SONG OF THE THIN MAN

US, 1947, 86 minutes, Black and white.
William Powell, Myrna Loy, Dean Stockwell, Keenan Wynn, Leon Ames, Gloria Grahame.
Directed by Edward Buzzell.

Song of theThin Man was the last of seven filme based on Dashiell Hamet's characters and starring William Powell and Myrna Loy, with their dog Asta. The original film was made in sixteen days in 1934 and was very popular. There were several sequels in the 30's. These continued during the early 40's and this last film came out in 1947.

Powell himself had aged somewhat since the beginning. Myrna Loy has a kind of ageless look. The formula continued the same throughout the whole series - the enjoyable repartee between husband and wife and their loving devotion with ironic comment: various strands of social murder, the investigating, humorous sidelines, a final melodramatic denouement where Nick Charles would set up a situation and the murderer revealed.

This final film runs true to pattern. Dean Stockwell appears as their son Nicky - an addition to the genre.

A most popular and still very entertaining series - parallel with some of the television series of the 60's and 70's.

1. The popularity of the series in the 30s and 40s, for thirteen years? This film as part of the pattern of the series? entertainment in itself, in its time, now? The last of the series?

2. The attractiveness of William Powell and Myrna Loy, their working together, the ease of their relationship and comedy together? background of Asta the dog, having a little boy? Their repartee, their detection, the seeming effortlessness, the denouement and melodrama? The ironic and humorous ending?

3. The mystique of Dashiel Hammet and his private eye stories, parody, good humour of the genre?

4. The setting up of the atmosphere on the Fortune, the gambling ship? The indicating of the many strands for the audience, the crime: Tom Drake and his loves, debts, jealousies, Buddy Hollis and his love and insanity, the world of the gamblers and their debts, night club owners and their women and their pressurising, Phil Brandt and his marrying, Janet Thayer, Mr Thayer and his jealousy, Fran and her moving from Brandt to Drake? How well sketched were their characters and the issues for audience entertainment? What types of good and evil, human relationships, power and tensions did they represent?

5. The Brandts, their arrival at the Charles’ house, Nicky’s reaction? Brandt's arrest and Nick taking the case? His investigations, especially his technique of getting on to the boat, meeting the musicians, the ironic burning of the musical score and the remittance of the debt?

6. The help of Krause - and the long sequence of going to the jazz sessions, the ‘in’ language and the jokes “ Norah's using of this technique?

7. Hollis, the mental hospital, Fran and her death? Suspicions?

8. The detailing of the various characters as they were met throughout the film - suspects? The using of Buddy for the solution, buildup and the seating of all interested parties at the tables?

9. The finale? Phyllis and her melodramatics and Nick Charles' ironic final comment? The world of the private eye film and its American style, portrayal of good and evil, crime, justice?