...und sowas nennt sich Detektiv

Although this film was released in 1936, it is as entertaining and fresh today as ever, and is certainly much better than any of the over-long and over-produced movies that Hollywood produces today. This is the second in the excellent "Thin Man" series and the viewer can see that the series is really in full stride. The delightful cast of street types who are old friends and cronies of Nick's are a joy to watch. The interplay between William Powell and Myrna Loy has never been matched and is to be treasured. What a great surprise for me to see Penny Singelton, who later played "Blondie" in that long running series. Ms. Singelton sings and dances up a storm as a cabaret performer and she is an integral character in the plot of this engrossing "whodunnit". Another nice surprise for me was seeing Jimmy Stewart in one of his earlier roles. He definitely had leading man type looks. As per usual, Powell, as Nick Charles, unmasks the murderer in the climatic scene where all suspects, the police, and assorted others are present. In most movies, I tend to find pets rather annoying as they distract from the plot of the film. But, for me, Asta is the one exception to this thesis. He is so entertaining and no Thin Man movie would be complete without his antics. In summary, all I can say is that this is a SUPERB film. Catch it on Turner Classic Movies or find a video at your' favorite store or online retailer.

After solving the famous Thin Man case in New York and acquiring a trademark in the process, Nick Charles returns to San Francisco with wife Nora to spend some time with some of her family. As we learned in the initial film, Myrna Loy's parents are both deceased, but she's got one formidable aunt is Jessie Ralph and a cousin with a wayward husband in Elissa Landi.

Elissa prevails upon Myrna to get Bill to locate her husband who's been missing for a few days. Powell and Loy do locate Alan Marshal the husband and the rat's been living it up with nightclub chanteuse Penny Singleton. Marshal's a playboy wastrel and hasn't the slightest intention of returning to home and hearth. But in the wee small hours of New Year's Day, he gets himself murdered on the streets of San Francisco and two more bodies turn up before William Powell solves the case.

James Stewart appears in this second Thin Man film as Landi's patient former boyfriend. In the films of James Stewart book, Stewart mentions that he wasn't particularly happy with his work in this film though I'm sure it didn't hurt his career any. He felt it was way too much at variance with what his fans expected from him. It's reason enough to watch the film and see if you agree with Jimmy.

Sam Levene of the San Francisco PD isn't any brighter than Nat Pendleton of the NYPD just a little more excitable. Powell shows them up all the time so much so that you wonder why he's not made police commissioner of either city.

Asta the most famous terrier in the world gets a bit more screen time than usual for animal lovers. He's got a Mrs. Asta and several pups and a black dog who keeps trying to cut in on his time. He also at one point provides the highpoint in comedy as he almost eats a clue which is in the form of a note thrown threw a window. Lots of fun as Powell and Loy try to get him to spit out the note. Handling that doggie drool soaked note musn't have been fun for Loy and Powell.

After the Thin Man keeps up the high standards in film making set by the original Thin Man and shouldn't be missed.

I was spurred to watch this one after having seen David Niven and Maggie Smith's spot-on parody of Nick and Nora in 'Murder By Death'. Nick spends most of this one either drinking or drunk, but doesn't let that prevent him from solving the crime of course. Myrna Loy is wonderfully aloof in a fine comic performance. Although it involves murder, the tone is almost exclusively light hearted. The plot was almost a little too complicated, the type of thing that 'Murder By Death' so effectively mocked. It seemed as though the script wanted to make it so that anyone could have been a suspect (one of which is James Stewart in a fun role)which normally would be a good idea, but can make it a little confusing (and I'll admit that I wasn't paying 100% attention, but the light-heartedness seems to almost encourage you not to take it all seriously...which is why 'The Thin Man' movies are so much fun in the first place!)

Alluding to her 1950s screen personna, Oscar Levant once wisecracked about Doris Day: "Hey, I knew her BEFORE she was a virgin!" Well, no, Ms. Day isn't in this film, but one of the (many) treats offered up by "After The Thin Man" is a chance to get to know James Stewart BEFORE he was James Stewart. Appearing here in a supporting role, he gets to show off some acting chops he didn't always get a chance to display in his later career.

Add to the mix a topnotch screenplay, the chemistry between William Powell and Myrna Loy that is so strong you find yourself believing that only a week has lapsed since their previous outing (rather than two years), at least one sight gag worthy of Groucho Marx (Nick when he and Nora go to visit her stuffed-shirt relatives), and -- oh, yes -- some vintage location footage shot in San Francisco back in the days when "the city that knows how" still knew. (Yep, that really is the old 3rd and Townsend depot, and yes, as a matter of fact, that really is Lotta's Fountain on lower Market Street, and how about that driveway leading up to their palatial home, complete with the breathtaking view? None other than the approach to Coit Tower!)

If the storyline's a bit thinner than the original, the fun is no less. The madcap drinking (sheesh!) and the razor-sharp banter continue on their merry way. As do Nick and Nora. And oh, yes, not that it probably matters that much, but there is a mystery and it does get solved.

Some weeks ago I expressed my absolute enthusiasm for 'The Thin Man (1934),' a delightfully humorous murder mystery/comedy classic, starring the inimitable comedic marriage of William Powell and Myrna Loy as husband-and-wife detectives Nick and Nora Charles. This original film, after a solid box-office run and four Academy Award nominations, spawned a respectable five sequels, and a radio and television series. 'After the Thin Man' is the first of these sequels, released in 1936.

As the original trailer for the film proudly proclaims, 'After the Thin Man' brought back the three writers of the original hit (Dashiell Hammett, Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett), the same director (W.S. Van Dyke) and, of course, the three huge film stars in Powell, Loy and, of course, Asta the dog (the wire-haired terrier whose birth-name was Skippy). True to its promise, the film is every bit as witty, hilarious and suspenseful as its predecessor, masterfully melding Nick and Nora's playful banter with another twisted mystery of love, betrayal, blackmail and murder. And look out for a memorable supporting performance from a young James Stewart, who was yet to hit it big with the likes of Frank Capra and Alfred Hitchcock.

The sequel takes place just a day or two after where 'The Thin Man' left off, as Nick and Nora prepare to depart from the train that brought them back home to San Francisco. Like the original film, the actually murder mystery is quite a messy one, though the writers have luckily decided to tone down, just slightly, the number of interwoven threads this time around. With nothing in mind but sleeping for a month, our favourite detective couple are surprised to walk into a welcome-home party held by people they don't even know, before they are invited to Nora's Aunt Katherine's (Jessie Ralph) house for dinner. Whilst there, Nora's cousin Selma (Elissa Landi) reveals that her husband, Robert (Alan Marshal), has been missing for three days.

The filmmakers have, once again, managed to round up a terrific cast to complement the talents of its two sparkling leads. I particularly enjoyed the contribution of Jessie Ralph as Aunt Katherine, who absolutely detests Nick and addresses him as "Nich-o-larse!" Nick's obsession with alcohol also continues, though he maintains his uncanny ability to switch painlessly between a drunken stupor and completely alert sobriety. The good-natured inter-marital sledging that made the original film so enjoyable still carries a razor-sharp wit, and, in one hilarious sequence, Nick even goes as far as pretending not to recognise his wife so she can be temporarily detained in a jail cell.

'After the Thin Man' is one of those very rare occasions when a sequel is good enough to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with its predecessor. A mixture of clever writing, talented directing and an infectious chemistry between the cast members worked to ensure that the partnership between Nick and Nora Charles would be a prolonged one.