MovieChat Forums > The Thin Man (1934) Discussion > Terrible movie

Terrible movie

posted 9 years ago by Starcraft_rules
24 replies | jump to latest

I'm surprised by it's popularity. It's such a badly directed film, so many characters yet they are completely underdeveloped and uninteresting, so it's hard to be interested in who done it. It's also so strange. Detective and his wife drink all the time (and the movie plays it as normal), has nonsense dialogue, just act weird (she brought a killer to his house and called his husband an idiot for it, then he punched her before attacking killer. What?). Maybe it's supposed to be a comedy in some bits, anyway it's just really dated and bad film.

[–] hamlet-16 9 years ago

Well it is not a serious "whodunnit" in the traditional sense and some of the acting creaks by today's standards it was also not an A picture but really a quickie B film, filmed in about 2 weeks (yes 2 weeks) 12 shooting days! Hence the lack of character development.

BUT audiences then as now warmed to the naturalness of the acting and chemistry in the pairing of Bill Powell and Myrna Loy. Their easy knowing chatter is without peer on film.

I have seen the film many times the plot is irrelevant for me now but I marvel at those performances.

It may seem corny but remember in 1934 it was new and unlike anything before it and resulted in the script being nominated for an Oscar.

The Thin Man is a very important movie because of its impact on films since. How many comic murder mysteries have you seen since with joking buddies or even husbands and wife pairings. It started here.

The cinematography of James Wong How is beautiful and helps hide the lack of budget. The later Thin Man movies had much bigger budget and it shows. However for me the slightly dark photography esp. in Wynant's "shop" is a precursor of Film Noir and actually far more effective than the glossy photography of the later films.

Prohibition was still very much on the minds of the audiences and yes they drink a lot but it is toned down in the later films.

[–] PussyCrusher_Principal 9 years ago

she brought a killer to his house and called his husband an idiot for it

What?!?

nice try, *beep*

....and Whitey's on the moon

[–] brodiew 9 years ago

Well said, hamlet-16. This film one of my favorites for the very chemistry you reference. Plus, William is so magnetic and his energy is hard to ignore.

[–] jonkennedy 9 years ago

Most excellent rebuttal, hamlet-16. Thank you very much for the time and effort you put into it.

[–] Godfrey2 9 years ago

A troll by any other name would still be a troll.

If you're not a troll, my apologies. But what a pity you couldn't enjoy such a fun movie.

[–] airhole 9 years ago

Don't cry, there'll be another Star Trek film along for you soon.

[–] Ghetto_Defendant 8 years ago

Hey, that's not fair. I love this film (and William Powell and Myrna Loy) and I love Star Trek, too. There not mutually exclusive.

[–] Ghetto_Defendant 8 years ago

Sorry for the typo (should be "they're" not "there"--stupid autocorrect!)

[–] FreddyVoorheesTheThird 9 years ago

I think the 8.2 on IMDB disagrees with you.

When you play the game of monopoly, you win or you go bankrupt. There is no middle ground.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] RobbieCalifornia 8 years ago

Thank you hamlet18. I love this movie and both William Powell and Myrna Loy.

[–] heelmaster2000 8 years ago

I thought it was a great dry comedy whodoneit, murder mystery.

[–] Hythlodaeus 8 years ago

It's a comedy - did you realize that? Actually has a little bit of a Three Stooges feeling to it.

What hump? 

[–] vilafire 8 years ago

Well, this troll was well trounced. Kudos to his/her trouncers.

I will add that the book is the offspring of a hard boiled detective story by Dashiell Hammet. You idiot. (Ignorance is hard to take.) That explains the hard drinking. None of your other criticisms deserve reply.

Have a good one!

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] SAMRubinsky 8 years ago

Ever hear of pearls before swine?

Yeah, that.

[–] jonheilman 8 years ago

I love The Thin man films and Star Trek. But the original poster seems to have missed the mark with Thin Man. Maybe the OP lacked info on context of the time period, but it's a wonderful slice of the times. And Powell and Loy have a timeless chemistry. Watch they other film pairings, starting with Manhattan Melodrama. This film is a milestone and a ton of fun. I'm showing my daughter all the Thin Man films and she's enjoying them. She was curious about them since she remembers our now deceased wire fox terrier. Named, of course, Asta.