How my wife and I came across this movie series is shrouded with uncertainty. She thinks we saw it on TV, and I insist we first watched the DVD copy I found it at EPL. Knowing my wife, we probably did watch it on TV first, then I tracked it down at the library to share with her folks. Fast forward to present day, and we have the entire movie series on DVD, which I found at HMV on Christmas Eve. With the intention of being a facetious customer, I was about to ask if they would honour their Boxing Day prices now, since they were already posted online, but instead I asked one of the boldest questions I have ever posed a retailer, "Can I put this on hold?" Here I am, ten minutes to close on Christmas Eve, and I'm asking to put The Thin Man Collection DVD Set on hold! I told them I would not be able to pick it up until Dec 27, and as far as they could see it was not going to be discounted for Boxing Week, so they put it aside for me. I could not believe my luck.
The premise is almost too simple. A retired dective turned lush and his equally gregarious wife solve a murder mystery as a lark. Everyone they talk to, the media, the police, the suspects, are treated with the utmost respect, and Nick is smart enough to charm every bit of useful information out of everyone, and still let everyone else think that they're helping with the investigation while he sits back and enjoys his life. Quite the atypical detective movie, yet extremely entertaining.
My wife's favourite part is when Nick and Nora are in the kitchen during their Christmas Party.
Nora: Is that my drink?
Nick: What were you drinking?
Nora: Rye.
Nick: [finishes the drink] [nods] Yep, that was yours. [hands Nora empty glass]
I am not the only one to admire this movie. It's listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, and I whole heartedly agree. It's an amazingly comic whodunit, and for half the movie the main puzzle is if he's actually working on the case. After the second or third time watching it, my wife and I were trying to figure out just how much of the movie was scripted. The razor wit between Nick and Nora keeps the movie cursing along like a Bugatti Veyron, and even when all the suspects are together and Nick is about to point out the murderer, there are still jokes interjected that fit and don't detract from the scene.
To put credit where it's due, the director W.S. "Woody" Van Dyke visualixed William Powell and Myrna Loy working together well, and also shooting the movie in about half the estimated time. He continued this pattern of making successful movies with unknown or unemployed actors and finishing movies under schedule and under budget, which brought in a substantial amount of money to the studios. Sadly, he was diagnosed with heart disease and cancer, eventually committing suicide in February 1943.
A classic film, but not one I would watch with my daughter quite yet. Though I'm sure she would enjoy Asta, their brilliant terrier, and the Christmas morning scene, most of the humour and drama is too much for her to understand right now.
I'll wait until she's five.
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