MovieChat Forums > Another Thin Man (1939) Discussion > Dashiell Hammet (Continental Op) story?

Dashiell Hammet (Continental Op) story?

posted 18 years ago by dzman49
2 replies | jump to latest

This movie is the third in the Thin Man movie series.

The original is based, of course, on Hammet's novel of the same name (which was the only "Thin Man" yarn Hammet wrote).

The second movie appears to simply recycle the 3 lovable characters (including Asta) into a standard issue whodunnit.

Unlike "After the Thin Man", "Another Thin Man"'s credits state: "based on a story by Dashiell Hammet". Does this mean that the plot of this movie derives from an actual Dashiell Hammet story (besides the novel)?

The third movie seems more tautly constructed than the second one, which further suggests that possibility to me. This could be an adaptation of one or more "Continental Op" stories.

If so, what story is it?

[–] seejman0 17 years ago

It's based on "The Farewell Murder", one of the Continental Op stories. Not a 100% transfer, but enough that when I saw the movie a few years after having read the story, it seemed very familiar. The bad guy is different though, so one doesn't really spoil the other.

[–] Rick Hinson 17 years ago

I read a biography of Hammett. He was hired by the studio to write the story for "After the Thin Man" and this one. They then had the screen writers adapt the stories into the screenplays. After the Thin Man is actually much closer to the story hammett wrote for it(really only 2 small details were changed), than this one is. The studio was so unhappy with his story for Another Thin Man, that they changed it dramatically, and didn't hire him for the other three sequels.