After the Thin Man (1936)

"Come on, let's get something to eat. I'm thirsty.", 23 December 2005

Nora's cousin Selma asks Nick to help her find her missing husband, Robert Landis. In short order, Nick and Nora spot the husband in a nightclub with another woman. Before you can say Asta, Robert is dead. Instead of a missing husband, Nick's got a murder case to solve. And there are plenty of suspects, each with a motive and ample opportunity. Naturally, the police turn their attention to Selma and arrest her in short order. Now Nick's the task of saving his wife's cousin.

This may be my favorite movie in the series. By the time After the Thin Man was made, William Powell and Myrna Loy had really grown into their characters. Powell and Loy exhibit undeniably natural charisma and charm. Their back and forth dialogue is as good as it gets in one of these movies. The supporting cast in After the Thin Man is also especially strong. While most fans would point to Jimmy Stewart in an early role, other members of the cast who shine include Jesse Ralph as the overly domineering Aunt Katherine and George Zucco as the mysterious Dr. Adolph Kammer. The mystery in After the Thin Man may be the most complete and thought out of the series. Being one of the first three movies Thin Man movies, After the Thin Man benefits from a story written by Dashiell Hammett. It's an ingenious story with plenty of suspense and a few nice twists.

If I have one complaint with After the Thin Man it's the "cheat" that Nick uses at the end of the movie to solve the mystery. It's a "cheat" because the audience has no way of knowing the vital piece of information introduced at the last possible moment that's necessary to identify the killer. It may seem like a small point, but for those playing along with the characters, it hurts what is an otherwise very enjoyable film.

9/10