We all have those on-screen characters that you would die to hang out with if given the chance. For this viewer, it would have to be Nick and Nora Charles as played by William Powell and Myrna Loy. The endearing pair from the mind of Dashiell Hammett have an incredibly satisfying and easy rapport that these days might be termed “relationship goals.” Introduced to the world in 1934 in the hit MGM film The Thin Man, Mr. and Mrs. Charles initially won over viewers at large with their turn in two highly successful and respected films. While the six-film series would get to a point of diminishing returns financially, the third feature Another Thin Man in 1939 from director W.S. Van Dyke not only maintained the quality artistically but kept the audiences invested in what was to come next for these two. The previous entry After The Thin Man concluded with the announcement that a bundle of joy was next for these two, and Another Thin Man sets out to answer whether or not a little thing like a baby can upend the suave and sophisticated antics of a pair like Nick and Nora.
The audience is not subjected to a pregnant Nora at the beginning of this latest entry – thankfully, we love for our leading lady to be able to get a bit sauced beside her husband when the situation calls for it. The pair are once again in New York with their sweet pup Asta and little Nicky Jr, who is so close to celebrating his first birthday. Just because the two are parents does not mean they have lost the spark that made us fall in love with them. The two have a deep love for one another that is played with but never disingenuous. There are certain moments in the film where secondary characters are unaware of their relationship, which leads to some endearing flirtation fit for what is typically coined as “new love.” Nick is the type of dad that you would expect from the sarcastic softie. He is not typically fawning over his baby, but he has a clear affection for the child such as when Nora playfully wakes him up by placing the adventurous child on his chest. Nora is an attentive and loving mother, but she sparkles as her own person just as much as ever. Nick and Nora are too cool to become square.
Yes, there is more to the film than just watching Nick and Nora play house. As per the usual, Nick finds himself reluctantly drawn into an investigation upon receiving a phone call from Colonel Burr MacFay (C. Aubrey Smith), the administrator of Nora’s sizable fortune who fears his life is in danger. The Colonel may have reason to be concerned, as it is not long after the couple arrives at his heavily-guarded residence in Long Island that he is found murdered in his sleep. The obvious suspect is the shady figure Phil Church (Sheldon Leonard) who has been threatening him, but such a man seems too obvious in the light of day. Nick is not so quick to follow the obvious lead when something does not seem to be quite adding up with various other figures surrounding the Colonel. Through his typical languid detective work, he keeps a close eye on MacFay’s housekeeper (Phyllis Gordon), his secretary (Tom Neal), his adopted daughter (Virginia Grey), and various other figures who may or may not have their own reasons for wanting the old man to meet an early grave. In terms of the mystery of the murder, this movie satisfies just as much as the previous entries.
The fear going into this third entry into the series was that the baby would ruin the charming dynamic of this duo, but the new addition to the family does not slow them down a bit. William Powell and Myrna Loy are transfixing figures the entire time they are on screen due to their committed performances to these characters. In addition to having each other to engage in witty repartee, the film gives them plenty of interesting characters with which to contend. One of the best recurring gags in this series is the tendency for Nick to run into an old criminal acquaintance, and one of the most memorable instances of this may just be in this film. An ill-conceived baby’s birthday party leads to a host of seedy personalities wielding babies like a VIP pass into the most in-demand party of the day. This visual gag of these tough guys with these dopey little babies is quite fun. With the ending of this film, we have reached the halfway point of the series. While it is quite possible that the quality of the series goes down from here, Nick and Nora provide so much joy that I cannot help but look forward to Warner Archive finishing up this series.
Video Quality
Another Thin Man makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Warner Archive with a brand new 1080p master from a 4K scan of the best surviving preservation elements. This third film continues in the footsteps of its predecessor by offering a marvelous presentation. The new transfer shows off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s varied production design. There is a fantastic amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing, both in the smart outfits of Nick and Nora as well as the more working-class look of some of Nick’s more nefarious friends. The stunning black-and-white photography shot by William H. Daniels and Oliver T. Marsh sparkles in high definition with natural grain intact. Black levels are very deep with no trace of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is well defined, and there is virtually no print damage to be found. Warner Archive continues to treat this series with the respect it deserves.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a lovely DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this movie perfectly well. The warmth and vitality of the Edward Ward score sounds as lovely as ever here. Despite the strength of the music, nothing ever overpowers the dialogue or other important information. Dialogue and background noises are represented in perfect harmony with all competing elements. This track shows no discernible age related wear and tear outside of a small amount of hissing that likely dates back to the source elements. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. Warner Archive has matched the achievement of the video with the audio.
Special Features
- MGM Musical Short – Love on Tap: An 11-minute short film directed by George Sidney (Show Boat) in which a man tries to woo the manager of a dance troupe. This is mostly a showcase for some talented dancers, but it is pretty fun.
- Classic MGM Cartoon – The Bookworm: An 8-minute Friz Freleng and Hugh Harman animated short in which a kindly worm tries to avoid being the key ingredient in a spell being conjured by a coven of witches. Another fun addition to the disc.
- Theatrical Trailer: A two-and-a-half minute trailer that plays up the historic return of the couple to the silver screen.
Final Thoughts
Another Thin Man is another delightful entry into one of the most consistently entertaining comedy-tinged mystery series around. The cases are typically well thought out, but it is the dynamite chemistry between William Powell and Myrna Loy that elevates the picture to something special. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray that once again provides a top-notch A/V presentation and a couple of fun special features. If you enjoy this series even in the slightest, please do your part to support it so we can ensure the release of the final three films in the series. Highly Recommended
Another Thin Man will be available to purchase on April 27, 2021 from various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.