Today’s quick review: After the Thin Man. Returning home from their trip to the East Coast, retired detective Nick Charles (William Powell) and his socialite wife Nora (Myrna Loy) are thrust into another mystery when Nora’s cousin Selma (Elissa Landi) reports that her husband Robert (Alan Marshall) has gone missing. What begins as a simple hunt for a wayward husband soon turns into a tangled investigation fraught with romance, blackmail, and murder.
After the Thin Man is a detective comedy that sees the return of Nick and Nora Charles, a wealthy husband-and-wife duo who solve crimes as a hobby. After the Thin Man holds the same appeal as the original film: sparkling dialogue and an excellent comedic duo in William Powell and Myrna Loy. The two are a perfect match for one another, and their interactions are full of sly jabs, sarcasm, and good-natured ribbing, all laced with genuine affection.
Like the first film, After the Thin Man takes a while to get going. The first half-hour is spent setting up the characters and basking in the banter of Nick and Nora. The mystery, once it arrives, is a suitably tangled affair involving schemes, impersonations, and all manner of shady characters. How effective the mystery is will depend on taste, but it has a few nice twists and turns and gives Nick and Nora plenty of material to work with.
Watch After the Thin Man if you’re a fan of classic comedy. Its humor is a slight step down from the first film, but the leads, the script, and the mystery combine to make After the Thin Man a light and thoroughly enjoyable watch. Skip it if you prefer your comedy or your mystery with more of a barb. For another comedy in the same vein, check out the other films in the series, beginning with The Thin Man.
7.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for two great leads and solid humor.