Warner Archive Collection

The Thin Man Blu-ray Review

Reviewed by Randy Miller III, July 19, 2019

Immensely prolific director W.S. "Woody" Van Dyke made nearly 100 movies during a career that lasted only two and a half decades, often churning out a half-dozen productions within a single calendar year. One of his best-remembered films is, which spawned five sequels: Van Dyke returned to direct three of them, and two were produced several years after his untimely death in 1943. Based on Dashiell Hammett's popular novel of the same name,introduces us to the husband-and-wife team of Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy), whose playful competitiveness extends far beyond shared alcoholism. Nick, a retired detective, is coaxed back into action when former client Clyde Wynant (Edward Ellis) goes missing; his recently engaged daughter Dorothy (Maureen O'Sullivan) is rightly concerned...but things get much more complicated after Clyde's secretary and former lover Julia Wolf (Natalie Moorhead) is found murdered. Nick's on the case, right after he finishes another highball.As its summary implies,feels like a character piece first and a mystery second. In fact, aside from Nick's eventual participation -- which officially begins during a late-night dog walk and climaxes in a classic "whodunit" dinner party sequence -- the core story isn't nearly as compelling as the colorful characters that make up's world. It's a dense and layered mystery, sure, but one that doesn't seem expertly planned...which isn't necessarily a complaint, mind you.'s lightweight and charming tone are what drive its engine and, combined with the terrific lead characters, it's no wonder the franchise spawned more books, the five movie sequels, a radio program, a TV series, musicals and stage plays, and probably even a breakfast cereal if it were made recently. I'm thinking little oat "N"s with martini-shaped marshmallows, and maybe even a cute little Asta figurine inside the box.

Still, there are more factors at work here than great characters and the Charles' terrific on-screen chemistry. The Thin Man came about at just the right time, mere months before the Hays code was enforced and right after Prohibition ended...hence all the realistic dialogue and constant boozing. Van Dyke's capable direction keeps everything going at a good clip, punctuated by clean framing and a handful of rapid-fire montages (courtesy of editor Robert Kern, who also cut National Velvet and David Copperfield and was the brother of noted editor Hal Kern) that break up the film's almost non-stop dialogue. It's those endlessly quotable quips and retorts that give The Thin Man so much lasting appeal as well: though many are lifted right from Hammett's novel, their delivery and timing are equally important. It all adds up to a film that pleased just about everyone: audiences ate up the witty banter and surprising twists, while the studio loved that it was shot in just 12 days and made back more than six times its modest $231,000 budget.

The Thin Man remains a very accessible and entertaining slice of pre-Code 1930s cinema and, if you've somehow never seen it before, a potential gateway into several sequels, remakes, and other iterations that have surfaced during the last 85 (!) years. Although most of those films and shows have yet to appear on Blu-ray, the original and best finally arrives courtesy of Warner Archive Collection...a full 17 years after Warner Bros.' DVD edition and their later Complete Thin Man boxed set. Featuring an outstanding A/V presentation and a few vintage bonus features to boot, The Thin Man is an absolute no-brainer for anyone who'd love to see the rest of the original movie series on Blu-ray.





