1936 - AFTER THE THIN MAN, the 2nd in the series

This is the second in the The Thin Man series or make that the first sequel.  The Thin Man had much to the surprise of MGM studios been a big hit.  The series combined comedy with a mystery and had the advantage of two MGM stars who were extremely proficient at the sophisticated comedy business, William Powell and Myrna Loy playing Nick and Nora Charles.  That film made a lot of money for MGM so the original writers, director and stars were back with  Another Thin Man two years later.

The original film's formula was carefully followed for the most part but this time there was even more  emphasis on the comedy elements of the plot.  Nick and Nora Charles had a dog called Asta and you have to sit through a lot of his shenanigans which sometimes stops the film cold.  The supporting cast is a list of 1930's actors, James Stewart (finally starting to get good roles). Elissa Landi, Sam Levene, Joseph Calleia and George Zucco (as usual planning a mad doctor).  All these actors are at the service of Powell and Loy.

 

The mystery plot for the most part is kind of a "who cares who killed who" story. The entertainment value in the film really belongs to William Powell and Myrna Loy, friends in real life. They play off of each other to perfection.  They are quite amusing together as a married couple who like to have fun while solving this murder mystery.

The film has the usual MGM big studio polish, none of that socially conscious stuff for this studio.  It was always about glamorous stars and glamorous settings.

The film was written by two of MGM's top writers, Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich.  The director was the infamous W. S. Van Dyke.