Another Thin Man (1939)

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Another Thin Man (1939) – W. S. Van Dyke

It is always a pleasure to be in the droll company of Nick and Nora Charles, played to comic perfection by William Powell and Myrna Loy.  Here, in the second sequel to the smash hit The Thin Man (1934), they are back to sleuthing even though they are new parents; Nick Jr. is in tow as they head out to Long Island to help munitions tycoon C. Aubrey Smith (the veteran character actor) who is being blackmailed and threatened with murder (and ultimately becomes the victim).  Although Nick is always on the look-out for a cocktail, he nevertheless pays attention to the clues as they slip by.  Much like many of the other mystery series of the time, there are a number of suspects, some of whom are clearly red herrings – and they all wind up in Nick and Nora’s hotel room at the end of the movie.  At this point, Nick tells us how he solved the mystery and the murderer is apprehended.  Apparently some of this came from an actual Dashiell Hammett story. Yet, even though the film became rather routine (and the joke about Nick being buddies with a bunch of ex-cons and hoods somewhat stale), Powell and Loy slyly make things feel fresh.