RICHARD THORPE
Bil’s rating (out of 5): BB.5.
USA, 1945. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Story by Robert Riskin, Harry Kurnitz, Screenplay by Robert Riskin, Dwight Taylor, based on characters created by Dashiell Hammett. Cinematography by Karl Freund. Produced by Everett Riskin. Music by David Snell. Production Design by Edward C. Carfagno, Cedric Gibbons. Costume Design by Irene. Film Editing by Ralph E. Winters
Weakest of the series, but who cares? William Powell and Myrna Loy are such a sexy couple that anything with the two of them is worth your time. In this installment, the second-last Thin Man that they made together, Nick and Nora Charles take a trip to his home town to see the folks, and as you could expect, trouble isn’t too far behind them. A young man shows up dead on their doorstep, and Powell has to go around pretending to not notice anything important until revealing the key to the mystery in the last reel. The film was made during a liquor ration at the end of World War II, so you’ll notice that Nick only drinks cider and keeps talking about how he has given up alcohol (not that anyone’s falling for it). It’s a good time, it’s just not a classic like many of the others; some viewers will object to seeing their favourite detective couple in the middle of what looks like an Andy Hardy movie. Features a great supporting performance by Anne Revere.
