The Thin Man Goes Home *** (1945, William Powell, Myrna Loy, Lucile Watson, Gloria DeHaven, Anne Revere) – Classic Movie Review 3684

Director Richard Thorpe’s enjoyable 1945 comedy thriller The Thin Man Goes Home is the fifth and penultimate Thin Man MGM mystery movie series entry starring William Powell and Myrna Loy.

This time it is a bit too light-hearted and breezy in tone, damaging the power of the thriller plot, in which William Powell and Myrna Loy’s husband and wife sleuths Nick and Nora Charles go on holiday back home to visit Nick’s parents in Sycamore Springs in New England, and, naturally, soon murder follows. When aircraft factory employee Peter Berton (Ralph Brooks) seeks Nick out, he is shot dead before he can spill the beans. Soon Nick searches Berton’s room for clues.

Showing why they were one of the screen’s greatest teams, the stars’ practised playing holds up beautifully and the support is above par, helping to produce smooth vintage entertainment.

Also notable in the cast are Lucile Watson as Nick’s mother Mrs Charles, Gloria DeHaven, Anne Revere, Harry Davenport, Edward Brophy, Helen Vinson, Leon Ames and Donald Meek.

The screenplay is by Robert Riskin and Dwight Taylor, based on a story by Robert Riskin and Harry Kurnitz, based on the characters by Dashiell Hammett, but with no involvement by Hammett.

It was another hit for MGM, costing $1,401,000 and earning more than double at $2,814,000, resulting in a profit of $501,000.

This episode is the first not directed by W S Van Dyke II, who died in 1943.

Edward Brophy plays Brogan here but in the first film The Thin Man he played a character named Joe Morelli.

Myrna Loy on her most frequent co-star: ‘I never enjoyed my work more than when I worked with William Powell. He was a brilliant actor, a delightful companion, a great friend and, above all, a true gentleman.’ They made 14 films together.

Myrna Loy turned down working on the film in1942 to concentrate on her marriage to John D Hertz Jr and on her war work for the Red Cross. Lured back in 1944, Loy makes her only wartime picture. Powell recalled her welcome on her first day back to a set thronged with well-wishers: ‘I’ve never seen a girl so popular with so many people.’

It was released on 25 January 1945 in the US.

Producer Everett Riskin cut the idea of Nick and Nora’s heavy drinking because of wartime liquor rationing. So the cocktail shaker prop is replaced by a running gag about how difficult it is to get a drink in Nick’s hometown.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3684

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