple of them get some good moments of their own.

This feature has just a slightly different feel to it, at least in comparison with the first in the series, in that it seems to have a little less humor and a little more serious action. But it has more than enough of both to make for an enjoyable movie.