Another Thin Man (1939) User Reviews

Portraying a peaceful weekend with the Charles

[Spondonman · 8/10 · 29 May 2006]

I hadn't seen this one before, probably the thought of the Charles' with a baby tagging along worried me. But although he formed a double act with Asta for the first half by the time the plot went into overdrive he was virtually ditched. And I've not come across this Hammett story, but with the comedy turned up to maximum there is so much going on in here I'm amazed it all got squeezed into 98 minutes. The complete box-set print is absolutely pristine and gleamingly atmospheric as was only achievable with nitrate stock.

The plot you can liken to a game of keeping a ball in the air, the members of the cast who let it drop to the ground get murdered. It's impossible to explain the complexities of it all - in short Nick's trying to prevent a murder, then trying to catch the murderer - from a dizzying array of suspects. This is Red Herring City, right up to the very end when Nick unmasked the surprise murderer and even the housekeeper's motives are explained in a dismissive sentence - but not corroborated. If you want to work out whodunnit for yourself my advice is keep a very open mind! If you don't like whodunnits at all watch this solely for the astonishing dance routine by Rene & Estela - Fred & Ginger were awkward in comparison!

I'm going to have to watch this again, soon and sober to tie up some of the threads I lost along the way. I noticed Nick hardly drank at all in here - was that Hays Office pressure? All in all not quite as good as the first two but still one Hell of a ride!

Whether it's solving a murder or sipping a Bacardi, Nick and Nora Charles are excellent company

[Terrell-4 · 7/10 · 7 January 2007]

When a movie begins with C. Aubrey Smith, that craggy paragon of old-fashioned values, beaten, shot and stabbed to death and then finishes with Shemp Howard, one of the Stooges, dandling a baby, you might believe you're in some odd alternate universe. In a way, you are, but the universe is the world of Nick and Nora Charles and the movie is Another Thin Man. It's the third film William Powell and Myrna Loy made about the debonaire amateur sleuth and his wealthy wife. If it doesn't quite reach the heights of witty sophistication of the first two, it'll do.

Nick and Nora, together with their new baby and Asta, are at the Long Island estate of the aging and imperious Burr MacFay (Smith), the partner of Nora's father before her father died. He's a financial wizard who still manages much of Nora's wealth...and he believes he's a man under a death threat. Within hours of their arrival, late at night, a fire starts in the ornate bath house, a fuse apparently blows taking out all the lights, the huge dog of the house is found killed...and MacFay is discovered shot, beaten and stabbed. Yet everyone seems to have an alibi. And what a bunch there is: MacFay's adopted daughter, Lois MacFay; Dudley Horn, the man she plans to marry who seems to love her money as much as he says he loves her; Freddie Coleman, MacFay's young, baby-faced secretary who is smitten with Lois; Mrs. Bellam, the curiously uncurious housekeeper; and Dorothy Waters, the nanny Nora engaged to help look after Nickie, Jr., who suddenly disappears. Those are the ones in the mansion. Lurking outside is a former employee of MacFay, Phil Church, who went to prison and now has schemes to cash in; his girl friend, his loyal goon and a slow-speaking piece of muscle who wears thick glasses. Nick and Nora head back to New York as soon as they can, but the mystery and the threats follow them. It takes a visit to the apartment of a woman no one seems to have met and some clever thinking before Nick brings everyone together in the Charles' hotel apartment where the ruthless murderer is exposed. Even that is complicated by Nickie, Jr.'s boithday party thrown by some of Nick's disreputable acquaintances and their kids.

In the meantime, we get to enjoy the imperturbable, affectionate and wittily ironic relationship between Nick and Nora, and delight in the expert playing of William Powell and Myrna Loy. Nick and Nora, especially Nick, enjoys his martinis and scotch, but this time around it's a little less obvious and a little more fun. "A Bacardi," says Nick to the waiter in a Latin nightclub. He glances over at Nora and adds, "Two Bacardis." Says Nora with a straight face to the waiter, "I'll have the same." The waiter brings four Bacardis. The mystery is complicated and, in my view, a little too much time is spend on it at the expense of time with the two of them. Still, the movie's extended nightclub scene shows just how witty, light and affectionate Powell and Loy could be when they had enough time to work their characters together. They made 14 movies together over 20 years, including the six in the Thin Man series. Individually or together, Powell and Loy were class acts.

And yes, Shemp Howard really is there. So's a chest-thumping Marjorie Main.

The last 'good' outing for the Charles'

[Scaramouche2004 · 8/10 · 4 October 2005]

After the monumental success of The Thin Man (1934) and After The Thin(1936), William Powell and Myrna Loy reprise their roles as the movies most beloved and celebrated husband and wife super sleuths.

In their third mystery, Another Thin Man, Nick and Nora Charles with the newly arrived Nick Jnr, find themselves drawn into a web of intrigue and murder while visiting an old family friend in Long Island.

The friend is the aged and stuffy Col. MacFay (C. Aubrey Smith) who is being threatened, blackmailed and terrorised by ex-employee Phil Church (Sheldon Leonard).

When MacFay is murdered in the night, Church becomes the prime suspect, but the affable, scotch swigging Nick Charles believes otherwise. He intends to prove this by once again coming out of retirement and investigating the case as only he knows how.

All the great Thin Man ingredients are here, the suspense, the mystery, the romance, and above all the comedy as Powell and Loy, one of cinemas most frequently paired and enjoyable double acts once again spar off each other to perfection. Its plain to see why their films were so popular. Never before or since has Hollywood seen such a perfectly matched comedy partnership.

Suspects in this murder include Otto Kruger, Nat Pendleton, Tom Neal, Virginia Gray, Patric Knowles, Abner Biberman and Don Costello, and in a typical Thin Man ending, Nick gathers them together to pick out his man.

This movie maintains the wit and humour of the first two offerings, and Powell and Loy's screen chemistry is never better. All in all, a great addition to the series and one in keeping with two previous movies, but alas all good things must end.

It was plain to see, that with the obvious war clouds looming, Nick and Nora's sophisticated banter and well-to-do lifestyle would soon be out of touch and out of date with the difficult times that lay ahead. In point of fact I believe that when we watch this film, we are witnessing the last true great Thin Man film to be made.

The series struggled on through three more disappointing efforts, before ultimately being laid to rest, and I think the reason for their failure was purely down to changing times and attitudes. In the next two films Nick and Nora live in a modest flat, and references to their vast fortune, have been sensitively toned down if not obliterated as a nod to a sombre, struggling and rationed war-time audience.

However the public could not accept The Charles family in a mediocre fashion so the films suffered as a result from the gesture.

By the time the final film, Song of the Thin Man was made in 1947, and with the war still fresh in the publics mind it was too late to bring back the humour and attitudes of the prosperous and carefree days of the late 1930's and the Charles' had irreparably lost touch with their audience.

Luckily we still have the first three movies to show us what a true screwball comedy mystery should be, and why William Powell and Myrna Loy will always be remembered as two of the greatest.

Best of the Best

[brenttraft · 29 January 2001]

This is my favorite of the Thin Man series, although Shadow of the Thin Man and the original Thin Man are also very good. This is the only one of the sequels that uses a story from Dashiell Hammett. The story isn't quite as complicated as the original, which is why I liked it more than the original. This movie is what movies should be. It is built around characters and a story, something that is lacking in many of today's films. William Powell and Myrna Loy have a magical chemistry that could not have been manufactured by some studio executive. Although Nick is the detective, Nora and Asta provide invaluable assistance along with plenty of laughs. No matter how many times I see these movies, I still think they are funny. Don't wait for these movies to show up on television, because they rarely do. Don't waste your money renting them, because you will want to see them again and again. I bought the whole set, and while I can't really recommend the Song of the Thin Man or the Thin Man Goes Home, the others are all really good and Another Thin Man would be the one I would choose as my very favorite!

The plot is so convoluted ....

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 16 January 2022]

... that I had to abandon any hope of understanding it and just enjoy the performances, which is what most people do with "The Big Sleep".

Nick and Nora return to New York City, and are immediately contacted by Colonel MacFay (C. Aubrey Smith) who runs some of Nora's business interests. He tells Nick he must come out to the Colonel's Long Island estate to go over the financial statements of Nora's business holdings. So out the Charles' go with their baby and the baby's governess in tow. Nick thinks he sees a dead body on the road to the estate, but when he stops to investigate, it is gone. At the gate of the estate the Charles' are met by tons of people with shot guns and rifles demanding proof that they have an invitation to be there. Once inside, MacFay tells Nick about a disgruntled former employee, Mr. Church, who went to prison for ten years for doing dishonest things at MacFay's behest. Now out of jail, Church is demanding money. In spite of all of the armed guards, things keep happening inside the estate that looks like Church or whoever is working for him can come and go at will. Then, that night, a shot rings out and MacFay is found dead in his bed, his face badly battered. So this starts Nick down the path of solving the murder.

Past this point things get very convoluted very quickly. There are just too many characters, most of whom have involved stories. Nick and Nora are apart for much of the film, with Nick usually working and sleuthing alone. The high points are the times when some of that great Nick and Nora banter is going on. I wouldn't rate this film above a 5 if not for the great chemistry of Powell and Loy. For that alone it is worth a watch.

Screwball Mystery

[telegonus · 9/10 · 12 August 2001]

Another Thin Man is at times quite funny but is less a comedy than a screwball mystery, which is to say it is a nice little atmospheric whodunit with laughs, populated by an assortment of urban types and set largely on a Long Island estate.

The film is well-paced and has just a hint of the supernatural, which gives it at times an eerie flavor. Photographically it is darker in tone than its jollier predecessors despite the oftentimes comical goings-on.

The occasionally somber mood of the picture perhaps anticipates the coming of the world war, as there is an undercurrent of urgency and dread in the way its story is told that seems to come from outside the movie itself.

William Powell and Myrna Loy prove themselves once again to be the Fred and Ginger of detective movies.

A Deadly Trip To Long Island

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 2 November 2006]

The third of the Thin Man films finds Nick and Nora out on Long Island answering a distress call from an old friend of Nora's father, C. Aubrey Smith. Sheldon Leonard went to prison and he's got the idea that Smith should have been there with him. He's making all kinds of threats against Smith and eventually Smith winds up dead. Three other deaths occur, two of the human and a dog (not Asta) before William Powell solves the mystery.

Another Thin Man boasts the usual tightly written script with a good group of plausible suspects, the ending I have to confess was a real surprise to me.

MGM always gave Powell and Loy a great group of supporting players to work with. Some of the ones I enjoyed here not previously mentioned were Virginia Grey as Smith's daughter, Harry Bellaver as one of Nick's old criminal cronies and Marjorie Main as a landlady who thinks she's seen it all.

Abner Biberman has an unusual role given the times. He's a hatchetfaced stone cold killer named 'Dum-Dum' who works for Sheldon Leonard and has a devotion to him that leans pretty heavily on the gay side. I'm not sure it could be explained any other way.

Myrna is her bright and cheery self aiding Powell more with moral support than assisting Powell with the case. It's what the audiences expected from The Thin Man films and in this they were not disappointed.

Long Island Intrigue Makes For An Entertaining Film!

[WinBBunny · 10/10 · 25 May 2003]

Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy) are back for their third film in this series, and sporting a new addition to the family (Nick Jr.) Family business with one of Nora's father's associates leads them to a Long Island estate, where the bodies and suspects appear even before they arrive at their destination. Before long, the body count rises and the suspects take on an international flavor (in the form of a very young Sheldon Leonard, who later gained fame as the producer of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "I Spy"). Between cocktails, flirting and playful banter between the co-stars, the movie reaches a suspenseful end as Nick put the clues together and reconstructs the crime, probing the minds of those present until the murder cracks. Between your own cracking up (with laughter), you'll be guessing who done it to who in this well-constructed mystery-romantic comedy.

Wonderful Latin Dancing

[vada_rudolph · 7/10 · 11 February 2008]

I've enjoyed all the Thin Man movies over and over, although the first is my favorite. But my favorite part of this movie is the gorgeous Latin dance show a the India Club. I am mesmerized by the elegant and smooth dance performance which I understand from an earlier comment was done by Carmen D'Antonio and Miguel Fernandez Mila. It is a marvel to watch and I always look forward to this part of the movie. What a shame that, in those days, such gorgeous artistry could be "uncredited."

I also enjoy the Nora's dance with the gigolo. The whole India Club business is quite funny and entirely in the spirit of the Thin Man series.

Suspensful entry in this great series.

[NativeTexan · 10/10 · 5 May 2001]

The third entry in the Thin Man series is suspenseful, and scarier than its siblings. Hilarity, gloomy atmosphere, and comedic badinage are superb in this A++ film. The screenplay, full of literary allusions, double entendre, and out-and-out slapstick is great fun.

Not bad, but too many plot elements smother the comedy...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 6 November 2006]

This third entry in the series was the last to be based on the Dashiell Hammet stories. It starts out interestingly enough, with Nick and Nora asked to spend some time with C. AUBREY SMITH who's been receiving death threats from a gangster (SHELDON LEONARD). So far, so good. RUTH HUSSEY is the nanny for the newborn Nick, Jr. and we immediately think she knows more than she says about the events that follow.

When Smith is murdered, Nick and Nora have to solve another crime, going about it with more sobriety than usual. Among the many suspects are OTTO KRUGER, VIRGINIA GREY, TOM NEAL, PATRIC KNOWLES, MARJORIE MAIN and, of course, SHELDON LEONARD.

The formula is set, the ingredients are there, and if you love Powell and Loy in their Nick/Nora guise, you'll no doubt enjoy this one. The plot is no more convoluted than usual, but the main pleasure is enjoying the chemistry and wit of two of the screen's favorite sleuths.

An Urbane 30's Comedy

[marxsarx · 9/10 · 12 September 2003]

*********************Mild Spoilers Ahead*******************************

Another Thin Man is an urbane, witty murder mystery comedy...and it works on all levels.

Nick Charles is a well known sleuth. Nick and his wife, Nora, have a new baby and a dog named Asta. They are called out to a Long Island country estate by an old family friend of Nora's who fears a former business associate is going to murder him.

A disappearing body along the roadside is an ominous beginning to their weekend in the country. The plot begins to thicken when their host is murdered and the suspects are many. This is a good who done it with plenty of humor along the way.

William Powell and Myrna Loy are terrific as the sleuthing couple who seldom allow a chance at sarcasm to pass them by. This movie will keep you guessing until the very end who killed the colonel and why. Numerous twists and turns keep things interesting and the direction by W.S. VanDyke is crisp.

Old movie buffs will recognize Marjorie Main from Ma and Pa Kettle and Shemp Howard from The Three Stooges in bit parts.

It's worth your time. 89/100.

Not too thin and merry enough

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 11 April 2019]

Abslutely loved the first film and just as much 'After theThin Man' and expected a lot from 'Another Thin Man'. The second of five sequels (all above watchable) and the third of six films (the others being 'The Shadow of The Thin Man', 'The Thin Man Goes Home' and 'Song of the Thin Man'), this to me is not as good as the first film but still completments the first film beautifully. It may not quite be the hit that 'After the Thin Man' was, but it did make me merry enough and has a lot to recommend, while not without its flaws.

First things first, William Powell and Myrna Loy are always worth watching. Not just individually, and both (especially Powell) were immensely talented actors, but their partnership was/is a classic one, another classic one being Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn, that can be seen in fourteen films. Including a further eight other than the six 'The Thin Man' films. 'Another Thin Man' on the most part serves them well and doesn't waste them in any way.

It's not a perfect film. Do agree that it is somewhat too plot heavy at times, with some of it being a touch convoluted and not as clear as it could have been. Occasionally the pacing could have been crisper.

Do feel that although the mystery is fun and suspenseful, the interplay and banter between Powell and Loy are much more interesting and entertaining and would have liked even more of it. Neither are done badly, far from it, it just could have been better balanced. Once again Dorothy McNaulty overdoes it and came over as annoying

There is a lot to like however. The photography is both elegant and moody, once again some of the best of the series, while the sets are simple but tasteful and appropriate. Continue to love the costumes and fashions, once again Loy looks fabulous in clothes that suit her perfectly and the camera clearly loves her. The music is jaunty yet atmospheric, with some great songs that have aged well, and the direction is more than competent.

Script is quite rightly so full of wit and sophistication, in a way that is hilarious and charming. The banter never fails to entertain and the more physical comedy never feels overdone. Also thought that there was a lot of relatability in Nick and Nora's situation. The story execution isn't perfect but mostly it is engaging, with a mystery that is fun enough, suspenseful with some nice twists and an ending that is far from predictable. As others have said, one of the film's highlights is the dance scene.

Powell and Loy are on top form here once again, with Powell clearly has a great time being charming and suave. Loy is glamour personified and the easy-going and magnetic chemistry between her and Powell is what makes the film, and the whole 'The Thin Man' series for that matter, work so well, for me it is one of film's most legendary partnerships. The supporting cast are also great, with Asta coming close to stealing the show.

On the whole, enjoyable and worth watching if not as good as 'The Thin Man'. 7/10

pretty thin

[onepotato2 · 3/10 · 27 July 2008]

This is not my favorite Thin Man. The overt comedy scenes are like something out of a 3 Stooges episode. (Incidentally Shemp Howard appears here.) It does have a terrific joke involving quarantine. And a very strange, slick dance number.

But the dividends just don't pay out in this one. The plot gets tedious at several points. And it feels cheap and claustrophobic. Like a drawing room comedy. The baby storyline is a stretch. The solution is inventive but absurd. No one could have deduced that. Here's the 11th sentence because the applet won't accept my review. Here's the 12th sentence. Here's the 14th sentence. Here's the 15th sentence, at which point the applet would finally take my review.

The best intro to the Thin Man series

[paterm · 14 November 2003]

I've heard others state that "Another Thin Man" is good but not *as* good as the first two Thin Man films. Some of this may be because this film is in many ways different from the first two and as a result may fail to meet the expectations of some who view the films in order.

Some individual elements of "The Thin Man" may be stronger. However, as a stand-alone entity "Another Thin Man" it is the most entertaining film in the series and arguably has the most depth. This film succeeds with its dialog and its visuals, with its humor and its intrigue, and Powell and Loy are at their bantering best.

Watching the previous films is in no way a prerequisite for understanding and enjoying "Another Thin Man." If you've never seen a Thin Man feature, watch this one first.

"Thanks for not shooting me."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 5 January 2016]

Not only is there a lot of mis-direction in the Thin Man films, but I also get a kick out of the mis-direction one experiences with the titles of the pictures. The Thin Man himself in the first movie wasn't a reference to William Powell's character, but to a missing inventor thought to be a murderer at the beginning of the film. Following the events of "After the Thin Man", one might expect that this story would have something to do with those little booties Nora Charles (Myrna Loy) was knitting at the end of that picture. This one does start out with new addition Nickie Jr., but his presence is only a slight distraction before the main event gets under way. I'll have to see how this all plays out with the remaining films I've yet to see.

Well I might have missed a beat watching this one because the resolution to the story by Nick Charles (Powell) seemed overly complicated in the telling. With a body appearing and disappearing on the side of the road on the way to McFay's (C. Aubrey Smith), it appeared that the screen writers were doing their best to keep anyone watching off balance and in a constant state of puzzlement. Especially perplexing to me was a reference made to Sheldon Leonard's character Phil Church as the 'Dream Butcher'. He did look a little shady, but gee, that seemed a little harsh to me.

Say, did you catch that dance number at the India Club with the Latin duo? Wow, was that ever smooth! I've been around for a while now, and I've never seen a routine performed like that before, and that's after countless movies and having watched more than a fair share of variety shows going back to the late Fifties and early Sixties. That couple was the epitome of elegance, simply gliding across the floor with a grace that seemed effortless. Man, I'd love to be able to dance like that.

I guess if you go back and watch the picture a second time the story makes a lot more sense. For example, the character of Dorothy Waters (Ruth Hussey), Little Nickie's new nanny, looking all shifty eyed and nervous and then disappearing after the MacFay murder, eventually gets explained reasonably enough. The bit with the musical chair babies near the end of the picture seemed a little far fetched, something you might have seen in a Three Stooges flick, and then all of a sudden, there's Shemp Howard right in the middle of it! Oh well.

So with three down and three to go, I'll stick with the original 'Thin Man' as my favorite for now. However with Powell and Loy as the leads, you're going to be entertained no matter what, so I'll just go with the flow and see how things go from here.

Classic whodunnit comedy!

[kenandraf · 9/10 · 7 August 2002]

Another very good THIN MAN film.Not as good as the first two but still very good.This one was more darker in atmosphere but the comedy is still magically woven into the flow.The lead actors chemistry is as great as ever.Loy has less dialogue here though and they should have given her slightly better lines.Only for big comedy mystery fans and big fans of the lead actors.....

Another Sleuthing Man....

[tim-764-291856 · 7/10 · 25 January 2013]

The third in the Thin Man series of features, best bought as The Thin Man Collection boxed set, which includes all six movies and from which I viewed this.

Now with a baby, the sleuthing twosome, the Charles' - William Powell and Myrna Loy, plus dog Asta get involved in a case involving a wealthy businessman, known as The Colonel - a full blooded and fruity performance from C Aubrey Smith. A menacing ex-convict, whose homicidal dreams begin to come reality then lead the super smooth sleuth to unravel a tangle of intrigue, blackmail and kidnapping.

Compared to the previous movies, this case is more involving and is this one is more akin to an Agatha Christie, especially in the quite complex final scene, where all guilty parties are assembled in a room as their defences are bamboozled, until the guilty culprit is at last, revealed. And, of course, it's not who you expect!

Amongst all this is what keeps these lovely old films afloat, the undoubted natural chemistry between the leads, the superbly timed wise- cracks and the snapshot of a society long gone but kept alive by such movies. Director W S Van Dyke fully utilises the comedic opportunities offered by a trick-playing dog and a cute baby but even to me, who normally finds such distractions annoying do not mind one bit and actually enjoy them.

If you already enjoy the Thin Man films, then you will like this one, too. Some say that by this point the franchise had already lost its magic and sparkle and I suppose they could be right. However, it is still enjoyable and Loy and Powell are ever beguiling and sophisticated.

Excellent cast and paced perfectly.

[oldguy-5 · 8/10 · 10 August 2001]

Though all of the Thin Man movies are worth viewing many times, this one has all of the characteristics that make for a fun time. The plot is good, the cast is excellent, the pace is fast and strong, the humor is throughout, and Powell and Loy are superb.

a decent film but pales when compared to the first two in the series

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 9 May 2006]

In total, William Powell and Myrna Loy made six THIN MAN movies together. This film was the third of the series and is the first one that disappointed me. While it was not a bad film, the banter was less memorable and just didn't have as much energy as the earlier films. The plot was VERY convoluted and difficult to believe. I think there were just too many "red herrings" and the final resolution of the murders just didn't make all that much sense--after all, a woman is the sole heir of a rich old guy's fortune and she kills him off because she wants it NOW?! Nah,...looking at C. Aubrey Smith who played this man, he looks like he's on his last leg anyways--why go to all the trouble of killing him--and then others?

Overall, I would rank the movies (from best to worst): THE THIN MAN(1934) AFTER THE THIN MAN (1936) THE THIN MAN GOES HOME (1944) SONG OF THE THIN MAN (1947) and a tie to ANOTHER THIN MAN (1939) and SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN (1941)

All are entertaining and fun, and the plot is generally not nearly as important as the ride along the way. See them all if you get a chance--just understand this isn't one of the best of them.

The successful husband and wife team are back!

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 9 January 2011]

Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy) return after three years in "Another Thin Man," a 1939 film directed by W.S. Van Dyke. Besides Asta, they now have another addition, a baby, Nicky. Other than that, things are still the same - Nick's drinking, Nora is putting up with him, and they're off solving a mystery.

The couple is invited by Coloney McFey (C. Aubrey Smith), Nora's father's old partner, to his house on Long Island. He has been getting death threats from Phil Church (Sheldon Leonard) and he wants Nick to do something about it. When a murder occurs, did Church do it? Is the Charles' new nanny (Ruth Hussey) mixed up in this? Or his adopted daughter Lois (Virgina Grey)? Or someone else.

From a story by Dashiell Hammett, the script is good and performed in great style by William Powell and Myrna Loy. Powell is hilarious, aided and abetted by Loy. Nora steals the key to the liquor cabinet at McFey's so Nick can imbibe. They're one of the great couples, and they set the stage for dozens of copycats to come. Otto Kruger is on hand as the A.D.A., and Patric Knowles plays Grey's fiancé.

Lively acting by all, including, of course, Asta.

Not as good as the first two, but Not bad, either

[FiendishDramaturgy · 8/10 · 26 January 2009]

While I must agree that this third installment is not as fun as the previous two, it is still fun. Studios always want to employ the "son of" vehicle, and it usually falls flat. I have no idea why they keep doing it, but they still do it today.

This time, the usual suspects include mobsters, and while I do enjoy a good Cosa Nostra actioner, that is NOT what this is. Some of the cheek is gone, but for the most part, the humor still reigns supreme, but to a lesser extent. The baby factor kind of drags down the usual lightheartedness of these works, as there is a new concern factor wherein the baby's safety comes into question. Asta's more, rather than less, adorable in this one.

All in all? This was great fun and a delight to watch, if somewhat of a piece of milquetoast next to the first two installments. I find these endearing but if you have a problem with the children being exposed to gratuitous alcohol abuse, you might want to watch this after they've gone to bed.

It rates a 7.8/10 from...

the Fiend :.

An enjoyable film, but not as good as the first.

[kergillian · 7/10 · 2 April 2001]

The third in the Thin Man series; and one that obviously retains the name merely for familiarity. Still an amusing combination of mystery and wit, but it has nothing whatsoever to do with the first film aside from the two main characters, Nick and Nora Charles.

The chemistry between Powell and Loy is as strong as ever; these films really wouldn't be as good as they are without such great leads. But I felt that Myrna Loy's role in this one wasn't as good as it could be...she wasn't central enough to the film and she didn't have as strong dialogue as she has previously.

As well, the introduction of a new Charles, their son, was useless. The tie-in to the plot was bare at best, and any relevance could easily have been overlooked or rewritten. And the baby party scene was, in my opinion, the worst scene of the film.

I also found the story not nearly as intriguing as the first one. This story didn't have the intricacies that the original story did...granted, it was a somewhat complex mystery, but the outcome was predictable and many of the side-plots were silly and obvious red herrings (Mrs. Bellam claiming to be Lois' mother, for example, shouldn't have even been there.) I liked the gun trick though.

All in all, this film lacked the originality of the previous ones, and the dialogue and wit wasn't as sharp as usual. This film felt as though it was trying too hard to live up to expectations. Which is not to say that it wasn't good...far above average, and enjoyable all the way through. And when the laughs are there, they're really there! Not to mention that Asta is adorable is ever (check out that back flip!!) I'd definitely recommend this film, especially if you liked the first two. 7/10.

Not as good as the first film of course but still an all-round pretty enjoyable film

[bob the moo · 13 February 2005]

On a trip to New York, The Charles family (Nick, Nora, Nick Jnr and Asta) go out to the estate of Colonel MacFay to discuss a possible job. On the way to the house Nick spots a dead body by the road but, when he investigates, the body is nowhere to be found. Continuing to the estate Nick discovers that MacFay fears for his life; in particular from Phil Church who wants revenge for a past wrong and claims to have foreseen MacFay's murder in his dreams. When MacFay is found murdered the police start a manhunt for Church, but it is all a bit too tidy and convenient to convince Nick.

I must be honest and say that the idea that a baby had been added to the mix made my heart sink and made me worry that, as with some modern films/TV shows, the addition of a baby was an attempt to freshen up the series and that it would rely on this infant too much. Fortunately, although it may have been added to freshen things up a little, the film generally sticks to the aspects of the original that made that film work well enough for us to get to film three in the series even if it has drifted away from the tone of the original a little bit. The mystery story starts well, with plenty of interesting aspects but I didn't feel like it did enough to maintain that sense of mystery and build on it. It was still interesting enough to do the job but maybe not as strong as it could have been. The comedy still has plenty of laughs and sharp lines but it isn't as great as the original. In the original film everything seemed to exist within a tongue-in-cheek, winking cocktail hour to which we were all invited, here it can't help but seem a little more straight-laced even if it is still fun.

The cast are as good as before although the leads are not quite as fresh as they had been a few years earlier. Powell is funny and he works well with Loy, who holds her own again and has a good chemistry. The support cast are a bit more colourful than the usual b-movie fare; Pendleton makes a nice return, Smith is larger than life in his early role, Kruger is good as the rest are generally, meanwhile it is nice to see Asta back even if the dog hasn't got a great deal to do.

Overall this is an enjoyable film but, like most of the sequels, doesn't really get it as right as it did in the original film. The mystery starts well but only fades as a result while the comedy is funny but not quite what I had hoped for despite the cast doing all they can. Worth seeing of course because it is an enjoyable film in an enjoyable series but those who have not seen the first film in the series would do better to start there.

"He says his name is Charles, but he looks to me like a pool parlor dude."

[ackstasis · 7/10 · 30 June 2007]

'The Thin Man' series of films, starring the perfect cinematic coupling of William Powell and Myrna Loy, is fast becoming one of my favourite movie collections. For the first two outings, the emphasis of the films has been on the witty marital banter of the keen detective couple, Nick and Nora Charles. The murder mysteries themselves took a noticeable back seat to all of this, reaching a perfect balance, and making sure the final products are wonderfully funny, mysterious, witty and suspenseful. 'Another Thin Man' is the third movie of the series, out of a total of six. When we left off last time, Nick's incredible criminal intellect was failing to grasp the connection between a pair of baby's bootees and a coming addition to the Charles household.

Since the release of the original film in 1934, critics and fans had been using the term "The Thin Man" to refer to Nick Charles, when, in actual fact, it referred to the secretive inventor Clyde Wynant (Edward Ellis), who went missing. However, for the first time, the filmmakers go along with this common misconception, with the title "Another Thin Man" referring to the one-year-old Nick Charles, Jr. Perhaps surprisingly, given the addition of a baby to the mix, the film is noticeably darker than its predecessors. Among the heinous crimes committed are numerous murders, the slaughter of a pet dog (not Asta, I can assure you), and Nick's family being verbally threatened with bodily harm. The comedy is most certainly still there, but, in this case, it seems to have taken a back-seat to the mystery. Baby Nick Charles has little to do with the plot – just like Asta before him, he is just an amusing sidekick to provide the occasional physical gag.

When Nora's paranoid uncle, Colonel Burr MacFay (C. Aubrey Smith), suspects that an unfriendly former-employee, Phil Church (Sheldon Leonard), is out to kill him, our favourite couple – with Nick Jr. (William A. Poulsen) and Asta in tow – reluctantly arrive to investigate. However, it isn't long before a string of sinister practical jokes escalates into the old man's murder, and there is a host of suspicious suspects for Nick and Nora to interrogate. Significant supporting are played very well by Virginia Grey, Otto Kruger, Ruth Hussey, Nat Pendleton, Patric Knowles, Tom Neal, Phyllis Gordon and Don Costello, with Harry Bellaver as a hilarious, overly-enthusiastic ex-con who is determined to throw little Nick Jr. a birthday party. Though perhaps not quite the solid comedy that the first films were, as a mystery film, 'Another Thin Man' is still one of the best you'll find from the 1930s. And, with more twists and turns than a windy mountain road, you'll never guess who the murderer is.