Another Thin Man

1939
Story by Dashiell Hammett
Screenplay by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich
Additional material by Anita Loos (uncredited)
Directed by W. S. Van Dyke

After taking a brief trip home to San Francisco for the prior film, the action returns to New York City with Another Thin Man. The third entry in the franchise features one of the best mysteries and a cool collection of the off-beat characters that help make the Thin Man films so endearing. If you can’t smile when a bunch of mugs and lowlifes sing an off-key rendition of Happy Birthday while each holding random screaming children, then you’re probably a boring person scared of life.

Another Thin Man is my favorite of the series, I feel it has the best mix of characters, humor, and mystery. There is a constant stream of characters both good and seedy, and often both. Another Thin Man picks some of the themes of the prior two films and then throws them on their ears – there is a love triangle with a rich girl, a rich father who becomes a murder victim, and secret identities. Nora’s father’s business partner Colonel Burr MacFay makes an unsympathetic murder victim with his dismissal of Church and admittance that things outside of the law were done to ensure the fortune. But the law isn’t about whether someone is worthy of being a target.

One delight is the Cuban dance number in the West Indies Club, working with the Cuban origin of Church while providing a follow up to the Chinese-themed nightclub from Another Thin Man. Nora had received a phone call promising a clue would be told to her there, and she rushes over so she can show up Nick. Nick manages to get to the club by other means, and finds his wife at a table swarmed by male suitors (one of the few turnabouts to Nick constantly finding the admiration of random ladies in the series), they trade some hilarious wordplay that send the men scattering, and Nora ends up dancing with a guy who she thinks is the man with the information, but is just a lovestruck random guy. Nick has his own adventure with a man who begins spilling the entire plot after a few drinks, and Phil Church’s goon Dum-Dum is there to continually tell the guy to shut up. Nick does end up saving his wife from dancing with the random lothario thanks to a well-time punch when the power goes out.

Another Thin Man is jammed packed with the character actors that gave the Thin Man films their goofy dangerous flavor. Harry Bellaver plays Creeps, a “reformed” criminal now working as a bellhop (and another of Nick’s busts back from his detective days) who is determined to throw the couple a party. Shemp Howard appears as another reformed criminal named Wacky, who borrows a baby to get into said party. Paragon of British upper crust C. Aubrey Smith is Colonel Burr MacFay, business partner to Nora’s father, and he turns out to have been involved in some very shady dealings. And let’s not forget Dum-Dum, the knife-welding member of Phil Church’s crew who projects an aura of intelligent danger, even if he’s occasionally deflated by Asta retrieving his knives. Assistant District Attorney Ben Van Slack (Otto Kruger) becomes very involved in the investigation, at first trying to flip it on Nick, then eventually chasing after any lead and making lots of exaggerated implications. There is also the welcome return of Nat Pendleton as Lieutenant John Guild, the New York detective more than happy to have Nick help on this case. Keep your eyes peeled for Marjorie Main (from the Ma and Pa Kettle movies) as Mrs. Dolley!

A seedy trio lead by Phil Church are threatening Colonel MacFay for compensation for the time Church spent in jail while working for the Colonel. Church is embittered over his time served, but also has a complicated plan to get money and cause problems. He speaks of dreaming of his enemies dying, and then they do so in real life. Church’s knife welding servant Dum-Dum is more than just a goon, he knows the plan and knows he needs to keep people quiet, but occasionally is even cordial to Nick despite his deadly undertone. His devotion to Church is total. The female quotient is Smitty, who has a few secrets of her own. There is even an unofficial fourth member of this trio, who at first appears to just be watching the group, but manages to weasel himself inside to give us an additional suspect.

The plot is among the more complicated of the series, red herrings flying around like Lew Zealand is performing. A good chunk of what happens seems to transpire just to lead us off course. There is a long-lost daughter, a mystery woman, and people who are more than they appear. Another Thin Man is the last of the films given a story by Dashiell Hammett, which were also worked on by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett (and Anita Loos is also credited with story work by online sources).

Nick Charles (William Powell) – The retired detective is once again out of retirement with another murder mystery, this time involving more people he knows. Even a few of the secondary characters are starting to get suspicious. Nora Charles (Myrna Loy) – Nick’s wife and now mother of Nick Jr, thus she won’t be keeping up with the drinking and must double down on quips. Asta (Asta) – The Charles’ loyal dog is with them once again to help look for clues, retrieve knives, and to get into random mischief. This may still be Skippy, or may be one of the replacement Astas. I have conflicting information on that. Lieutenant John Guild (Nat Pendleton) – Lt. John Guild returns to the series to try to figure out the case, even though the murder happened outside of New York City proper. Maybe he works for the state police? Assistant District Attorney Ben Van Slack (Otto Kruger) – ADA who attaches himself to the case because someone high-profile was knocked off. Spends part of the film jumping to ridiculous conclusions and giving weird looks. Colonel Burr MacFay (C. Aubrey Smith) – Friend and business partner of Nora’s father, and helped run the businesses after her father died. Did some shady stuff, though he insulated Nora’s dad from the bad stuff. Screwed over Phil Church and doesn’t want to pay out. Has a bajillion enemies, and then mysteriously dies in an empty room. Phil Church (Sheldon Leonard) – Cuban ex-con who spent time in jail because he did off the book dirty deeds for Colonel MacFay, and now he wants to get paid for his troubles, or else! He threatens people by telling them he dreams of their deaths, and after the third time that they die in his dreams, they die in reality. Has a gang consisting of knife-thrower Dum-Dum (Abner Biberman) and female Smitty (Muriel Hutchison), who is his sort of love interest despite having a husband she doesn’t bother with. Lois MacFay (Virginia Grey) – MacFay’s adopted daughter. She comes complete with a dog (Jesse), a fiancé (Dudley Horn, played by Patric Knowles), and Freddie Coleman’s interest. Of her admirers and family, only Freddie comes out of the first chunk of the movie with his life intact. Freddie Coleman (Tom Neal) – MacFay’s secretary and lovelorn admirer of Lois MacFay, though she has other interests and is engaged. “Creeps” (Harry Bellaver) – “Reformed” criminal who runs into Nick and insists on throwing him a party in celebration of the birth of his son. Responsible for bringing a lot of colorful characters into the climactic scenes.