Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Another Thin Man Blu-ray Movie Review

Baby makes three. (Four, if you count Asta.)

Reviewed by Randy Miller III April 16, 2021

Following in the footsteps of the massively popular The Thin Man and its sequel, 1936's After The Thin Man, W.S. Van Dyke's Another Thin Man continues the aptly-named installments of everyone's favorite binge-drinking detective and his wealthy young wife. This time around, Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy) are joined by new baby Nicky Jr. who, along with their faithful pup Asta, raise the cuteness level to dizzying new heights. But not too much: soon enough, there'll be a couple of murders to deal with, including a dead dog -- not Asta, thank goodness -- and an equally dead colonel, both of which spoil what should've been a relaxing weekend in the country. Bummer!

As usual, the setup is pretty simple -- and sourced from another Dashiell Hammett novel, this one being The Farewell Murder -- but things get complicated as our mystery unfolds. Another Thin Man leads off with an invitation by still-living Colonel Burr MacFay (C. Aubrey Smith, Rebecca), a former business associate of Nora's father, who fears for his life after being terrorized by a former employee, Phil Church (Sheldon Leonard, It's a Wonderful Life). Standing by the Colonel's side are his adopted daughter Lois (Virginia Grey, Airport) and her fiancé Dudley Horn (Patric Knowles, The Adventures of Robin Hood)... that is, until MacFay's found murdered during a blackout one evening, which turns this into a full-blooded whodunit in relatively short order. All signs point to Phil Church. Nick's got other ideas.

What follows is another twisting series of plot devices, red herrings, and clever detective work by Nick and the always-underrated Nora. A second murder, this time in the woods surrounding the Colonel's estate, leads our heroes back to the city during a busy night at the West Indies Club for a meeting with Church's henchman, a Cuban nicknamed "Dum-Dum" (Abner Biberman, His Girl Friday), who spills the beans about his boss's two girlfriends, Smitty (Muriel Hutchison, The Women) and the mysterious Linda Mills, whose apartment is soon scoped out by Nick and Nora. It's not until later during a busy birthday party for Nicky Jr., who's usually cared for by their nanny (Ruth Hussey, The Philadelphia Story), that Church finally confronts Nick and, after the fallout, the soon-to-be-wrapped-up case is spelled out in painstaking detail by the dutiful detective, Scooby-Doo style. There's no literal mask-pulling, but it's close enough.

Although the story can't help but be entertaining due to all the trademark twists and turns (and, of course, the reliably great chemistry between William Powell and Myrna Loy), it's all a bit scattershot and the final wrap-up really feels like a stretch. Even so, it's fun while it lasts and the inner-city locales add quite a bit of intrigue, none more so than Nick and Nora's separate nighttime trip to the West Indies Club. A number of bit players and other cameos also pop up here and there including Harry Bellaver (as "Creeps") and even an uncredited Shemp Howard (as "Whacky") but, while they add some fun to their respective scenes, they seem more like in-jokes that sidetrack the film's momentum.

Even so, Another Thin Man was a big enough hit to keep the ball rolling into the 1940s and, if Warner Archive likewise rolls the ball at their current pace, I'd expect to see Shadow of the Thin Man appear on Blu-ray sometime this summer. For now, this solid package features the boutique label's usual template of an outstanding A/V presentation flanked by a few period-specific extras, all of which are pre-show entertainment rather than substantial supplements.

Another Thin Man Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Warner Archive works their magic once again with another top-tier 1080p transfer, advertised as being sourced from a 4K scan of the best surviving nitrate elements. Pound for pound, it's every bit as good looking as the previous two Thin Man films... and in some cases even better, as its understated but capably strong cinematography makes this quite a visually pleasing experience. The establishing shots of New York City circa 1939 (screenshot #6) set the bar extremely high early on, with other exterior scenes -- either shot on location or on obvious studio backlots -- following suit with pleasing depth and detail. And while much of Another Thin Man takes place indoors, the outstanding production design keeps our eyes interested and tight compositions frame group conversations nicely. Nighttime scenes, such as those in and around the estate of Colonel MacFay (including the candlelit murder sequence, seen above), showcase excellent shadow detail with excellent density and no perceivable crush. Overall, this transfer displays a full range of silvery grays and crisp gradients, which as always are bolstered by natural film grain and zero compression artifacts, making Another Thin Man just another five-star entry into their growing collection of pitch-perfect catalog releases.

Per usual, Warner Archive has also posted a couple of YouTube videos showing off their new transfer, including the nearly four-minute opening sequence and a short clip from what looks like the worst party ever.

Another Thin Man Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sound-wise, it's a similarly strong experience with crisp dialogue and music cues by Edward Ward (returning from After the Thin Man) leading the charge. The lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master audio mix makes the most of this film's one-channel roots, as its finely-recorded elements are balanced nicely with no obvious signs of hissing, pops, or crackle. Perhaps the biggest standout is a lengthy second-act scene at The West Indies Club, which perfectly captures the live performance and bustling crowd atmosphere with respectable clarity. While its high end unavoidably sounds a little thin at times, overall this is a fine effort that sits perfectly in line with other major studio releases from the era.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the film only; they're formatted nicely with no sync issues.

Another Thin Man Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This release arrives in a standard keepcase with poster-themed cover art and a handful of era-specific extras.

• Musical Short: "Love on Tap" (10:47) - Directed by George Sidney, this cheesy but enjoyable 1939 live-action piece features the talents of the Merriel Abbott Dancers, whose manager Penny (Mary Howard, Billy the Kid) has been trying to marry Tommy (Truman Bradley, Lone Star Ranger)... but alas, her work keeps getting in the way. Also featured here are Garwood Van and His Orchestra, credited as "Carwood Van" for some reason.

• Classic Cartoon: "The Bookworm" (8:24) - This 1939 MGM cartoon, co-directed by Hugh Harman and an uncredited Friz Freleng, follows a library-dwelling bookworm that tries to escape the servant of three evil witches who want him for her potion. Luckily, a few familiar storybook heroes ride to his rescue.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:36) - This lively vintage promotional piece can also be seen here.

Another Thin Man Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

MGM's reliably entertaining Thin Man series continues on with literally Another Thin Man, dropping Nick and Nora smack-dab into parenthood with surprisingly not-terrible results. (Being rich and having a nanny helps, I suppose.) Although as a whole this entry, along with the "series finale" Song of the Thin Man, might be my least favorite of the bunch, it's a still a pretty good time at the movies and features plenty of trademark twists, turns, and great dialogue. Warner Archive's Blu-ray stays the course with another top-tier A/V presentation and a few light but enjoyable period-specific bonus features. Recommended, but newcomers should obviously start from the beginning.