Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Best movie ever!

A Major Disappointment

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1941), directed by Major W.S. Van Dyke II, the fourth installment to the popular series starring William Powell and Myrna Loy, re-teams the dual in another caper of murder, mystery and comedy. Aside from this being Powell and Loy's eleventh pairing, the roles as Nick and Nora Charles are certainly their most recognizable, if not credible, of anything they've ever done together on screen. Based on the characters created by Dashiell Hammett, and story by Harry Kurnitz, SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN, regardless of slight changes in scenery and additional characters, continues to stick closer it its given format.The story finds Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy) back in California with their four-year-old son, Nicky Jr. (Dickie Hall) and their dog, Asta, with a new addition to the household, Stella (Louise Beavers), the maid. Taking up residence at the St. Cloud Hotel, Nick and Nora take the afternoon driving to the race track where, upon their arrival, immediately encounter the police force and Sergeant Abrams (Sam Levene) of the Homicide Bureau investigating the murder of Gomez, a jockey, suspected of throwing a race. Instead of betting on the horses, Nick finds himself back to crime solving. Much to his dismay, Nora, thriving for excitement, attempts to accompany him on his latest case. Others involved are Paul Clarke (Barry Nelson), a news reporter and later prime suspect to a second murder; Whitey Barrow (Alan Baxter), a rival reporter associated with fixed races and racketeers; Claire Porter (Stella Adler), Whitey's girlfriend; Molly Ford (Donna Reed), secretary to loan-shark, Link Stevens (Loring Smith); Major Jason I. Skulley (Henry O'Neill), chairman of the State Athletic Commission; and McGuire (Will Wright), a mysterious ticket agent.By this time, the formula was becoming repetitious, especially along the spoken lines of Nick telling his gathered suspects that "someone has spilled the beans," as opposed to the similar lines, "someone has made a slip" from AFTER THE THIN MAN (1936), where co-star, Sam Levene, originated his role as Sergeant Abrams. Now that Nick and Nora have an addition to the family, domestic scenes seem to center upon the youngster's activities from his father's point of view rather than the mother's. For his introduction, Little Nicky (in military uniform), knows his father would rather read the racing form than fairy tales from his book. Later, at the breakfast table, Nicky won't drink milk until his father does, causing the cocktail drinker to change his ways. The third (and last) finds Nicky (in sailor suit this time) on the carousel in a department store where Nick tries to impress his son (and other obnoxious kids) by riding on it himself. "Who's a fraidy cat?" One can only assume that whenever Nicky is out of view during those long stretches that Stella is the one watching over him.Of the many amusements inserted here, the best happens to be one where Nick and Nora gets a police escort to the race track by a motorcycle cop (Edgar Dearing) after giving Nick a speeding ticket. With the 1940s in full circle, Myrna Loy's fashions change with it. She gets enough attention and slide remarks about her "screwy hat" (looking like a giant plate) while attending the wrestling match at the arena. Another scene set at Mario's Grotto Night Club also results to humor where it's Asta, the terrier, unwittingly stirring up some excitement there.One thing about series films such as this one, with a new theatrical release once every two to three years, is seeing how the stories were either progressing or regressing. Loy's Nora was becoming less sophisticated and more dim-witted at times. Still, the best part of the "Thin Man" mysteries is the method of Nick's deduction and the element of surprise when exposing the real killer. Whatever weakness the film contains, the final minutes make up for it, thus satisfactory entertainment for fans of the series. And who can forget such character names of Nick's oddball friends as Spider Webb (Joe Oakie), Meatballs Murphy (John Kelly) and Rainbow Benny Loomis (Lou Lubin), among others. Classic TV fans will take notice of Sid Melton (Ralph of "Green Acres") in a small role as Fingers.Available on home video before distribution to DVD, take notice the theatrical trailer inserted in the DVD names Nick and Nora as "Mr. and Mrs. Thin Man." Though no shadows, it's official. Nick Charles is "The Thin Man." This and five others in the series can be found on Turner Classic Movies. Next installment: THE THIN MAN GOES HOME (1944). (***)

Ridiculous hats, less of the baby, and more of the Nick and Nora we all love. But this time, the chemistry is better than the previous installment. The story is more rich, although there is no danger of rivaling the first two installments, this one is a far cry closer than the preceding installment.In the 1930's-1940's, one must expect the mob to be the antagonist somewhere in the story, but Nick's entire repertoire of friends includes nothing but shill-men, hucksters, and con jobs, so they're also protagonists, which serves to twist the story somewhat, and makes for an interesting mystery.All in all? This one is closer to The Thin Man than Another Thin Man, and runs beautifully back to back throughout the franchise. I wholly enjoy this work, and advocate it as an anytime movie, and Nick seems to have joined AA. Way to go Nick! It rates a 7.9/10 from...the Fiend :.

When the creators of the original 'The Thin Man' film released their hilarious movie back in 1934, they could never have realised what a successful formula they were using! Produced seven years later, using basically the same ingredients as the original, the fourth edition to the six-part series – 'Shadow of the Thin Man' – still feels as fresh and witty as ever, even surpassing its direct predecessor in terms of wit and mystery. Just as in'Another Thin Man,' there is perhaps a little more murder-mystery and a little less comedy in this installment, but this was a necessary decision in order to reach a fine balance, since, as we know from most comedic sequels, some jokes can get old pretty fast. Fortunately, of course, this is not the case for these movies, and 'Shadow of the Thin Man' still packs a deadly punch, perhaps due to the flawless chemistry of its leads and the return, once again, of the original director, W.S. Van Dyke (credited here as Maj. W.S. Van Dyke II), just two years before his suicide.A few years after the previous film left off, Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy) are living happily with their growing son, Nick Jr. (young Richard "Dickie" Hall, in his debut). Nick suddenly becomes involved in a murder investigation when the dead body of a corrupt jockey is found in the showers at the racetrack. The murders don't stop there, either, and there is a range of suspicious and nefarious characters who could have orchestrated the deaths. With his ultra-enthusiastic wife at his heels, and the playful Asta the dog by his side, Nick must get to the root of the mystery before a good friend of his, newspaper reporter, Paul (Barry Nelson, also in his debut), is convicted of murder. Rounding out a decent supporting cast are Donna Reed (in only her second film, and five years prior to Frank Capra's 'It's A Wonderful Life'), Sam Levene (reprising his role as the incompetent Lieutenant Abrams), Alan Baxter, Henry O'Neill, Stella Adler, Loring Smith, Joseph Anthony and Lou Lubin.It is Nick Charles' philosophy that if you lock a bunch of murder suspects in the same room, eventually somebody like slip up and give themselves away. Once again, this law proves the villain's ultimate undoing, and I'll confess that never in a million years would I have suspected the actual murderer! The screenplay was written by Irving Brecher and Harry Kurnitz, both new to the franchise, and the murder-plot is noticeably less twisted and convoluted than previously, allowing for enjoyable viewing that doesn't require the viewer to strain their mind quite so much. Nonetheless, it is always fascinating to see how all the pieces fall neatly into place, and how one seemingly-minor clue can prove the most significant evidence of all.Though present only during the early part of the film, young Nick Jr. – at about four years of age – allows for some excellent comedic gags. The film opens with Nick Charles and his son walking through the park, with the former offering to recite a fantastic fairy-tale that's never been heard before, only to clumsily make one up based on the horse-racing schedule he's reading. In order to coax Nick back to the house for a meal, Myrna begins using the cocktail shaker, prompting her husband – far, far away – to suddenly decide: "Nicky, something tells me that something important is happening somewhere and I think we should be there." Another particularly entertaining sequence involves Asta the dog, and how he single-handedly initiates a heated brawl between every single patron of a restaurant. Despite this being their fourth "Thin Man" mystery together, the chemistry between the two leads remains incredibly potent, and I can't help looking forward to their next great adventure.

This fourth of the six Thin Man movies is one of the most fun, most enjoyable. Powell and Loy are terrific, as always, and Donna Reed is beautiful in an early role. But it's Sam Levine as police Lt Abrams who steals the show. It's murder at the race track. Who killed the jockey? See it and find out. And enjoy!