Written on
February 26, 2010 – 12:41 am | by louisday1951
Warner Brothers’ release of “The Complete Thin Man Collection” on DVD is a major windfall for fans of the legendry Slash and Nora Charles. Retired private peek Lop, and his ditzy, (I should be so quick-witted), wife Nora, known for their witty repartee, ever-present cocktail in hand, and hang-over remedy at bedside, were originally created by author Dashiell Hammett. They are probably sleuthdom’s most sophisticated couple - perhaps the most urbane pair in all of romantic comedy. Rumor has it, the characters were loosely based on Hammett and his longtime companion, Lillian Hellman. Played on the silver cover by William Powell & Myrna Loy, the chemistry and timing between the two is dynamite. Skippy, (the dog), plays Asta, their Wire-Haired Fox Terrier, who takes her job seriously as assistant PI.
Buy,Download, Or Stream The Complete Thin Man Collection! Click Here
The series’ six Thin Man films, (”The Thin Man / After the Thin Man / Another Thin Man / Shadow of the Thin Man / The Thin Man Goes Home / Song of the Thin Man”), revolve around the antics of Mr. and Mrs. Charles, their beloved terrier, and the mysteries they gather finagled into solving, which usually involve at least one kill. Nora, a wealthy socialite married Slash, a PI who decided to give up his business to manage her financial affairs. They reside, temporarily, in a plush Original York City apartment with a broad idea of the Manhattan skyline. Neither of them want to continue in the Private Investigation business, but disaster seems to accumulate them, and they fair cannot turn it away. Filmed smack in the middle of the Broad Depression, Americans going through tough times seemed to treasure the frivolous Charles couple, and their slap-stick detecting style.
The first, and I assume best film is “The Thin Man,” completed in 1934 and directed by W.S. Van Dyke. Here the mystery takes a benefit seat to the couple’s loving relationship, with an emphasis on shenanigans, wisecracking, martini sipping followed by morning-after hang-overs, more banter, etc.. Bottom line - an eccentric, astronomical, thin, moneyed inventor, named Clyde Wynant (Edward Ellis), has disappeared. He is the “thin man” of the film title. Nora convinces Reduce to assume on the case because she wants to witness how a slay is solved - if the inventor has been murdered. Or, he might, in fact, be the murderer! Straight-forward, no subplots - unprejudiced dashing Cleave, elegantly droll Nora, Asta, the martinis, lots of panache and several corpses! Large supporting cast, which includes: Maureen O’Sullivan, Minna Gombell, William Henry, and Cesar Romero.
Buy,Download, Or Stream The Complete Thin Man Collection! Click Here
“After The Thin Man,” released in 1936 is a lovely, fast-paced, fun sequel, and what it lacks in noir grit, it makes up for in verve. Again, the Depression is giving folks their maintain of honest grit in the genuine world. Humor, the opulence and luxury of the Charles’ world, and lots of sexy, sophisticated banter between husband and wife are what brings weary people into movie theaters. This film has the debonair duo, looking into a blackmail turned cancel case. The two have unbiased returned to their dazzling California home, and bag it inundated with Nora’s relatives - all uninvited. Nora’s cousin’s husband has gone missing, and her upper crust family would rather he quit lost than cause a scandal. He was having an affair with a nightclub singer, and apparently extorting mega-bucks on the side. Oh, Slit and Norah catch him all lawful! Boring! And, once again, Nora’s finances are on the succor burner. You’ll never guess whodunit! A very young James Stewart is featured here…very briefly!
“Another Thin Man,” (1939), and another agreeable movie - more complex plot-wise, and perhaps wackier than the first two films! Baby makes three here, four, of course, with Asta. One year dilapidated Nickie Jr., is the latest addition and he takes-up lots of his Mom’s time, distracting her from distracting Dad. The Charleses have been invited to expend the weekend at the Long Island estate of Colonel Burr MacFay, (C. Aubrey Smith), a friend and aged business associate of Nora’s father. The wealthy munitions industrialist is stupefied that an worn business partner is going to raze him. Phil Church, who once worked with MacFay, has unprejudiced been released after spending ten years tedious bars for fraud. The man holds a tremendous grudge against MacFay and has threatened his life. The usual gang of martini drinkers are out on the Island, and when MacFay dies, predictably, no one is too afraid. However, Cut and Nora are on the suspect list! Carve drinks less and detects more with this one! Virginia Grey plays the Colonel’s daughter Lois, and Ruth Hussey plays Nicky’s nurse.
“Shadow Of The Thin Man,” (1941), takes Lop and Nora to the races, literally, when destroy, racketeering and mayhem gain, position and show-up at the track. Slit had absolutely decided against consuming himself with any more sleuth work. He definitely wants to expend more time with Nora and Nicky, Jr.,…and Asta, too. Unfortunately, he cannot say no to the head of the Unique York Athletic Commission, who asks him personally to acquire the case when a jockey is murdered. There’s a hilarious episode on a department-store merry-go-round in this one, and a broad brawl, started by Asta, at an aesthetic sea food restaurant. Vast cast and characters, including famed acting teacher Stella Adler as Claire Porter, somebody’s girlfriend. And young Donna Reed makes an appearance here as well.
“The Thin Man Goes Home,” (1944), is the penultimate series’ offering and the movie never fails to crack me up! They say “you can never go home again.” This stale adage is probably factual because no matter how grown-up, sophisticated and trustworthy one might be, you can be distinct to be taken down several notches when returning to the worn homestead. The Charleses pay a visit to Nick’s home town of Sycamore Springs. And his parents browbeat the awful retired PI, (how undignified!) . They so wanted him to be a doctor, unprejudiced like his father! And he cannot regain a stiff drink anywhere!! When a man drops plain on the front porch, however, Nick’s folks are grateful for his chosen vocation. Obliging cast: Gloria DeHaven, Edward Brophy, Lloyd Corrigan, Leon Ames, and Ann Revere as the eccentric “Crazy Mary.”
“Song Of The Thin Man,” released in 1947 is the sixth and last film, and finds the Charleses looking into the mysterious assassinate of bandleader Tommy Drake. Sultry Gloria Graham sings “You’re Not So Easy to Forget,” by Herb Magidson and Ben Oakland. A pretty supporting cast includes: Jayne Meadows, Keenan Wynn, Dean Stockwell, Ralph Morgan, William Bishop and Marie Windsor
This outstanding boxed-set comes with some huge features, including a bonus 7th disc, entitled, “Alias Cut and Nora,” with two documentaries on William Powell and Myrna Loy. Other highlights are two radio adaptations of the series, as well as comedy, musical and mystery shorts, and cartoons. How can you go unsuitable??
JANA
MGM was not entirely involved about 1934’s THE THIN MAN and even less so about the casting of Myrna Loy as Nora Charles–and director W.S. “Woody” Van Dyke was clear to have her the studio gave in with terrible grace.
But Van Dyke knew what he was doing. With a wickedly witty script by Goodrich and Hackett, proto-noir cinematography by James Wong Howe, and mighty chemistry between the stars, MGM had a major and unexpected hit. Powell and Loy would become the public’s current hide team overnight and would go on to form a host of films together, including five more that chronicled the further adventures of Reduce and Nora, sophisticated, high-living, and solving one crime after another.
The current film was a landmark in so many ways that it smooth sets standards to this day. The 1934 AFTER THE THIN MAN is equally radiant and the 1939 ANOTHER THIN MAN and 1941 SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN only petite less so.
With Van Dyke’s death in 1944 direction passed to other hands. Directed by Richard Thorpe, the 1945 THE THIN MAN GOES HOME suffered from an incredibly broken-down script; although the film is droll in its procedure it is a clinker in comparison with the other films in the series. Directed by Edward Buzzell, the 1947 SONG OF THE THIN MAN was a sizable improvement–but although the script was quite suitable Buzzell’s handling of the material lacked energy.
Whatever the case, in each instance we are treated to the truly legendary Powell-Loy flash and dazzle, always delicious, and a series of worthy supporting casts that included such names as Maureen O’Sullivan, James Stewart, Ruth Hussey, Stella Adler, Lucille Watson, and Keenan Wynn. Even the lackluster THE THIN MAN GOES HOME is quite comical and entirely watchable!
Film quality is near-pristine, and these prints are clearly the best available short of a elephantine digital restoration. Even so, the box spot leaves something to be desired. Although it lays claim to noteworthy bonus material, in truth it offers very exiguous worth while.
The 1934 THE THIN MAN was released to DVD several years ago and the DVD in this site is that release: the only bonus offered is a package of trailers for the series. The other disks include programs of various MGM cartoons and shorts–but there is not a single cast biography to be found, powerful less an audio commentary on any of the titles. Given the quality of the casts, the landmark location of the novel, and the mammoth following the series has… well, it seems a large pity.
The seventh DVD consists entirely of bonus material, but it proves a mixed bag. MYRNA LOY: SO NICE TO Near HOME TO is very good; WILLIAM POWELL: A Accurate GENTLEMAN is nice enough but it hardly does justice to its subject. A Lux Radio version of THE THIN MAN is piquant, but it needs a necessary remaster, and an episode from the later television series based on the films can only be described as fairly dire.
Fans of the film series–and I’m among them–will be pleased to have all six of the titles on DVD at long last, and I give the spot a bulky five stars for that alone. But that joy will be tempered by the inadequate treatment the films receive in terms of bonuses. It seems an opportunity lost.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
Wholesale Designer Handbag
Gamefly Free Trial
New Hostgator Coupons
Lumosity Free Brain Training
Tags: Download The Complete Thin Man Collection Online, Stream The Complete Thin Man Collection, The Complete Thin Man Collection, The Complete Thin Man Collection Streaming, Watch The Complete Thin Man Collection Online
Posted in The Complete Thin Man Collection | No Comments »
Louis Day