Round Four features a pair of dream semi-final matches

The Favorite Screwball Film tourney heads into round four with a pair of dream semi-final matches. Both matches pits a number one seed against a number two seed. In the first match, overall top seed Bringing Up Baby squares off against second seed The Thin Man. The second match will feature number one seed My Man Godrey against second seed His Girl Friday. So we have a pair of Cary Grant films still in contention as well as one film with Carole Lombard. My top two favorite stars of all time. William Powell is also represented with two films himself. The matches begin this morning and run through Monday evening. Good luck to these four excellent films making it to the final four. And I would have no problem with any one of these films winning the tourney. But I am secretly pulling for His Girl Friday.

SEMI-FINAL MATCH 1

1 BRINGING UP BABY (1938)

VS

2 THE THIN MAN (1934)

---------------------------------------

SEMI-FINAL MATCH 2

1 MY MAN GODFREY (1936)

VS

2 HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940)

Round Three concludes with Nick and Nora still in the mix....

Another number seed is shown the door as round three of the favorite screwball film tourney wraps up. It Happened One Night (a number one seed) falls to His Girl Friday, my fave film ever btw 21-17 in the Frank Capra bracket. The other two number 1 seeds won their matches. My Man Godfrey destroyed Ball of Fire 27-11. While overall tourney top seed Bringing Up Baby thrashed To Be or Not To Be by the same score. The last match had The Thin Man beating The Lady Eve 23-16. Which sets up two intriguing semi-final matches involving 1 and 2 seeds in both matches. My Man Godfrey will take on His Girl Friday and Bringing Up Baby takes on The Thin Man. These matches will begin tomorrow and run through Monday evening.

Congratulations guys on making it to the next round. I'm pulling for you to win the whole thing.

1 IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT 17
2 HIS GIRL FRIDAY 21

1 MY MAN GODFREY 27
7 BALL OF FIRE 11

1 BRINGING UP BABY 27
2 TO BE OR NOT TO BE 11

2 THE THIN MAN 23
4 THE LADY EVE 16

Second Round of Screwball Film Tourney: Day 1 Update

Five of the eight matches are very close, within 2-3 votes of each other. There are two matches that have a comfortable lead and one definite blow-out. The blow-out comes courtesy of a top seed in It Happened One Night, rolling over Merrily We Live 24-0. That's right...it's a shut-out so far. Live has yet to record a single vote on it's behalf. The two matches that are starting to slip away for the losing film feature top heavyweight films. Bringing Up Baby leads Midnight 15-7 while To Be Or Not To Be is up over Theodora Goes Wild 14-6. Now on to the five matches that are very close and are poised to go down to the wire. The Lady Eve and My Favorite Wife are dead-locked at 10 votes apiece. The Thin Man leads The Palm Beach Story 12-9. You Can't Take It With You leads Ball Of Fire 11-9. The third and final top seed, My Man Godfrey is actually down by a single vote to The Awful Truth 13-12. And my favorite film of all time, His Girl Friday is up on The Philadelphia Story 15-10. Like I said, some very close matches, and this is only day one. So expect some fierce competition before Friday comes. Should be fun and very interesting to see how this round plays out. Below are the updated scores:

Hold on there Nora, don't jinx our match..we haven't won yet!

1 IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT 24
4 MERRILY WE LIVE 0

2 HIS GIRL FRIDAY 15
3 THE PHILADELPHIA STORY 10

1 MY MAN GODFREY 12
4 THE AWFUL TRUTH 13

3 YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU 11
7 BALL OF FIRE 9

2 THE THIN MAN 12
6 THE PALM BEACH STORY 9

4 THE LADY EVE 10
8 MY FAVORITE WIFE 10

1 BRINGING UP BABY 15
4 MIDNIGHT 7

2 TO BE OR NOT TO BE 14
3 THEODORA GOES WILD 6

Screwball Tourney Day 1 Update

My first ever screwball film tourney got off to a fantastic start on Sunday with about 20 fans voting on the first round matches on average. Three of the four top seeds are rolling early, and there are some back and forth matches taking place as well. Here are the breakdowns on yesterday's exciting start.

My Favorite Wife has a leg up over Trouble in Paradise

after day one

Three of the four top seeds are besting their opponents quite easily. Overall top seed Bringing Up Baby leads Bombshell 15-1 (I wonder who is the lone person so far to cast their vote for the Jean Harlow vehicle). The second top seed It Happened One Night is up big over The More The Merrier by the count of 18-3. The third top seed My Man Godfrey is having no trouble at all with Easy Living and leads 17-4. The last top seed, Trouble in Paradise is having trouble with upstart My Favorite Wife. It is getting hammered 14-3. The pairing of Irene Dunne and Cary Grant evidently is too much.

If I'm reading this right, then we're winning...

In other matches that are also blow-outs include: To Be Or Not To Be ahead of The Devil and Miss Jones 13-2; His Girl Friday up big on The Major and The Minor 17-4; and The Philadelphia Story double over Twentieth Century 14-7.

It's gonna be close between us and Sullivan..

Now the nail-biters currently going on include: Arsenic and Old Lace with a slight 11-9 edge over The Awful Truth; The Palm Beach Story with a one point edge over Libeled Lady 9-8; The Lady Eve over Ninotchka 10-7; and  Sullivan's Travels tied with Ball of Fire at 10-10. 

My oh my, how exciting is this. The matches continue on through Friday and I will keep everyone updated with posts through-out the week. Below are the complete scores on all the matches:

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT 18
THE MORE THE MERRIER 3

MERRILY WE LIVE 11
THE GILDED LILY 5

THE PHILADELPHIA STORY 14
TWENTIETH CENTURY 7

HIS GIRL FRIDAY 17
THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR 4

We are definitely in trouble...

MY MAN GODFREY 17
EASY LIVING 4

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE 11
THE AWFUL TRUTH 9

YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU 12
BLUEBEARD'S EIGHTH WIFE 8

BALL OF FIRE 10
SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS 10

MY FAVORITE WIFE 14
TROUBLE IN PARADISE 3

THE LADY EVE 10
NINOTCHKA 7

THE PALM BEACH STORY 9
LIBELED LADY 8

No worries sugar...

THE THIN MAN 10
HOLIDAY 5

BRINGING UP BABY 15
BOMBSHELL 1

MIDNIGHT 11
THE GOOD FAIRY 5

TO BE OR NOT TO BE 13
THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES 2

THEODORA GOES WILD 10
TOPPER 5

My love of classic films is beyond measure

Monty

Hall Of Fame Inductees for September: WILLIAM POWELL and MYRNA LOY

I apologize for the lateness of my selections for All Good Things Hall Of Fame. I should have been posted this, but since it is only October 1st, I think it's still ok. My pair to take that walk into the Hall of Fame is none other than William Powell and Myrna Loy. One of the most beloved screen couples of all time. Best known for the chemistry as Nick and Nora Charles in six Thin Man films, the pair also made eight other films, bringing their total to 14. How did they get into the Hall of Fame you may ask? I will tell ya. I started my Monties (my version of the Oscars) with 1934 and The Thin Man pretty much swept that year. In fact it did sweep. I only had four categories that year and The Thin Man won every one of them. Including Powell and Loy as best actor and actress. So congratulate the pair as they enter into my Hall of Fame.

The Morning Movie: AFTER THE THIN MAN (1936)

 Easy there Nora....

No better way to start my morning than watching Nick and Nora do their thing. In that rarity of sequels being just as good as the original, After The Thin Man is a pure delight. William Powell and Myrna Loy are perfect as Nick and Nora, again. And how about a young Jimmy Stewart in one of his first roles. I love The Thin Man movies! I will be quoting this film all day long..and probably no one will understand what I'm saying. Ah, well I will know.

2012 Cinematic World Tour Update

 The only way to travel...as Nick and Asta show us how to do it

...Nora must be in the bathroom...

Hi everyone. Just wanted to do a quick little post about my upcoming blogathon, The 2012 cinematic world tour. I know that some of you have already signed on to take this trip with me. Just wanted to get some details out of the way. The blogathon will kick off Memorial Day weekend and I plan to post about England, I think. Not quite sure yet. And it will run through Labor Day. You can do one post or multiples ones. The more the merrier. I just ask that you give the month you plan on doing it. Doesn't have to be a specific date, just the month you plan on posting your trip. Be it this month, June, July, August or the first week in September. And then just link back to my blog so I can let all my readers know that your post is up. If everyone would be so kind as to leave a comment here on this post of their intentions, that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

Monty: May 25th- June 3rd (England...tentatively)

Be My Guest - Emily (Part 4)

Here we are..our final part to Emily's guest interview on All Good Things.


Me: If you threw a movie theme party, describe how you would do it. The costumes, decorations, food, etc.

Emily: That is hard one. I love to throw theme parties but I have never had one based on a film. I have backyard movie screening parties and all the drinks at the bar coincide with the characters or parts of the film as we show the film on the big screen. Not really sure, anyone else have any good ideas?


Me: I have never had a movie theme party neither. If I were to do one, it would have to be related to screwball comedies, since that is my favorite genre. And I imagine that would make for a really fun party.

 Me: What are some films that are widely loved that you couldn’t care less about?

Emily: “Some Like It Hot”, “Seven Year Itch” or really any Marilyn Monroe film other than “How To Marry a Millionaire” and “Niagara”. She bugs me. Don’t care about “Citizen Kane” much either.


Me: Oh, that's where we disaagree. I love Some Like It Hot and Seven Year Itch. They are two of my favorite films and I do like Marilyn. I agree on Citizen Kane though. Can't stand that movie!

Me: And finally, who are some of your favorite film characters?

Emily: Crystal Allen in “The Women”, Jerry Durrance in “Now, Voyager”, Irene Jansen in “Dark Passage”, Letty Strong in “Born To Be Bad”, Roger O. Thornhill in “North By Northwest
 
Me: I've been getting a lot of Crystal Allen responses. You're the first to say Letty Strong though. Good choices Emily.
 
So that wraps up this month's interview with the wonderful Emily. I want to thank her again for doing this and I hope everyone enjoyed having her here. Until next month....
 

Be My Guest - Clara (Part 3)

Here we go with the final questions for my guest this month, Clara. I was glad she accepted my invite to come over to my blog and I hope everyone enjoyed having her here. On to the questions. And be sure to stop by Clara's wonderful blog at: Via Margutta 51

Monty: What is your favorite classic movie series?
Clara: "The thin man" by far.
Monty: That would be mine as well..as is several of my guests who have come on here.
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monty: What is your favorite movie genre?
Clara: "Romance" I guess :)
 Monty: Ahhhh...sweet love.
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monty: What classic stars would you have love to met in person?
Clara: Besides all the people I named in the first question, I'd love to meet David Niven, Lucille Ball and William Powell. 
Monty: Good choices Clara

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Monty: And finally, what is your favorite movie character? the one you can identify with the most?
Clara: Difficult question. I can barely identify with them, most of them are too damn cool, even if their circumstances are rough. I guess that's why I don't tend to identify with the characters I like, I tend to wish I was more like them. Examples: I'd like to have Hildy Johnson's personality, Nora Charles' humor, Mary Kate Danaher's will, "Ellie" Andrews fun sexiness, Regi Allen's commitment with her work, "I remember Mama"'s Mama ability to face problems, Melanie Wilkes' kindness, etc. 

So that's it. Thanks again for having me, Monty!
Monty: Great answer Clara and once again thanks for doing this. See ya in blogland.

And everyone please come back in January when my guest will be none other than Emily of The Silver Screen Affair.

Be My Guest - Desiree (Part 3)

Welcome back to Be My Guest with Desiree for the final set of questions. I want to thank Desiree for being my guest for this month as I think we all enjoyed her being here. Let's get to it...

Monty: What is your favorite classic film series?
Desiree: My favorite movie series by far is The Thin Man series. It’s absolutely perfect and hilarious and suspenseful in every single film. I think it is a brilliant series and without it, I would never come to adore William Powell and Myrna Loy as much as I do, since they are forever my favorite onscreen couple. The dialogue is absolutely delicious and it’s a joy all the way through.

Monty: The Thin Man has been the choice for most of my guests including myself. You just can't go wrong with Nick and Nora..and Asta.

Monty: What's your favorite genre?
Desiree: My favorite movie genre has always been comedy. 99 times out of 100, I will want to laugh and not cry. Laughing gets me through hard times and laughing makes me feel so good about life and everything around me. Being happy is the best feeling in the world and laughing at hilarious comedies is one way to make me very happy.
Monty: I can't argue with that choice. I love comedies, especially screwball comedies.

Monty: What classic stars would you have love to met in person?

Desiree: First and foremost, I would have loved to meet Rosalind Russell. She is my favorite actress and a real inspiration to me. She seems to down-to-earth and witty, and would probably be a delight to meet and chat with. I know she was a very talkative, enthusiastic person and I would have loved to meet her and get her autograph. Besides Roz, I would have loved to meet Melvyn Douglas, James Stewart, Myrna Loy, Joan Blondell, Irene Dunne, and William Powell. These are stars that I admire and idolize a great deal and whom do not seem as intimidating to meet.
Monty: All great choices Desiree..I would have imagined Roz would have been awesome to meet.

Monty: And finally, what is your favorite movie character? the one you can identify with the most?
Desiree: This is by far the most difficult question for me, and it took a lot of thinking on my part. My favorite movie character of all time is Mame Dennis from Auntie Mame. I think she is too perfect for words—hilarious, strong-willed, kind, unconventional, but also with some delightful flaws like her naiveté at times. I would love to be like Auntie Mame, but I know I am not. My mom would like to say that I identify the most with Barbara Stanwyck's "Listen Sistah" character in "Ladies They Talk About" but that's just an inside joke. I think the character I identify with the most is Nora Charles from the Thin Man movies. The reason for this is because she is so likeable to me—such a down-to-earth (a quality I really like), strong woman, and funny and kind as well. The banter between her and William Powell is just the best and I know I’d like to have a relationship like that someday.  To me, Nora Charles couldn’t possibly be a more likeable or admirable character and I’m sure all women can relate to her as well, even if they are not as witty or as wealthy as her.
Monty: Nora Charles...I can see that. Very cool. And once again thank you Desiree for being my guest

I hope everyone enjoyed this month's chat with Desiree. Next month's guest shall be Clara of Via Margutta 51. See ya then!

Be My Guest - Desiree (Part 2)

We continue on with our interview with our girl from California, Desiree...

Monty: Desiree, what is your favorite decade for film?

Desiree: This is a tough question for me because I love all decades, but I have a particular love for the 1930s and 1940s. However, I can’t choose between the two. It is just impossible. There are so many good films and stars from both decades and I love them both equally.

Monty: Hey I had a hard time deciding between them two decades as well. But finally decided on the 30's mainly because of my  love for screwball comedies.

Monty: Name some of your favorite modern stars.

Desiree: For modern stars, I admire some of the really talented ones, such as Robert de Niro, Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet, Mark Wahlberg… and I also love a few because I think they’re adorable or funny, such as Jake Gyllenhaal, George Clooney and Anne Hathaway.

Monty: Yes to Kate Winslet and Meryl Streep for me as well.

Monty: Name some of your favorite modern films

Desiree:  This is such a tough question for me… I am trying to think of modern films that I have seen many times and think are worth many viewings, such as the Meet the Parents movies, There’s Something about Mary, Clueless, Schindler’s List, The Devil Wears Prada, The Outsiders, Edward Scissorhands, The Hangover, Grease, Julie & Julia, Mean Girls, Orphan (seems like a strange choice, but there is something about that movie…), Juno, and films such as Precious and An American Crime, which affected me so deeply that I could not watch them again, but were truly great films.

Monty: I love The Hangover, There's Something About Mary, The Outsiders and Edward Scissorhands as well.


Monty: What are some of your favorite movie quotes?
Desiree: I have so many favorite movie quotes, but here are some that come to mind that I have repeated so many times over the years:

“Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!” –Auntie Mame


“Oh, Kendal, what am I going to do with you?!” –Hired Wife


“Rattlesnake, anyone?” –Auntie Mame


“Oh, Walter, you’re wonderful in a loathsome sort of way.” –His Girl Friday

“What’s that man doing in my drawers?” –The Thin Man


“Oh, C.K. Dexter Haven!” –The Philadelphia Story



“Who was that?” “You wouldn’t know them, darling. They’re respectable.” –After the Thin Man


“You see? It’s a circle.” “Well, of course. Do you think it would roll if it were square?” –Bringing Up Baby
“Hello, gorgeous.” –Funny Girl


“Well, I don’t want to be rude, but, ah, may I have a drink? I had three or four before I got here, but they’re beginning to wear off, and you know how that is.” –The Awful Truth

“Ja, is good.” –I Remember Mama
(My mother particularly likes the last one, haha).
 
Monty: A lot of quotes from screwball comedies. Cool.
 
Thanks Desiree for such wonderful answers. We will be back with part 3 shortly.

Be My Guest - Janine: Question # 9 - What is your favorite classic movie series?

Question # 9 - What is your favorite classic movie series?

Janine: The Thin Man series

Monty: Without a doubt that has been the most popular answers from all of my previous guests as well.

The MONTIES: My version of the Oscars

Just something I thought of recently, well after seeing my friend John over at Mythical Monkey, where his wife Katie has listed her choices to win best of during any given year. So this is my version and what I thought should have won awards as best of for that particular year. And please just take my choices with a grain of salt and nothing more. I will start with the year 1934 because the earlier years I haven't seen enough of films released during that period.


1934:
(PICTURE )

CLEOPATRA

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT

THE THIN MAN (winner)

THE GAY DIVORCEE

KANSAS CITY PRINCESS

TWENTIETH CENTURY
----------------------------------

(ACTOR)

CLARK GABLE (It Happened One Night)

WILLIAM POWELL (The Thin Man) - (winner)

FRED ASTAIRE (The Gay Divorcee)

JOHN BARRYMORE (Twentieth Century)

W.C. FIELDS (It's A Gift)
------------------------------------------

(ACTRESS)

CLAUDETTE COLBERT (It Happened One Night)

MYRNA LOY (The Thin Man) - winner

GINGER ROGERS (The Gay Divorcee)

JOAN BLONDELL (Kansas City Princess)

GLENDA FARRELL (Kansas City Princess)
-------------------------------------------------

(DIRECTOR)

FRANK CAPRA (It Happened One Night)

W.S. VAN DYKE (The Thin Man) - winner

HOWARD HAWKS (Twentieth Century)


Supporting actor and actress didn't become a category until 1936, so that's why they are not part of my choices for the year 1934.  As you can tell it was a Thin Man sweep as the film won Monties for Film, Director, Actor and Actress. Edging out another great film, It Happened One Night. Well this is my first attempt at my awards called the Monties. Expect a new post on consecutive years every few day.

Be My Guest - Irene: Question #9 (What is your favorite classic movie series)

9. What is your favorite classic movie series?

Irene: I am pretty conventional in this: THE THIN MAN SERIES! 

Monty: Oh yeah. The Thin Man is my fave movie series of all time.

Irene: I also like Basil Rathbone in the SHERLOCK HOLMES SERIES and Peter Lorre in the MR. MOTO SERIES – but the THIN MAN is above them all.

Monty: Sherlock Holmes is good but I never watched Mr. Moto.

Irene: Nick and Nora are the best – and all these wonderful actors in minor roles!! 

Monty: Yes they are..William Powell and Myrna Loy are terrific together in everything they did.

Irene: As I once stated in one of my posts: Sometimes I get the feeling that you could relate almost any classic film to one of the THIN MAN SERIES..

Photo Of The Day - Nick, Nora and Asta

Nick tries to remove some evidence that Asta has accidentally eaten while Nora looks on...

classic Thin Man hi-jinks

Be My Guest - Sarah (from And...Scene) Part 2

Here is part 2 of my conversation with Sarah.

Monty: What is your absolute favorite movie?

 Sarah: This is a hard one as I am not given to absolutes but I’ll say, for sentimental reasons, The Quiet Man. I could watch it over and over.

 Monty: I love that movie Sarah. Excellent choice.

Monty: Describe the perfect way for you to watch a classic movie.

 Sarah: Alone, in my living room, preferably on a rainy day. 

 Monty: I agree with. If it's raining on the week-end and everyone else is mad because outdoor plans are ruined, I'm quite content with watching classic movies in my living room.

Monty: What is your favorite time period and why: the 20's, the 30's, the 40's, the 50's or the 60's?

 Sarah: Definitely the 30’s! Movie making was advancing with the advent of talkies and the Hayes Code hadn’t taken full effect. Subjects such as divorce, sex before marriage, and a woman’s independence were box office draws and actresses such as Tallulah Bankhead, Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Blondell, Norma Shearer, and Miriam Hopkins (to name a very few) thought nothing of traipsing across the screen in silken negligees spouting witty dialogue and cleverly getting their own way. And what’s a 30’s film with out a cocktail shaker? Martini anyone?

 Monty: The 30's is my favorite period as well mainly because that's when screwball comedies flourished. And I love you answer as well. 

Monty: Any current stars catch your fancy, if so who are they? Sarah: Cate Blanchett and Russell Crowe. They make extremely fine actors down under!  Monty: Great picks...I love both Cate and Russell. Cate played Katherine Hepburn wonderfully in The Aviator. Monty: What is your favorite movie quote?  Sarah: "There's a name for you ladies, but it isn't used in high society - outside of a kennel" -- St. Joan Crawford from The Women. Monty: One of my favorite movies and one of the best lines ever. Joan Crawford was awesome in that movie. Monty: If you could be any movie character, who would it be and why? Sarah: Without a doubt, I would love to be Nora Charles from The Thin Man series. She was witty, courageous, and best of all, had the love a wonderful husband. Together they made a hilarious and entertaining team.  Monty: Yes...I think I would love to be Nick. They are perfect.

 So that concludes my Q&A with Sarah for this month. I enjoyed having her as my guest this month. And really enjoyed her answers. And I am more than willing to return the favor Sarah, if you ever want to interview me on your blog. 

Be My Guest: Tracy Part 4

And here is the final part to my series with guest blogger Tracy. She gave some wonderful answers wouldn't everyone agree.

I would say the perfect way to view a classic would be on the big screen. I'm hoping to go to see some Chaplin movies at the Film Forum in NYC later this summer. Otherwise, I'm corny. I like the lights off and I have popcorn and coke as snacks. It's also cool to watch with another classic film fan because each tends to notice something interesting and it's fun to share the insights with another lover of the classics.

 

I would have to say I love the films of the 1930's best. The way the art form developed in that decade was amazing to me. For instance, sound was a new feature at the start of the1930's, yet we have a stunning technicolor epic like The Adventures of Robin Hood by 1938. The following year 1939, Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz would be made and forever guarantee that beautiful epics were a reality. But to me the 1930's Hollywood showed a wonderful ability to make short, well paced movies. I adore One Way Passage starring William Powell & Kay Francis. It's about 1 hour and 10 minutes in length but it tells the story of two star crossed lovers beautifully. The Thin Man is another great example of a quick paced movie. In 90 minutes, William Powell & Myrna Loy created the perfect on screen couple of all time (in my opinion) and the movie never dragged at all. If you consider the achievements made in the 1930's, it does show Hollywood ingenuity at its best. King Kong still impresses me today -- I'll take it over computer generated images anyday. Not to mention, 1939 was the greatest year in American film. Dark Victory, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Love Affair, The Women, Goodbye Mr. Chips, The Private Lives of Elizabeth & Essex, Ninotchka, Stagecoach, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Wuthering Heights, Gunga Din, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Of Mice and Men, just to name a few!

I love your answers Tracy. That is an awesome way to watch movies...I'm with you on that.

The Thin Man movie series

Since Myrna Loy is my classic movie goddess of the month and The Thin Man series is one of my favorite film series of all time, I decided to post brief reviews of all 6 wonderful films.

THE THIN MAN (1934) The one that started it all and the very best one, just slightly ahead of After the Thin Man. We are introduced to the fun loving couple Nick and Nora Charles at a bar and we're off. William Powell is Nick, a recently retired private detective who adores his wife Nora (Loy), his very rich wife. Well when a missing person case falls into his lap, Nick reluctanly takes the job, much to the delight of Nora. The wisecracks fly fast and furious, and we are introduced to some of the most unsavory characters that we would not want to meet in real life. Powell and Loy are the perfect couple and play off each other extremely well. And let's not forget their dog, Asta, who is a born scene stealer. They would pair up for 5 more Thin Man films and 13 films in all. I think this one is their very best.
A+

AFTER THE THIN MAN (1936) Delightful follow-up that picks up immediately after the events of the original Thin Man movie. Returning from New York by train to their home in San Francisco, the couple don't have a minute to relax before they are summoned for dinner at Nora's snobby family. A case involving Nora's cousin, who husband has disappeared and then found later murdered. Nora's cousin is the prime suspect and Nick must use all his skills to prove otherwise. A rare sequel that is just as good as it's predecessor. Powell and Loy remain excellent as usual and look for an early performance by Jimmy Stewart. One that is a little off beat for him. This film is a lot longer than the previous Thin Man film, but it never drags.
A+

ANOTHER THIN MAN (1939) The Charles' are back in New York with Asta and a new arrival: Nicky Jr. They are invited by Colonel MacFey to spend the weekend at his house in Long Island as he desperately wants Charles to help him out. It seems he has been receiving threats from Phil Church, a very shady character. When McFey is killed Church seems to be the obvious suspect but Nick suspects there is something far more complicated going on. McFey's housekeeper, daughter and various hangers-on may all have had an interest in seeking the old man's demise. Another solid entry in the series, while not on par with the first two films, but still very entertaining.
B

THE SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN (1941) Fun and games and murder at the horse track as Nick and Nora become involved with a dead jockey, organized crime, and corruption. Look for Donna Reed in an early role. I enjoyed this one a little more than Another Thin Man, as it is a lot more fun. Usually series start to falter when they reach their fourth entry, but The Thin Man series was getting it second wind.
B+

THE THIN MAN GOES HOME (1944) Nick and Nora head to Nick's hometown of Sycamore Springs to spend some time with his parents. His father, a prominent local physician, was always a bit disappointed with Nick's choice of profession in particular and his lifestyle in general. With Nick's arrival however the towns folk, including several of the local criminal element, are convinced that he must be there on a case despite his protestations that he's just there for rest and relaxation. When someone is shot dead on his doorstep however, Nick finds himself working on a case whether he wants to or not. A solid entry.
B

THE SONG OF THE THIN MAN (1947) The final Thin Man movie is a light comedy mystery that lets Nick and Nora bow out gracefully. Nick and Nora Charles are attending a charity benefit aboard a gambling ship. The festive atmosphere conceals many tensions among those connected with the ship, with most of the friction centering around Tommy Drake, its unpopular, spiteful band-leader. When he is murdered later that night, suspicion falls on Phil Brant, who had argued with Drake earlier in the evening. When Phil and his wife seek help from Nick and Nora, Nick refuses to get involved. But when shots are fired outside his own apartment, Nick begins to investigate, and he soon finds himself in a confusing case with numerous suspects. Look for Gloria Grahame and Dean Stockwell as a teen Nick Jr.
B-