After the Thin Man (1936) User Reviews

The best of the six Thin Man films

[mrsastor · 8/10 · 13 July 2005]

Of the six entries in "The Thin Man" series that were released between 1934-1947, none of which are bad, this one is the best. This second entry has the most plausible story, best cinematography (San Francisco on a cold foggy New Year's Eve night), and is perhaps the most amusing of the lot. This episode is noticeably longer than the other six, mostly due to an extensive homecoming sequence that opens the film, but this does not detract from the film in any way. And if you are a fan of Asta's, he gets more screen time in this outing than any of the others (interestingly, in Dashelle Hammett's book, Asta is female).

Of course the chemistry on screen between Myrna Loy and William Powell is unsurpassed, that's why they would ultimately be cast together in 14 films during their careers. Besides the early and very well done performance of James Stewart, look for a young and brunette Penny Singleton (later "Blondie"), billed under her real name of Dorothy McNulty, playing the role of Polly for all it's worth. It's also fun to remember when you're watching veteran character actress Jessie Ralph play the stodgy Aunt Katherine, you are looking at a woman who was born during the Civil War.

All of the key Thin Man ingredients are here: a clever who-dun-it (with more suspects than any other Thin Man film), beautiful photography, exquisite fashions and decor, jokes as dry and plentiful as the martinis, a performance or two of the popular music of the day, and an ending that will surprise you. As I said, all of these Thin Man films are great fun, but this one is the best.

Excellent

[reve-2 · 9/10 · 6 November 1999]

Although this film was released in 1936, it is as entertaining and fresh today as ever, and is certainly much better than any of the over-long and over-produced movies that Hollywood produces today. This is the second in the excellent "Thin Man" series and the viewer can see that the series is really in full stride. The delightful cast of street types who are old friends and cronies of Nick's are a joy to watch. The interplay between William Powell and Myrna Loy has never been matched and is to be treasured. What a great surprise for me to see Penny Singelton, who later played "Blondie" in that long running series. Ms. Singelton sings and dances up a storm as a cabaret performer and she is an integral character in the plot of this engrossing "whodunnit". Another nice surprise for me was seeing Jimmy Stewart in one of his earlier roles. He definitely had leading man type looks. As per usual, Powell, as Nick Charles, unmasks the murderer in the climatic scene where all suspects, the police, and assorted others are present. In most movies, I tend to find pets rather annoying as they distract from the plot of the film. But, for me, Asta is the one exception to this thesis. He is so entertaining and no Thin Man movie would be complete without his antics. In summary, all I can say is that this is a SUPERB film. Catch it on Turner Classic Movies or find a video at your' favorite store or online retailer.

"Come on, let's get something to eat. I'm thirsty."

[ackstasis · 8/10 · 23 May 2007]

Some weeks ago I expressed my absolute enthusiasm for 'The Thin Man (1934),' a delightfully humorous murder mystery/comedy classic, starring the inimitable comedic marriage of William Powell and Myrna Loy as husband-and-wife detectives Nick and Nora Charles. This original film, after a solid box-office run and four Academy Award nominations, spawned a respectable five sequels, and a radio and television series. 'After the Thin Man' is the first of these sequels, released in 1936.

As the original trailer for the film proudly proclaims, 'After the Thin Man' brought back the three writers of the original hit (Dashiell Hammett, Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett), the same director (W.S. Van Dyke) and, of course, the three huge film stars in Powell, Loy and, of course, Asta the dog (the wire-haired terrier whose birth-name was Skippy). True to its promise, the film is every bit as witty, hilarious and suspenseful as its predecessor, masterfully melding Nick and Nora's playful banter with another twisted mystery of love, betrayal, blackmail and murder. And look out for a memorable supporting performance from a young James Stewart, who was yet to hit it big with the likes of Frank Capra and Alfred Hitchcock.

The sequel takes place just a day or two after where 'The Thin Man' left off, as Nick and Nora prepare to depart from the train that brought them back home to San Francisco. Like the original film, the actually murder mystery is quite a messy one, though the writers have luckily decided to tone down, just slightly, the number of interwoven threads this time around. With nothing in mind but sleeping for a month, our favourite detective couple are surprised to walk into a welcome-home party held by people they don't even know, before they are invited to Nora's Aunt Katherine's (Jessie Ralph) house for dinner. Whilst there, Nora's cousin Selma (Elissa Landi) reveals that her husband, Robert (Alan Marshal), has been missing for three days.

The filmmakers have, once again, managed to round up a terrific cast to complement the talents of its two sparkling leads. I particularly enjoyed the contribution of Jessie Ralph as Aunt Katherine, who absolutely detests Nick and addresses him as "Nich-o-larse!" Nick's obsession with alcohol also continues, though he maintains his uncanny ability to switch painlessly between a drunken stupor and completely alert sobriety. The good-natured inter-marital sledging that made the original film so enjoyable still carries a razor-sharp wit, and, in one hilarious sequence, Nick even goes as far as pretending not to recognise his wife so she can be temporarily detained in a jail cell.

'After the Thin Man' is one of those very rare occasions when a sequel is good enough to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with its predecessor. A mixture of clever writing, talented directing and an infectious chemistry between the cast members worked to ensure that the partnership between Nick and Nora Charles would be a prolonged one.

Nick & Nora: "...a hard habit to get out of!"

[gaityr · 8/10 · 29 September 2002]

Very few sequels ever live up to the film that started the entire franchise--AFTER THE THIN MAN, second in a series of six films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Detective Nick Charles and his inquisitive, charming wife Nora, is one of those that just about manages it. It brings back the characters we've gotten to know in the first film, THE THIN MAN, and subjects them to even more wacky criminal hijinks.

This time, Nick (Powell) and Nora (Loy) return to San Francisco just in time for a surprise New Year's Eve party (at which no one recognises them, ironically enough!). However, Nora's dour Aunt Katherine (Jessie Ralph) spoils Nick's plans to spend New Year's Eve blissfully alone--and most likely inebriated--by inviting the couple to her house to help Nora's cousin Selma (Elissa Landi). Selma's husband Robert (Alan Marshal) has been missing for days, off with Polly Byrnes (Penny Singleton), a nightclub entertainer at the Lychee Club owned by Dancer (Joseph Calleia). David Graham, Selma's erstwhile but painfully rejected fiance, still apparently holds a torch for Selma, and Robert gleefully blackmails David in return for a promise to leave his own wife. Little does Robert know that he is very much part of a web of intrigue, about to be cheated himself by Polly and Dancer, and he inevitably ends up as the murder case for the rest of the film.

The great part about this film is that the murder case actually does keep one in suspense, even if one knows the identity of the murderer before watching the film for the first time, as I did. It keeps you guessing about why and where, and the entire cast of supporting characters, as in the first Thin Man film, are shrouded in mystery and suspicion. It could be anyone of them, and in a trademark revelation scene at the very end, Nick gathers the whole assembly of players to catch the murderer red-handed, as it were.

Throw this cleverly-written murder mystery in with a healthy heaping of literate dialogue, thrown out only as William Powell and Myrna Loy can, and you get a classy film that hints at crime, love, sex, power and hatred without ever needing to resort to cheaper tricks. It's great to meet these characters again: Nick, constantly inebriated and the epitome of gentlemanly cool as usual (witness the scene in which Dancer causes a blackout and a great deal of loud scuffling and gunshots are heard in the darkness--Nick is calmly making a phone call under the table, amidst all the chaos); Nora, the charming, understanding modern wife who's game for anything that Nick can dream up (unless, of course, he locks her into the bathroom to prevent her from tagging along)... and of course, Asta, who we discover has his own family (made up of Mrs. Asta and the cutest puppies one can imagine) that he's trying very hard to protect.

As with the previous Thin Man film, however, AFTER THE THIN MAN combines a great mystery story with a very real portrayal of the marriage everyone wished they had. It's no small wonder that menfolk in the 1930s used to form 'Men Must Marry Myrna' Clubs--she's able to stand up to her man whenever necessary, and even when she's chattering through the night evidently hungering for Nick's scrambled eggs, Myrna Loy's Nora Charles is one of the cutest female characters ever created. One of the best scenes would undeniably be when Nick realises he's kissed someone else on the stroke of midnight, so goes on a quest for Nora. He finds her and she asks him if he has any New Year's complaints or resolutions; he does have a complaint and gravely informs her of it. She nods seriously in agreement and says, "Must scold. Must nag. Mustn't be too pretty in the mornings." I won't spoil the ending of the film, but Nora's own revelation to Nick as they take the train back to New York is also as touching and sweet as can be imagined.

If you're up for a good romance story, or a good murder mystery, or better yet, a combination of the two, you really couldn't go wrong with this second installment in the Thin Man series. Try your best to get your hands on the first film, but AFTER THE THIN MAN is truly a sequel that does the original film and the franchise to follow proud.

The Best Thin Man

[jacksflicks · 10/10 · 30 April 2001]

The first "Thin Man" was great, but I like "After the Thin Man" even better. William Powell and Myrna Loy, as Nick and Nora Charles, are the archetype sophisticated couple. No one since has come close. Great casting of the supporting roles fills out the story exquisitely. Wow, could those old studios serve up wonderful acting for all kinds of characters! My favorite is Aunt Katherine, the battle ax to end all battles axes, played by Jessie Ralph; and Henry, the rickety old butler played by, would you believe, Tom Ricketts.

As usual, the dialog sparkles. And the story is great-- a nice Dashiell Hammett whodunit with a not-too-complicated plot that leads to a surprise ending. The encounter between Nora's family and Nick -- "Poor Nora!" -- is worth the price of admission. I grin every time I think about it.

The saga -- and the fun -- continues, with nary a missed beat.

[bigpurplebear · 17 April 2001]

Alluding to her 1950s screen personna, Oscar Levant once wisecracked about Doris Day: "Hey, I knew her BEFORE she was a virgin!" Well, no, Ms. Day isn't in this film, but one of the (many) treats offered up by "After The Thin Man" is a chance to get to know James Stewart BEFORE he was James Stewart. Appearing here in a supporting role, he gets to show off some acting chops he didn't always get a chance to display in his later career.

Add to the mix a topnotch screenplay, the chemistry between William Powell and Myrna Loy that is so strong you find yourself believing that only a week has lapsed since their previous outing (rather than two years), at least one sight gag worthy of Groucho Marx (Nick when he and Nora go to visit her stuffed-shirt relatives), and -- oh, yes -- some vintage location footage shot in San Francisco back in the days when "the city that knows how" still knew. (Yep, that really is the old 3rd and Townsend depot, and yes, as a matter of fact, that really is Lotta's Fountain on lower Market Street, and how about that driveway leading up to their palatial home, complete with the breathtaking view? None other than the approach to Coit Tower!)

If the storyline's a bit thinner than the original, the fun is no less. The madcap drinking (sheesh!) and the razor-sharp banter continue on their merry way. As do Nick and Nora. And oh, yes, not that it probably matters that much, but there is a mystery and it does get solved.

More Nick and Nora fun!

[amhnorris · 7/10 · 7 June 2003]

I was spurred to watch this one after having seen David Niven and Maggie Smith's spot-on parody of Nick and Nora in 'Murder By Death'. Nick spends most of this one either drinking or drunk, but doesn't let that prevent him from solving the crime of course. Myrna Loy is wonderfully aloof in a fine comic performance. Although it involves murder, the tone is almost exclusively light hearted. The plot was almost a little too complicated, the type of thing that 'Murder By Death' so effectively mocked. It seemed as though the script wanted to make it so that anyone could have been a suspect (one of which is James Stewart in a fun role)which normally would be a good idea, but can make it a little confusing (and I'll admit that I wasn't paying 100% attention, but the light-heartedness seems to almost encourage you not to take it all seriously...which is why 'The Thin Man' movies are so much fun in the first place!)

Handling It In The Family

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 11 November 2006]

After solving the famous Thin Man case in New York and acquiring a trademark in the process, Nick Charles returns to San Francisco with wife Nora to spend some time with some of her family. As we learned in the initial film, Myrna Loy's parents are both deceased, but she's got one formidable aunt is Jessie Ralph and a cousin with a wayward husband in Elissa Landi.

Elissa prevails upon Myrna to get Bill to locate her husband who's been missing for a few days. Powell and Loy do locate Alan Marshal the husband and the rat's been living it up with nightclub chanteuse Penny Singleton. Marshal's a playboy wastrel and hasn't the slightest intention of returning to home and hearth. But in the wee small hours of New Year's Day, he gets himself murdered on the streets of San Francisco and two more bodies turn up before William Powell solves the case.

James Stewart appears in this second Thin Man film as Landi's patient former boyfriend. In the films of James Stewart book, Stewart mentions that he wasn't particularly happy with his work in this film though I'm sure it didn't hurt his career any. He felt it was way too much at variance with what his fans expected from him. It's reason enough to watch the film and see if you agree with Jimmy.

Sam Levene of the San Francisco PD isn't any brighter than Nat Pendleton of the NYPD just a little more excitable. Powell shows them up all the time so much so that you wonder why he's not made police commissioner of either city.

Asta the most famous terrier in the world gets a bit more screen time than usual for animal lovers. He's got a Mrs. Asta and several pups and a black dog who keeps trying to cut in on his time. He also at one point provides the highpoint in comedy as he almost eats a clue which is in the form of a note thrown threw a window. Lots of fun as Powell and Loy try to get him to spit out the note. Handling that doggie drool soaked note musn't have been fun for Loy and Powell.

After the Thin Man keeps up the high standards in film making set by the original Thin Man and shouldn't be missed.

My brief review of the film

[sol- · 6/10 · 25 January 2006]

The chemistry between Powell and Loy was the best aspect of 'The Thin Man', and it is how well they interact together which keeps this sequel afloat. Unfortunately, despite having the same director at the helm, the pacing is too sluggish this time round for it to be fully effective, as time is wasted for scenes of "cuteness" that add little to the story. Overall, despite its wittiness, it fails to reach the originality and freshness of the first film, but it does all right as light entertainment. James Stewart has an interesting early role here - but Powell is by far the best feature of the film. It is all very watchable stuff, even if it cannot reach the heights of the original.

The fun continues

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 11 April 2019]

'The Thin Man' still stands out as a brilliant film, witty, suspenseful, very well made and directed with great performances and chemistry between the two stars William Powell and Myrna Loy. It was followed five sequels 'After the Thin Man', 'Another Thin Man', 'Shadow of the Thin Man', 'The Thin Man Goes Home' and 'Song of the Thin Man'. None of them disgrace it or are bad, in fact all of them are well worth watching, while not quite equalling or surpassing it.

'After the Thin Man' is the first of them and is a contender for the best. It is on the slight side perhaps and some may find it slow. Not me though, it transfixed me from the start and never let go. There is little to fault with 'After the Thin Man', though for my tastes Dorothy McNulty (aka Penny Singleton) overdoes it and doesn't amuse as much as ought. That though is nit-picking. There is so much to like here, all of the fun, suspense and charm of 'The Thin Man' is present and everything that was so great about that film is here too with the full impact not being lost.

It's a good-looking film, especially with some of the best photography of the series. Being both elegant and moody. The sets are simple but not too simplistic and certainly not unattractive. The costumes and fashions are even more elegant than the photography, and have always been one of the consistently striking elements of the films. Loy looks absolutely fabulous here, what she wears suits her so well and the camera clearly loves it. The music is suitably jaunty while not being inappropriately so, and the film is directed at a lively pace.

Script still continues to have hilarious and witty dialogue, with a good deal of sophistication and charm. The comic banter is light and never heavy and the physical comedy is endearingly silly without going over the top or childish. The story is never hard to follow and always engages, actually found that the slightness didn't matter that much. It also continues to have some of the best suspense of the series and there are some genuine surprises, including a nice minor twist involving James Stewart in an early role and an ending that one doesn't see coming.

Powell and Loy are on top form here, especially Powell who has more to do and clearly has a great time being charming and suave. Loy is glamour personified and the easy-going and magnetic chemistry between her and Powell is what makes the film, and the whole 'The Thin Man' series for that matter, work so well, for me it is one of film's most legendary partnerships. The rest of the cast fare well and who cannot help endear to Asta?

Overall, great film and complements the first film beautifully. 9/10

William Powell & Myrna Loy still make a wonderful pair

[cricketbat · 6/10 · 16 November 2022]

I thoroughly enjoyed The Thin Man, so I was excited to see this follow-up film, After the Thin Man. William Powell & Myrna Loy still make a wonderful pair, although it seems like this film gives Loy less to do, which was disappointing. She's a talented actress. I also felt the storyline of this sequel was a little more difficult to follow than the original movie, or maybe I was just tired. I may need to give it another viewing. Nevertheless, I was entertained while watching it, and it was fun to see a young Jimmy Stewart. I look forward to seeing the next film in this franchise, Another Thin Man.

The greatest movie marriage

[FilmOtaku · 8/10 · 12 July 2005]

In this first sequel to the celebrated film "The Thin Man", detective Nick Charles, (Powell) his socialite wife Nora (Loy) and their beloved terrier Asta are on their way home to San Francisco after a long trip. Shortly after they arrive, Nora is invited to her wealthy aunt's house for dinner where she is told by her cousin Selma (Landi) that her husband Robert has run off (again) and she needs Nick to find him. When Nick and Nora find Robert at a local nightclub that very evening, they soon discover that he is wrapped up in a situation with some shady people; he is soliciting David (a really young Stewart), an ex-beau of Selma's who is still in love with her, for $25,000. In exchange for this $25,000 he will leave Selma's life forever, will run off with his girlfriend, a singer at the nightclub, and David can then step in. The plan promptly goes sour when Robert is shot and killed, leaving five suspects in his murder, including Selma herself. It is up to Nick and Nora to help the police solve the crime and clear Selma's name.

I thoroughly enjoyed "The Thin Man", and was absolutely charmed and delighted with this sequel. Nick and Nora Charles absolutely have to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest on screen couples in film history. Certainly, they take a back seat to the better known Hepburn/Tracy, Gable/Leigh, hell, even Curtis/Lemmon. But while the story itself in "After the Thin Man" was good, and strong enough to stand on its own merit, but the film itself is great because of Powell and Loy. Myrna Loy, one of my favorite classic film actresses, made a career out of being the non-plussed wife or object of affection to varying degrees of spastic leading men. (Particularly Cary Grant in "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" and "The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer", both films I would definitely recommend.) Loy's straight-faced elegance is perfection as Nora Charles, a young and beautiful wealthy socialite who married Nick, a detective from the wrong side of the tracks who loves liquor and ribald humor. Powell is hilarious and charming as Nick, and they own the characters so thoroughly, I can't fathom anyone else playing those roles.

Much is made of "chemistry", and the chemistry between our two main characters is electric. The material they had to work with certainly helped in the success of this film. Hammett's story works as a good base, with Goodrich & Hackett punching up the script. Toward the beginning of the film, there is a scene where Nick and Nora are returning to their San Francisco mansion, completely exhausted and pledging to sleep for a month. When they open their door, however, they find their house filled with a couple of hundred people; apparently, friends of theirs were throwing them a surprise welcome home party, only no one there recognizes them as the guests of honor, so they non-chalantly begin to dance with everyone else until they are finally noticed by their servants. Describing the situation doesn't do it justice, but it is just one example of the many charming scenes contained in this film. "After the Thin Man" also has some hilarious lines, and while a lot of the appeal is in the delivery, dialogue like a scene between Nick and Nora, who are waiting to be let in to her aunt's house, (Nick and her aunt have a mutual dislike for one another) when Nora asks, "What ARE you muttering to yourself?" Nick replies, "I'm just trying to get all of the bad words out of my mind." And then later, when reintroducing her husband to her aunt, Nora says, "You remember my husband, Nick…" her aunt replies with "Hello, NicholASS." (And proceeds to call him that the entire film.) Even Asta has a subplot in this film; when they arrive home in the beginning of the film, he runs back to the kennel to see Mrs. Asta. Apparently Mrs. Asta has had a litter of puppies, and when they all come out black and white (with one fully black one) even though the Astas are fully white, he finds out that the culprit is a black dog from down the street. The two scenes involving this little side story are truly funny and fitting of a dog that has reached iconic status. (At least in the crossword puzzle world – his name is a clue in at least one crossword puzzle I do a week!) "After the Thin Man" has some corny moments, but they are few and so minor compared to the relative greatness of the rest of the film, that I don't think I could truly single them out easily. (At least not with seeming needlessly picky) I would truly recommend this film series to anyone who enjoys classic films – I so thoroughly enjoyed this film that I plan to check out the rest of the sequels in the near future. The snappy & clever dialogue, great performances and good story truly make "After the Thin Man" a worthy sequel to its great predecessor. 8/10 --Shelly

The first was a hard act to follow...

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 11 March 2019]

... but this one is a good effort. Nick and Nora are on their way to California, which is actually where their home is, just days after the events of the original Thin Man, made two years before. The Thin Man took place over Christmas. Nick and Nora arrive home on New Year's Eve.

Looking forward to a rest, they get anything but. Remember, it is Nora's family that has all of the money. They go to their home, Nick's friends are throwing them a New Year's Eve party, with Nick and Nora's booze, not even realizing when the arrive. Then they are forced by family obligations to go to "Aunt Catherine's" house - Nora's family - for dinner. The important development here is that Nora's cousin, Selma (Elissa Landi), is frantic because her ne'er do well husband Robert (Alan Marshall) is missing. She figures he married her for her money, she figures he has other women and that is where he disappears to, yet she still loves him. Well, she's right, on both counts. Robert has taken up with a singer at a club, Polly Byrnes. It turns out that Robert has made a bunch of people mad at him besides his wife, so when he turns up a corpse with a bullet in him a short while into the film, this is no surprise. The question is of course "who did it?" and the most competent investigator on the case isn't even a cop anymore - Nick.

This murder plot was more convoluted that the first, and it can get confusing. That is in sharp contrast to the first film which was an adaptation of a sharply constructed Dashiell Hammett novel rather than an MGM screenplay. Then there are the production code elements that get dragged into things - that wasn't around when the first one was released. That is probably the reason for the contents of the final scene - and that situation leads to some tiresome scenes and situations in the later Thin Man movies that just don't belong in Nick and Nora's cosmopolitan life IMHO.

So what is fun about it? Watching the future Mrs. Bumstead (Penny Singleton) as a practically illiterate singer at a nightclub and her comments on things. There is the introduction of Mrs. Asta who has a litter of pups that indicate she might not have been entirely faithful in Asta's absence. I guess the production code did not apply to dogs. There is Jesse Ralph as Aunt Catherine - and why does she think she can boss around her nieces who are grown married women? I wish somebody would sue her or arrest her for caning everybody she doesn't like. She is a completely unlikeable old bird. Finally this film has a most unlikely villain.

Above all of this there is the charming banter of Nick and Nora Charles. It is actually more of a reason to watch any and all of the Thin Man movies than the murder mystery. William Powell and Myrna Loy have great chemistry in all of their films. That is probably why they did a total of 13 films for MGM from 1934 to 1947.

Other (better) alternatives are available.

[1930s_Time_Machine · 5/10 · 11 March 2024]

I love Woody Van Dyke's films, I enjoy Dashiell Hammett's stories and I'm a massive William Powell fan - he might just have been the coolest actor of the 30s. This film however, like the first one leaves me totally flat.

Any light comedy romance featuring detectives made after 1934 seems to get called a 'THIN MAN rip-off' as though that film were some sacred and venerated holy work, the perfect picture of which it is sacrilegious to criticise and anything which tries to copy it can only be unworthy and almost blasphemous. I'm clearly some sort of heretic because I think THE THIN MAN is best described as 'ok' AFTER THE THIN MAN is just more of the same -again it's ok but nothing special or too dissimilar to some of the so-called rip-offs. Personally I liked the couple of films Joan Blondell did with Mervyn Douglas - they were much more fun.

Maybe it's because I have an irrational dislike of Myrna Loy that I liked this as little as the first one but even Mr Cool himself just seems a bit smug rather than amusing - he's not quite his usual likeable self. It's pleasant enough, it's watchable but it's not what could be considered funny.

Nick and Nora Strike Again!

[Bucs1960 · 23 December 2002]

The Thin Man series.........a lifestyle which probably never really existed but wasn't it fun? Lots of money, booze and murder all wrapped up in a neat little package. Nick and Nora, looking sophisticated, solving everyone's problems while consuming a case of various spirits, and loving each other dearly. What a life!!

This second entry in the series really holds up well.....usually sequels are much weaker but not so here. The supporting cast is great with the exception of Penny Singleton (Dorothy McNulty at this point in her career and before she went on to play Blondie). She is like fingernails on a blackboard.....that voice!!! And look for her dance number when she almost falls backward after slamming into the side of the stage! I found her very irritating. Elissa Landi is a little bit over the top as well but she is so attractive that it doesn't matter much. Jessie Ralph is the prototype of the battle axe from hell and Joseph Calliea is his usual suave, oily crook. Then there is James Stewart, before his days of stardom......you have to look twice to be sure that it is the same man. We are so ingrained in his later stuttering, hesitant persona that it is difficult to recognize him......and he was quite handsome!

But of course it is William Powell and Myrna Loy that carry the show as the charming sophisticates whose repartee is brisk and surprisingly modern. There was never a better light comedy team on film (well, maybe Tracy and Hepburn). Thank heavens they are captured on film forever.

Watch this film....you'll love it. Plus there is the added bonus of seeing San Francisco in the 30's.....and don't forget Asta!!!!

Springing For Entertainment Value

[bigverybadtom · 8/10 · 22 May 2016]

The original "The Thin Man" movie was based on the title Dashiell Hammett detective novel, and it played itself more for its humorous aspects than as a serious mystery. The idea evidently worked, for this started a series of "Thin Man" movies which were not based on any Hammett stories, with the comic adventures of Nick and Nora doing detective work.

In this run, Nick and Nora have come back from New York to California on New Year's, hoping to relax but instead being treated to a surprise party, and then having to meet Nora's aristocratic and snooty relatives. Unfortunately Nora's cousin Selma's husband has disappeared (as he had done before), and begs Nick and Nora to find him. Reluctantly, they do so. They find him quickly, alive and well, at a local club, but the problems, and the story, are only beginning as the husband is murdered, and Nick and Nora unearth some criminal intrigues...

The story is played basically for laughs, though there is violence, danger, and tension. There are jokes about 3 am breakfasts and drinking lots of alcohol and smoking, and the dog Asta gives Nick and Nora trouble rather than provides help...and the very end of the story has a cute twist to it. It's entertaining more than anything else, but enjoyable if you like it.

More intrigue in the second "Thin Man" film

[SimonJack · 9/10 · 25 March 2018]

"After the Thin Man" is the second film in the "Thin Man" series that stars William Powell and Myrna Loy. Oh, yes, and Asta their talented pet, Scottie. James Stewart has the next lead and is at the head of a large cast of good actors.

After the success of his first book and the movie based on it, Dashiell Hammett was commissioned to write more stories about Nick and Nora Charles. So, he wrote screenplay stories for this film and the next one, "Another Thin Man." MGM hired another man and wife team, Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich, to write the screenplays. It was decades after Hammett's death that manuscripts for these two novellas were found. They had publication notes from Hammett urging that the screenplay revisions by Goodrich and Hackett be made in the stories themselves before their publication. That happened in 2012, in a book entitled, "Return of the Thin Man."

This story has a huge cast with an intriguing plot of betrayal, infidelity, blackmail, forgery, fraud and murder. About the only crimes not part of this one are bank robbery and kidnapping. It's another very good comedy-mystery for nick and Nora Charles to tackle.

It occurred to me, watching this film again recently, that there is one specific distinction about the crimes in Dashiell Hammett stories compared to the great detective mysteries of Agatha Christie. Hammett's crime stories generally have many possible suspects, whereas Christie's Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple crimes have just a few suspects. Both Hammett and Christie were master storytellers who could do what it took to keep the solutions close to secret until near the end. And, that has most always been to the delight of we mystery story and film aficionados.

Here are some favorite lines from this film. For more humorous dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the movie.

Nora, "Dear, you know the most interesting people."

Nora exchanges greetings with a couple in another open car that is passing in the opposite direction. Nick says, "Who's that?" Nora, "Oh, you wouldn't know them. They're respectable."

Nick, "Come on. Let's get something to eat. I'm thirsty."

Nora, "Do you know why Robert wasn't here tonight?" Nick, "Because he's smart." Nora, "I'm not fooling, darling. He's disappeared." Nick, "That's swell. Now if we could just get Aunt Katherine to disappear."

Nora, "Well, how you gonna do it?" Nick, "I haven't the faintest idea. I'm just gonna look and listen and pray that somebody makes a slip. Just one slip."

Polly, "What do ya mean, illiterate? My father and mother were married right here in the city hall."

The Charles goes West while Asta gets the blues.

[st-shot · 7/10 · 14 August 2022]

After wrapping a murder mystery in NYC (The Thin Man) Nick and Nora Charles head west back home to San Francisco and her wealthy family who disapprove of Nick led by a wealthy dowager Aunt Katherine (Jessie Ralph) who has nothing but disdain for the former gumshoe. Content to be treated like a conquering hero among the great unwashed, Nora manages to get him involved in a family murder mystery involving her cousin. Subsequent bedlam soon follows.

Nearly a half hour longer than its predecessor, "After" has plenty of slow moments with a lot of over the top back slapping and excess of mugging dimwits. Director Woody Van Dyke fails to match Powell and Loy's cadence to the film's pace as he did so well in Thin Man but the two still match up as a perfect pair. Jimmy Stewart in an early role makes for an interesting suspect while Ellisi Landi is a step down from Maureen O'Sullivan's damsel in distress of the previous work. Ralph's Aunt Katherine steals every scene she's in while a subplot giving Asta more screen time reeks of shame and scandal for the distressed pooch.

After the Thin Man has a better look but a more convoluted plot line to it and while its pace flags in spots it remains a worthy follow-up to the series opener.

Another Delightful Foray into the Minds of the Charles

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 8 February 2017]

These wonderful crime comedies are of a different time. The main characters, developed by Dashiell Hammet, are so well drawn and so clever, it's hard not to be embrace the two. Of course, their hedonism and disregard for conventional relationships (some would call sheer honesty) are sometimes a bit much for modern audiences. For me, it was a time that had that black and white edge. When Nick was on a case, despite his sarcasm and flippant glib comments, he was so wise, noting clues that others did not see. Also, there is a wonderful, convoluted plot, with numerous figures as possible suspects. Nick and Nora are always in danger, but, of course, they will eventually land on their feet.

Amusing Sequel

[kenjha · 7/10 · 16 December 2007]

Amusing followup to "The Thin Man" has Nick and Nora trying to solve another murder mystery while finding plenty of time to flirt and drink. Powell and Loy are as charming as ever and have perfect chemistry as the married detectives. Asta has some cute scenes and there's even a Mrs. Asta. In the last of eight films of his released in 1936, Stewart plays a lovesick young fellow. The plot is somewhat convoluted, involving too many characters, but the dialog delivers enough chuckles to keep it entertaining. Interestingly, this and all subsequent films include "Thin Man" in the title although a character with that description appears in only the first film.

Nick and Nora and their hectic New Year's Eve and beyond

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 20 June 2008]

Certainly Nick and Nora were the essence of cool and an ideal couple - terribly sophisticated, wealthy, madly in love, great repartee shooting back and forth. "After the Thin Man" is the film that follows "The Thin Man," and it's wonderful. I can't imagine better people to do these roles than William Powell and Myrna Loy. Talk about a match made in heaven.

Nick and Nora return from a trip, looking forward to being alone and celebrating New Year's. When they get to their house, there's a huge welcome home party for them, except that they don't seem to know anyone. They dance anyway. Then Nora's wealthy family intrudes, and her aunt (Jessie Ralph) insists that she and Nick come over for dinner, and Nora's cousin Selma (Elissa Landi) begs her to comply. Nick isn't particularly approved of by Nora's wealthy family. It turns out that Selma's husband Robert (Alan Marshal) has disappeared, and she wants Nick and Nora to find him. He turns up at a nightclub. Apparently Selma's ex-fiancée, David (James Stewart) has offered Robert $25,000 if he'll leave Selma's life for good. This means that Robert can run off with his nightclub singer girlfriend. When Robert sneaks back home to get a few things, Selma wakes up. He says he's leaving her and walks out. She follows him with a gun. He winds up dead. Selma says she didn't shoot him.

A really good mystery with an excellent performance by the very young Stewart who was still being groomed for stardom. As good as the mystery is, "The Thin Man" series is really about style, chemistry, and Nick's drinking. In this entry into the series, Asta has a fabulous subplot as well having to do with his cheating wife, Mrs. Asta. There are terrier pups who look like Asta, and then there's one black pup who looks suspiciously like a Scottish terrier who's hanging around. Well, while the dog's away...

Delightful in every way.

Nick & Nora at work again. More fun than a thrill, but another fine case in the Thin Man franchise.

[SAMTHEBESTEST · 7/10 · 5 January 2023]

After The Thin Man (1936) : Brief Review -

W. S. Van Dykeade made "The Thin Man" (1934) in the pre-code era, setting a benchmark in a sub-genre. There hadn't been any murder mysteries in the comedy genre by then. Your modern favorites, like Jacques Clouseau and others, came far too late. I still feel that the Thin Man series lacked a few things, but then I look at other films of this genre and realise that maybe I'm being too optimistic. After The Thin Man proves its title right by cracking another fine case after 'The Thin Man'. Private detective Nick Charles and his wealthy wife Nora are back home at last and hoping for a quiet New Year. Soon as they plan a peaceful new year, there's chaos, and then there's a murder. Nora's cousin was present at the crime scene, so she is the first suspect, but then there are many others, and there are a couple of more murders too to add to the confusion. Nick is onto something, but nobody has a clue about it, not even Nora. Nick seemed like a more relaxed guy in this film than he was in the first Thin Man film. There he solved a case at the dinner table very calmly, while here he had to attend to some action. The investigation is solid this time, and the humour has changed-nevertheless, it is funny. I had said earlier in one of my reviews that William Powell ruled 1936. "The Great Ziegfeld," "My Man Godfrey," "Libeled Lady," and "After The Thin Man," he played on different grounds with the same strike rate. Myrna Loy wins you over again with her gorgeous looks and cute accent. The young bird, James Stewart, will surprise you in many ways-this is not a spoiler. Hackett and Goodrich's screenplay is a little slow in the first, half and that's the only shortcoming here. W. S. Van Dyke makes a solid film to deliver a fulfilling sequel to Thin Man's Legacy. Watch it if you loved the first one.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Welcome to Nick and Nora's World

[Spondonman · 8/10 · 7 May 2006]

After is a marvellous film, a bit like a getting to know the Charles' a little better than in the first one (at 108 mins and with a print in great condition), as well all their friends and enemies in San Francisco. They finally made it back from New York after a two year train ride to be greeted by reverse projected buildings, Asta making every pole his own, and their house full of inebriated mystery strangers to welcome them back.

A nasty piece of work who married into Nora's weird and ancient family is murdered, to no-one's regret but the culprit still has to be found. Along the way Nick has an illuminating after-dinner conversation with some of Nora's relations, Asta has his own thing going in a love triangle - why was Mrs. Asta cooped up? He also has some cutesy slapstick scenes with Nick and Nora which unfortunately ran on a bit too long for me - the film is long, but not much time is wasted overall. The badinage between the leads was as bright and breezy as in the original film, only with more room for character development. The denouement was a little trite as only Nick would have known the surprising answer, but still satisfying for all that.

A worthy sequel, imho pretty close but not quite as brilliant as the first, Powell and Loy a joy to watch and listen to.

A bit laborious

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 1 January 2023]

The second entry in the "Thin Man" series is a film that truly "takes its time" in a manner that few others do - now or back then. It runs nearly two hours, and it's overstuffed (with incidents and characters) and unfocused. With that said, it does have its rewards: the murder sequence itself, with the town clock bell, a foghorn, crowd noises / New Year's Eve celebrations, and quick intercutting among multiple characters all going on at the same time, is a brilliant piece of filmmaking. There is an amusing sequence where Nick and Nora try to "extract" a clue that Asta has grabbed and is running around with, thinking it is all part of a game. And there is also a heartwarming ending. The mystery itself is solid, but does not top the later "Shadow Of The Thin Man" for shock value. **1/2 out of 4.

The WORST Thin Man

[ccthemovieman-1 · 2/10 · 20 June 2007]

To read so many of these reviews gushing over this film makes me want to throw up. This was the WORST of the Thin Man movies and represents everything that is dated and totally stupid about these characters. I did enjoy two of the The Thin Man films, but this particular one was so annoying I couldn't finish it.

What is entertaining about shrill, hysterical, drunken people? We have that in there, in spades, in the first half hour alone which made me want to toss this VHS in the trash can. Shrill women and loud male drunks - wow, that's fun to watch and hear.

Smoking and drinking glamorized to the hilt which is my main complaint with these Thin Man movies. That problem is the worst in here of all of the films in the series. Much of the humor is so dated it just sounds stupid.

However, some lines by William Powell are still funny. One has to give him his due. He, more than Myrna Loy, is the star of this series. Asta, the pet dog, is fun to watch in parts but they go a little too long with some of his scenes.

The story also is boring mainly because it's so convoluted. So what's the appeal here? Nothing. I'm sure it was popular back in its day when the answer to every problem - as Nick and Nora seem to think - is another cigarette or another martini, but it's just dumb. How can this couple be smart enough to solve the most complicated case at the same time be plastered three-quarters of the time? It couldn't be done.