Another Thin Man

In Another Thin Man, Nick and Nora (and their dog Asta) visit the estate of Colonel MacFay. He’s being threatened by a mysterious man wanting revenge for a past wrong. When MacFay is murdered, that man is the obvious suspect. Too obvious …

Another Thin Man (1939) starring William Powell, Myrna Loy

Product Description

Dum-Dum, Wacky, Creeps, Fingers: They’re just a few of the hoodlums in the world of amateur sleuths and professional bon vivants Nick and Nora Charles. And now there’s a new hood: parenthood. A birthday party – make that boithday – that some of da boys hold for infant Nick Jr. is part of the fun in this third film in the witty series. The case begins when the Charles family arrives for a weekend with a Long Island industrialist who fears someone wants to kill him. Sure enough, his fears come true. Nick (William Powell) is among the suspects. Asta scrams with what may be the murder weapon. And Nora (Myrna Loy) has her own ideas about the case and sneaks off to a nightclub to ferret out a clue. “Madam, how long have you been leading this double life?” Nick asks. “Just since we’ve been married,” she replies.

Cast of characters

• William Powell (My Man Godfrey) … Nick
• Myrna Loy (Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House) … Nora
• Virginia Grey (Sweet Rosie O’Grady) … Lois
• Otto Kruger (Dracula’s Daughter) … Van Slack
• C. Aubrey Smith (Tarzan The Ape Man) … Colonel MacFay
• Ruth Hussey (Maisie) … Dorothy Waters
• Nat Pendleton (Buck Privates Come Home) … Lieutenant Guild
• Patric Knowles (Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man) … Dudley Horn
• Tom Neal … Freddie
• Phyllis Gordon … Mrs. Bellam
• Sheldon Leonard (It’s a Wonderful Life) … Phil Church. The nasty man, threatening MacFay. He keeps having suicidal dreams, about who the next murder victim may be.
• Don Costello … ‘Diamond Back’ Vogel
• Harry Bellaver … ‘Creeps’
• William A. Poulsen … Nickie Jr.
• Muriel Hutchison … Smitty
• Abner Biberman (The Leopard Man) … ‘Dum-Dum’
• Marjorie Main (The Wistful Widow of Wagon’s Gap) … Mrs. Dolley. The landlady, who shows Nick & Nora an apartment of one of the suspects. She doesn’t know they’re married, and they play it for comedy.
• Asta (The Kennel Murder Case) … Asta

Songs

• Adios Muchachos (I Get Ideas) (1927)
  • Music by Julio C. Sanders
  • Lyrics by César Felipe Vedani
  • Played by the band at the West Indies Club
• Happy Days Are Here Again (1929)
  • Music by Milton Ager
  • Lyrics by Jack Yellen
  • Played on a radio in Linda Mills’ apartment
  • Reprised at Nick Jr.’s birthday party
• Happy Birthday to You (1893)
  • Written by Mildred J. Hill and Patty S. Hill
  • Played at Nick Jr.’s birthday party
• Rock-a-Bye Baby (1886)
  • Written by Effie I. Canning
  • Played at Nick Jr.’s birthday party
  • Reprised as part of the score at the end
• Siboney (1929)
  • Music by Ernesto Lecuona
  • Danced by Renee and Stella
• Santa Lucia
  • Written by Teodoro Cottrau

Trivia

• Two tragedies befell William Powell prior to the making of this movie: the unexpected death of his fiancée, Jean Harlow, and a difficult battle with colon cancer that required colon bypass surgery and new radiation treatments. Production of this film was delayed as a result. Powell was given a standing ovation when he finally returned to the set for filming.
• At the end of the film, Shemp Howard makes an uncredited appearance at Nicky Jr’s birthday party.