Another Thin Man

Nick and Nora (William Powell and Myrna Loy) return to New York with their new baby and investigate the murder of a family friend.

Another Thin Man, the third entry in the Thin Man franchise, is a marked improvement over the previous installment. Wisely, Powell is on screen almost the entire time; thus avoiding the inevitable lulls that were present in the first two films whenever Nick or Nora weren’t on the screen. Further, his constant presence makes up for the now necessarily toned-down Loy who, as a new mother, can’t exactly be seen going drink-for-drink with Powell.

The script moves along at a good pace and sets up a great mystery, all the while keeping the tone serious enough to be interesting but light enough to stay fun. Even the addition of the baby doesn’t cramp Nick and Nora’s style, and does provide some good laughs. Contrary to the awkward feel that some segments of the second installment had, Another Thin Man manages to recapture a good deal of that intangible magic found in the first movie.

Sure, the argument could be made that this is a “more-of-the-same” sequel, and it’s true; but it’s more of the stuff that made the first two films great.