After the Thin Man (1936)

Regista:

W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:

Dashiell Hammett (story)
Frances Goodrich (screenplay) ...

Data di uscita:

25 dicembre 1936 (USA)

Genere:

Comedy | Romance | Crime | Mystery

Slogan:

Continuing the fun in their NEW hit!

Plot:

Selma asks Nick to find her missing husband. He had been seeing a bit on the side, and blackmailing a local criminal. David Graham claims he paid the missing husband to get rid of a former girlfriend. Will Nick locate him?

Plot Keywords:

Insanity | Wit | Deadpan | Cocktail Bar | Dysfunctional Marriage

Premi:

Nominated for Oscar.

Recensioni degli utenti:

"Come on, let's get something to eat. I'm thirsty."

Cast

William Powell	...	Nick Charles
Myrna Loy	...	Nora Charles
James Stewart	...	David Graham
Elissa Landi	...	Selma Landis
Joseph Calleia	...	'Dancer'
Jessie Ralph	...	Aunt Katherine Forrest
Alan Marshal	...	Robert Landis (as Alan Marshall)
Teddy Hart	...	Floyd Casper
Sam Levene	...	Lieutenant Abrams
Penny Singleton	...	Polly Byrnes (as Dorothy McNulty)
William Law	...	Lum Kee
George Zucco	...	Dr. Adolph Kammer
Paul Fix	...	Phil Byrnes
Asta	...	Asta

Alias:

Dopo l'uomo ombra (Italy) [it]

Durata:

112 min | Canada:113 min

Nazionalità:

USA

Lingua:

Inglese

Colore:

Bianco e nero

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sonoro:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Divieti:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #2889)

Luoghi delle riprese:

Coit Tower, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Curiosità:

The nightclub featured in the film was loosely modeled on the famous Forbidden City, a popular San Francisco night spot from the late 1930s through the 1950s.

Errori:

Continuity: When Dancer sees that Nora is going to use the pay phone (in the Lichee Club), he approaches the hat check girl to load her up with coins so that she can keep Nora from using the pay phone. When Dancer first approaches, the hat check girl is sitting in a chair, facing toward Dancer. Dancer continues to approach and she is now standing by the counter, facing away from him.

Citazioni:

'Dancer', Lichee Club Owner: Have you ever been thrown out of a place, Mr. Charles?
Nick Charles: Let's see. How many was it up to yesterday, Mrs. Charles?
Nora Charles: Well, uh, how many places were you in, Mr. Charles?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Hollywood Remembers: Myrna Loy - So Nice to Come Home to (1991) (TV)

Colonna sonora:

None But the Lonely Heart

"Come on, let's get something to eat. I'm thirsty."

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.