After the Thin Man (1936)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:

Frances Goodrich (screenplay) and
Albert Hackett (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 December 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

Continuing the fun in their NEW hit!

Plot:

Selma asks Nick to find her missing husband. He had been seeing a bit on the side, and blackmailing a local criminal. David Graham claims he paid the missing husband to get rid of a former girlfriend. Will Nick locate him?

Plot Keywords:

Murder | New Year's Eve | Infidelity | Face Slap | Forgery

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

William Powell	...	Nick Charles
Myrna Loy	...	Nora Charles
James Stewart	...	David
Elissa Landi	...	Selma
Joseph Calleia	...	'Dancer'
Jessie Ralph	...	Aunt Katherine
Alan Marshal	...	Robert (as Alan Marshall)
Teddy Hart	...	Floyd Casper
Sam Levene	...	Abrams
Penny Singleton	...	Polly (as Dorothy McNulty)
William Law	...	Lum Kee
George Zucco	...	Dr. Kammer
Paul Fix	...	Phil
Asta	...	Asta
Mrs. Asta	...	Mrs. Asta
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jack Adair	...	Escort of Sexy Blonde (uncredited)
Eadie Adams	...	Singer at Welcome Home Party (uncredited)
Eddie Allen	...	Man (uncredited)
Murray Alper	...	The Kid (uncredited)
Charles Arnt	...	Drunk Greeting Nick and Nora at Party (uncredited)
Will Aubrey	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Vince Barnett	...	Wrestling Manager (uncredited)
William 'Billy' Benedict	...	Blond Young Man Who Approaches Car (uncredited)
James Blaine	...	San Francisco Policeman (uncredited)
Jimmy Blair	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Jimmy Brewster	...	Thug with Joe at Nick's Table (uncredited)
Donald Briggs	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Harlan Briggs	...	Burton Forrest (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
William Burress	...	Cousin Lucius (uncredited)
Joe Caits	...	Joe (uncredited)
James Carlisle	...	Man reading Newspaper (uncredited)
Noble 'Kid' Chissel	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Phyllis Coghlan	...	The Charles' Maid Who First Recognizes Them (uncredited)
Irene Coleman	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin	...	Trainman Seeing Nick Kiss Nora (uncredited)
Baldwin Cooke	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Edith Craig	...	Girl with Fireman at Party (uncredited)
Richard Cramer	...	Iceman at Party (uncredited)
Jack Daley	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Edgar Dearing	...	Bill (uncredited)
Cecil Elliott	...	Servant (uncredited)
Frank Fanning	...	Warden (uncredited)
Chester Gan	...	Chinese Waiter (uncredited)
Mary Gordon	...	Rose (uncredited)
Maude Turner Gordon	...	Cousin Helen (uncredited)
William Gould	...	Detective (uncredited)
Jesse Graves	...	Red Cap (uncredited)
Jack Grey	...	Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Ben Hall	...	Butcher Boy (uncredited)
Sherry Hall	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Lew Harvey	...	Thug with Joe at Nick's Table (uncredited)
Sam Hayes	...	First News Radio Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
Arthur Housman	...	Man Rehearsing Welcome Speech (uncredited)
Bert Howard	...	Wrestling Manager's Assistant (uncredited)
Ethel Jackson	...	Girl with Fireman (uncredited)
John Kelly	...	Harold (uncredited)
Edith Kingdon	...	Aunt Hattie (uncredited)
Clarence Kolb	...	General (uncredited)
Jean Laverty	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Hal Le Sueur	...	Polly's Admirer (uncredited)
Carl M. Leviness	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Bert Lindley	...	Station Agent (uncredited)
Richard Loo	...	Lichee Club Headwaiter (uncredited)
Jimmie Lucas	...	Man (uncredited)
Tom McGuire	...	Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Pat McKee	...	New Year's Partygoer (uncredited)
Charles McMurphy	...	Cop (uncredited)
Roger Moore	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Sue Moore	...	Sexy Blonde (uncredited)
Kewpie Morgan	...	Boyfriend of Girl Standing on Hands (uncredited)
Bob Murphy	...	Detective Arresting Nora and David (uncredited)
Jack Norton	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Paddy O'Flynn	...	Singing Guest (uncredited)
Frank Otto	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	...	Man Standing on Hands (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Flop House Proprietor (uncredited)
Joe Phillips	...	Willie the Weeper (uncredited)
Thomas Pogue	...	Uncle Willie (uncredited)
Richard Powell	...	Surprised Policeman Who Shot at Mirror (uncredited)
Jack Raymond	...	Photographer (uncredited)
George Reed	...	Dudley (uncredited)
Jack Richardson	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Tom Ricketts	...	Henry (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Jeanie Roberts	...	Girl Working with Jerry (uncredited)
Claire Rochelle	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Constantine Romanoff	...	Wrestler (uncredited)
Dick Rush	...	San Francisco Detective (uncredited)
Fred Santley	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Bert Scott	...	Man at Piano (uncredited)
Marion Sheldon	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Alice H. Smith	...	Cousin Emily (uncredited)
Jane Talent	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
George Taylor	...	Eddie (uncredited)
Zeffie Tilbury	...	Aunt Lucy (uncredited)
Edith Trivers	...	Hat Check Girl (uncredited)
Charles Trowbridge	...	Police Forensic Examiner (uncredited)
Harry Tyler	...	Fingers (uncredited)
Guy Usher	...	Chief of Detectives (uncredited)
Monte Vandergrift	...	Detective Asked to Check On It (uncredited)
Dorothy Vaughan	...	Charlotte (uncredited)
Lucille Ward	...	Prison Matron (uncredited)
Bobby Watson	...	Leader of Late Crowd (uncredited)
Norman Willis	...	Fireman at Party (uncredited)
Eric Wilton	...	Peter (uncredited)
William Worthington	...	'Respectable' Man in Car (uncredited)

Directed by
W.S. Van Dyke

Writing credits
Frances Goodrich		(screenplay) and
Albert Hackett		(screenplay)
Dashiell Hammett		(story)

Produced by
Hunt Stromberg	....	producer

Original Music by
Herbert Stothart
Edward Ward

Cinematography by
Oliver T. Marsh		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Robert Kern		(as Robert J. Kern)

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Henry Grace		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Dorian	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Harry McAfee	....	associate art director
Edwin B. Willis	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Camera and Electrical Department
Eddie Croninworth	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dolly Tree	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Wayne Allen	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Seymour Felix	....	dance stager
Wallace Worsley Jr.	....	script clerk (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1936) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1937) (France) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (1937) (Austria) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

112 min | Canada:113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (DVD rating) | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #2889)

Filming Locations:

Coit Tower, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The nightclub featured in the film was loosely modeled on the famous Forbidden City, a popular San Francisco night spot from the late 1930s through the 1950s.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As Nick shines his pen-light on the names outside the apartment building, the light falling on the wall is out of sync with his movements.

Quotes:

Nora Charles: Nickie, have you any pictures of yourself taken as a baby?
Nick Charles: [Trying to sleep] No.
Nora Charles: Aww, that's a shame. I want to see what you looked like.
Nick Charles: I'll have some taken in the morning.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Young Frankenstein (1974)

Soundtrack:

Auld Lang Syne

The best of the six Thin Man films

Of the six entries in "The Thin Man" series that were released between 1934-1947, none of which are bad, this one is the best. This second entry has the most plausible story, best cinematography (San Francisco on a cold foggy New Year's Eve night), and is perhaps the most amusing of the lot. This episode is noticeably longer than the other six, mostly due to an extensive homecoming sequence that opens the film, but this does not detract from the film in any way. And if you are a fan of Asta's, he gets more screen time in this outing than any of the others (interestingly, in Dashelle Hammett's book, Asta is female).

Of course the chemistry on screen between Myrna Loy and William Powell is unsurpassed, that's why they would ultimately be cast together in 14 films during their careers. Besides the early and very well done performance of James Stewart, look for a young and brunette Penny Singleton (later "Blondie"), billed under her real name of Dorothy McNulty, playing the role of Polly for all it's worth. It's also fun to remember when you're watching veteran character actress Jessie Ralph play the stodgy Aunt Katherine, you are looking at a woman who was born during the Civil War.

All of the key Thin Man ingredients are here: a clever who-dun-it (with more suspects than any other Thin Man film), beautiful photography, exquisite fashions and decor, jokes as dry and plentiful as the martinis, a performance or two of the popular music of the day, and an ending that will surprise you. As I said, all of these Thin Man films are great fun, but this one is the best.