William PowellThe Complete Thin Man Collection (The Thin Man / After the Thin Man / Another Thin Man / Shadow of the Thin Man / The Thin Man Goes Home / Song of the Thin Man / Alias Nick and Nora)

The Thin ManA few years ago my girl friend asked if I had ever seen the old Thin Man movies. I said no and she gave me a look like I had lived in a cave my whole life. She had all the movies copied from TV. We were only going to watch one but we watched all six in one sitting.William Powell and Myrna Loy had probably the best on screen chemistry in the business.Dashiell Hammett's Nick and Nora Charles are the lovable drinking detectives. As one line from the movie Nora: "What hit me" Nick: "The last martini"The banter these two is great. Even though the "slang" is from the 30's it is a timeless movie that will always be fun.Nick the Great detective and the beautiful wealthy Nora are a perfect match. Nick seems to know every criminal around. Nick always has a story that seems to border on tall tales as Nora once said in one of the other films "I don't know why I always think you are joking."The story involves the wealthy industrialist inventor Clyde Wynant, played by Edward Ellis. Clyde is the Thin Man. But people thought it referred to Nick and the movies kept the name. We also get to see a young Maureen O'Sullivan as she plays the daughter of Clyde; Dorothy Wynant. Maureen did a great job and not once did I think of Jane. ;)This movie involves a multiple murder with Nick and Nora drinking and trading barbs as they work together searching for a missing Clyde Wynant who may be responsible for a the murders.Of all the films I probably like this one the best.The only extras are credits and movie trailers.After the Thin ManWe pick up with Nick and Nora on the train as they return home to San Francisco. There is a new mystery that starts with the disappearance of her cousin's husband. This movie still was fun like the original. There is the gentle clash of the two worlds of Nick and Nora. The criminals and the high society types as Nora once remarked "You wouldn't know them they are respectable.You get to see a young Jimmy Stewart in this one. Overall a good story and a fun ride.Extras* You get the short "How to be a detective" I found it to be kind of a snoozer.* You get the cartoon "The Early Bird and the Worm" Not bad.* There is also the Lux Radio Theater Broadcast of After the Thin Man. Produced by Cecil B Demilles and performed by Powell and Loy.* A broadcast of Leo is on the Air Radio promo about the movie. He talked about things like the Song Smoke DreamsAnother Thin ManNick and Nora return with a new addition; little Nicky Jr. The proud parents are as usual enjoying life until the irascible Colonel McFay keeps calling on them to visit and go over financial matters. Nick of course tries to avoid it but ends up having to go when he learns somebody is threatening the life of the Colonel.. On the way there they see a body and force the unwilling driver to stop. The driver then runs away leaving them with the car and the mystery begins.The movie is fun like the other three as it has the same witty intercourse between Nick and Nora. It has a good cast with C. Aubrey Smith as the Colonel, Virginia Grey as the Colonel's daughter, and Ruth Hussey as little Nicky's nurse. Nat Pendelton is back as Lt. Guild and there is Marjorie Main as a landlady. A special mention should be for Sheldon Leonard, Abner Biberman, Muriel Hutchison, and Don Costello for the great performances they put in as Phil Church, Dum-Dum, Smitty and Diamond Back Vogel.A funny scene is the birthday party given for little Nicky, Jr. by the "wrong side of the tracks" characters like Whacky, played by Shemp Howard and Creeps played by Harry Bellaver.Again a fun film which will entertain!Extras:* Love on Tap: A short film about a lady dance group called the Merriel Abbot Dancers. It seems the troop mom can't marry her boyfriend as she has to take care of the girls. The boyfriend finally has had enough after yet another emergency. What's a bunch of girls going to do? It's sort of cute and you get to see a bunch of dancing. Worth seeing once.* The Bookworm: A cartoon about book characters coming to life. We have three witches making a brew and they need a worm so they send the Raven off to get one.* The movie trailer.Shadow of the Thin ManNick and Nora are back. Little Nicky is learns about racing forms and forces Nick to drink *shock* milk! After the horror of milk Nick takes "Mummy" off to the race tracks. While driving they are caught up in a police caravan racing to the track. The cops are stunned that Nick was there.It looks like a jockey was murdered by a gambling syndicate to prevent him from testifying. Nick dodges work but he gets drawn into the mystery when a murder happens at a pro-wrestling match and a friend is thought to be the killer. Nick has a job on his hands solving this mystery and trying to keep Nora from "interfering."The beautiful Donna Reed appears in this one as the girlfriend of the accused killer.There are many funny scenes but I won't spoil the fun.Extras:* The Tell-Tale Heart: Edgar Allan Poe's story is put to a short. An apprentice kills his master and hides the body under the floor boards. He slowly goes crazy as he keeps hearing a heartbeat through the floor.* The Goose Goes South: A cartoon about a goose that tries to hitchhike his way South rather then fly. It's cute.* The movie trailer.The Thin Man goes home.Sadly W.S. Van Dyke died before this was made. At first I didn't like the film as if "felt" different. I think it was the missing Van Dyke. However, it grew on me after watching it a couple times.Nick goes home to Sycamore Springs to visit the parents. Nick has to cut down on his drinking as his dad doesn't like it. Nora seems more like the traditional wife but that might have been the purpose of being "proper" when visiting the in-laws.Nicks "friends" are greatly reduced and seem to be more helpers then a humor relief. One nice little surprise was Brogan played by Edward Brophy. He voiced Timothy Q. Mouse in Dumbo. He was a fun character. I liked his efforts to keep Nora occupied while Nick went out and did things. I would say more but I don't want to spoil the fun.The plot and the characters were interesting but again it seemed different to me.Still, it was a good film.Extras:* Why Daddy: A short about a guy who thinks he is too smart for radio quiz shows. He goes up against a kid. For me it was kind of "meh"* Screwball Squirrel: A cartoon by Tex Avery. Not this was a funny cartoon. Screwy belongs in the realm of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Largely forgotten over time but is worth watching!* The film trailerSong of the Thin ManI don't know what they were attempting but this is not one that I really like. Much of the original humor was gone. Nora didn't have her snippy answers well one but they didn't have the delivery of the previous films.Nick and Nora seemed out of place as Manhattan met the hip-hop jazz scene. There was an attempt of humor of Nora talking the lingo but it didn't work for me.The mystery was pretty good but the ending really didn't do it for me.Also, I really didn't feel any attachment to the people caught up in the crime.All in all, I got the feeling they were trying to take Nick and Nora into another direction and it didn't work for me. The end of the film seemed to suggest there was going to be a sequel but I think the series died with this film.Extras:* A real important person: A short film which features the young Dean Stockwell who has to write an essay about a real important person. It's kind of cute with a little bit of schmaltz.* Slap Happy Lion: A cartoon which was done by Tex Avery. It's good but somewhat similar to Tom and Jerry. This time you get a Mouse and a Lion. It's worth a watch.Nick and Nora Two Profiles (extra DVD)* William Powell: A true gentlemen. This is an autobiography. It's pretty good especially if you are curious about him. It is "edited" as it left out some of the tragedies of his life especially the details of his son.* Hollywood Remembers Myrna Loy: So nice to come home to. An interested autobiography of Myrna Loy.* The pilot for the Thin Man TV show "Darling I loathe You" Nick and Nora played by Peter Lawford and Phyllis Kirk. This was bad. Really bad. Lawford and Kirk were Nick and Nora in name only. After watching the movies, I couldn't take watching this and turned it off ½ way.* Lux Radio Theater Broadcast of the Thin Man. Powell and Loy head a cast doing the radio version of the Thin Man.The end of this little post!William Powell and Myrna Loy are probably one of the best on-screne couples in movie history. They did 16 films together; a record which has yet to be matched.This DVD set is a worthwhile addition to anybodies collection.

At some point in this complete set of Thin Man Murder mysteries -Who done it? - Stops being important. Yes there are six different mysteries and six sleuthings and six solutions, but you can get that in any six period mysteries. In the Thin Man movies you get one of golden age Hollywood's most famous match ups, William Powell and Myrna Loy.Unlike most Hollywood matchups then or now, the chemistry is not that of young love or animal attraction. From the beginning these are a married couple, and a matched couple. Each is comfortable with the other and neither subordinates themselves to the other. Myrna Loy plays a woman just as sharp and just as game as her supposed to be retired private eye husband. Powell is his self-assured, unruffled speaker of deft humor and clearly happy to have a woman who can match him snappy come back for sharp observation. Ok, He gets to be the better detective, but he has had more practice and has the better police and underworld connections. This degree of equality between a husband and wife on screen paring was very new in the 1930 and still plays well 80 years later.A short moment of respect for Asta. Asta was a wire haired terrier. A scene stealing, ham actor, or is that a ham eating dog actor Unlike the usual wonder dogs of the period, Asta was very willing to hide at the any sign of danger; even when that danger is a black kitten. He would have some things to say about a certain Scottie who would find his way to his misses.Besides the ongoing badiage of the leading couple, each of the 6 Thin Man movies includes at least one and usually several up and coming stars. In the first Thin Man there is a very young Maurine O'Sullivan and a slightly older Cesar Romero. Next came James Stewart, Sheldon Leonard and future Three Stooges third man "Shemp" Howard(Uncredidted), , Donna Reed, Ava Gardner (Uncredidted), Gloria Dehaven, and finally Gloria Grahame, Jayne Meadows and not yet 9 years old, child star and still working: Dean Stockwell. It can be fun just trying to pick out some of these future giants and wondering if these movies were try outs for future leading players, or busy work for studio labor.On each disk is a film short and a period cartoon; usually some of the great artistry of Tex Avery. One forgets how beautifully cartoons used to be drawn and that originally cartoons were not just for the kiddies. Among the shorts is at last one by and starring Robert Benchley. All together the six movies as packaged give one 6 movie experiences much like the one a movie goer would have at a depression era and wartime movie house.A close viewing of the movies and you see that they all tend to have several set pieces: The introduction of comedic ex-cons sent up river by Nick, Nick's disinterest in taking on the case; Nick alone at night searching an apartment or two; Nora following a red hearing; and on to the finale': the gathering of the suspects. Often Nick does not solve the case so much as trick the villain into confessing. I solved one or two of the mysteries, but ultimately stopped trying to when I realized who done it did not matter. Enjoy the comedy. What was most unexpected was that there was no feel that the series was losing steam. Granted W.S Van Dyke did not live to direct all of the movies, and the Dashiell Hammet connection got pretty thin, but the level of fun is consistent and the entertainment value is there beginning to end.Some of you will have noticed that this is a 7 CD set and only 6 are for movies. The 7th disk should be considered as a free standing disk of extra features; the two most important being very standard Hollywood bios. The wonderfulness of William Powell and the shining star called Myrna Loy. There are lots to learn from these featurettes. Powell started theater life as a silent movie bad guy, and Myrna wanted to be a dancer. And they were wonderful people and had about 7 or 8 marriages between them and everyone loved working with them and .. and no more depth than any the making of the movie section made for the CD. Somehow no one ever includes an interview with the star's drug dealer or favorite Madam. Just once I'd like to have the glowing faced narrator admit that the director had his nose so far up the butts of the studio suits that that the working title of the move was "The Bland and the Inoffensive". To be fair these two film bios are no worse than others and do help provide some background.Summery: Unlike most movie sets and movie series, The 6 Thin Man movies are entertaining and not only worth your popcorn, but as of 2/15, 2014 very nicely priced at under $40.

The classic series in one package with the six movies and a bonus disc about Nick and Nora. Includes bonus materialsuch as the movie Trailers , short subjects of the era , and a colour cartoon on each disc . Wore out my VHS tapes ! Had to buy the discs ! I watch them all over again on a more or less yearly basis ; they never get old. The six murder mysteries are all enhanced by the witty dialogue of the married couple , Nick and Nora . It may be of interest that while Nick ( William Powell ) becomes known as The Thin Man , he is not , in fact , the thin man. In the plot of the first movie the fate of a man that is thin becomes confused with a man of considerable girth and this has a direct bearing on solving the mystery. With most series the subsequent offerings become steadily weaker ; not so with this series. Many up and coming stars appear such as James Stewart , Donna Reed , and Sheldon Leonard. Not to be missed isMarjorie Main ( better known as Ma Kettle ) as Miss Dolly , and also the Lettie Finhadden ( long setup ) gag .

Uno spaccato della società americana degli anni '40, Bellissime locations, elegantissimi abiti e interessanti profili di personaggi.Conoscevo già questa serie quando tanti anni fa la davano in tv ed ora ritrovarla e poterla rivedere è fantastico.Si può selezionare la lingua, tra cui l'italiano.

La serie est très agréable à regarder. Les personnages sont attachant. Presque tous les épisodes sont en français, il y en a 1 ou 2 en Vo sous titré.

Sehr amüsante Film-Reihe um ein unkonventionelles Ehepaar, das zufällig in Mordfälle verwickelt wird und sie gemeinschaftlich löst. Die gekonnte Mischung aus Screwball Comedy und Mystery-Elementen bezieht ihren Charme aus der grossartigen Chemie zwischen den beiden Hauptdarstellern. Angesichts des neckischen Geplänkels und der spitzzüngigen Dialoge, die sich die beiden liefern, tritt die Aufklärung der Kriminalfälle stets in den Hintergrund. Neben den Stars findet sich zudem immer ein ausgefallenes Ensemble exzentrischer Charaktere. Besonders erfreulich, dass Original und Sequels in Witz und Inszenierung von gleich hoher Qualität sind; lediglich der letzte Film fällt etwas schwächer aus.Bild- und Tonqualität sind hervorragend für Produktionen aus den 1930ern und 1940ern. Als Bonus gibt es zeitgenössische Trailer, Cartoons und Short Films mit Darstellern, die auch in den Thin Man-Geschichten auftauchen. Dazu noch je eine Dokumentation zu Myrna Loy bzw. William Powell sowie eine Folge der Thin Man-TV-Serie aus den 1950ern. Ton ist durchgängig nur in Englisch und Italienisch verfügbar, Deutsch nicht mal als Untertitel vorhanden. Abgesehen von der Darstellung eines freizügigen Alkoholkonsums sind die Filme jugendfrei.

During the thirties and forties, there were many famous teams who together were loved by the movie going public.Audiences couldn't get enough of the escapism, and humour. Hepburn & Tracy,Astaire & Rogers, Gable & Crawford, Garland & Rooney, Garson & Pidgeon,and in Britain, Anna Neagle & Michael Wilding. To not include the pairing of William Powell and Myrna Loy in the wonderful Thin Man series would be inexcusable.The writer Dashiell Hammett wrote the Thin Man as a film script about two unlikely people, one of whom just happens to be a retired detective Nick Charles (William Powell) and his much younger, wealthy new wife Norah (Myrna Loy). Wherever they roam, Nick and Norah seem to find a murder to solve, a high point in the Thin Man films - as all the suspects are rounded up at the end to be quizzed by Nick until the murderer is revealed.Hammett was a fine writer who,like Nick, had a booze problem, and who (also like Nick Charles) was enchanted by a woman with an acerbic wit. Norah Charles (who Hammett fashioned after his own lady love, the writer Lillian Hellman) is played superbly by Myrna Loy,one of the greats of cinema,having learned her craft alongside her lifelong pal,Joan Crawford, in silent films and bit parts in talkies.Sprinkled throughout the six Thin man films, Hollywood delves into it's diverse wealth of acting talent and future stars such as Maureen O'Sullivan, James Stewart,Virginia Grey,Otto Kruger,Donna Reed,Dean Stockwell,Gloria Graham,Gloria DeHaven, and old codgers such as the perrenial matriarch, Lucille Watson, Anne Revere (whose career was destroyed by McCarthyism)and C.Aubrey Smith.In the early Thin Man films, Nick and Norah seem to meet the strangest people whenever they venture outside in downtown NY. Unlike today's crims, Nick is greeted with great affection by dubious characters who cheerfully tell Norah how her husband sent them "Up the River" during his detective days. When Nick Jnr has his first birthday, all the former "clients" of Nick decide to hold a baby party in honour of the little fella. One ex con pinches a neighbours child,just so he can attend the party - the results when the distraught mother turns up,are hilarious.The humour and banter between the two Charles' is what makes this series such a long time favourite. A view of the thirties and the long distance train travel, the look,ideals,mode of language,the large hats, the superb photography, are a fascination for lovers of the Golden Era (like myself).And I love the fact that these films were made in black and white. The boxed set is another Amazon UK bargain,in price, quality and quantity.Highly recommended.