Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Shadow of the Thin Man Blu-ray Movie Review

Alcoholics Unanimous.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III January 23, 2022

The last of the Thin Man movies to be directed by W.S. Van Dyke (and therefore, the last "real one" in most circles), Shadow of the Thin Man stays the course for a beloved film series built on casual drinking, witty spousal banter, and clever detective work. Although much of its original formula has been left intact -- without the slightly harder edge of the first two films, thanks to Hays Code restrictions -- this chapter tweaks one element: baby Nicky Jr. is old enough to be part of the action, heightening an overall cute factor already filled nicely by the Charles' faithful pup, Asta.

The cute factor doesn't diminish what is still clearly a character-driven series that feels well-oiled and comfortable; it's nothing to write home about if you're looking for pure originality, but certainly a decent continuation of the series. This time around, Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy, charming as ever) are off to the races for a relaxing day out... but things take an unexpected turn when one of the jockeys is found murdered. At first it's unclear whether or not his untimely death was for refusing to throw a race, but the trail narrows after reluctant Nick, working with police Lieutenant Abrams (Sam Levene, returning from After the Thin Man), uncovers a full-blown gambling syndicate run out of a nearby sports arena. The resulting investigation -- where Nick, as always, is aided greatly by Nora -- drops viewers down the usual rabbit hole of suspects, red herrings, and a climactic scene that uncovers the real killer.

Despite a few on-screen murder victims and other unsavory stuff, Shadow of the Thin Man succeeds in maintaining the series' tricky balance of light noir and screwball elements with a knowing wink and effortless energy delivered by the strength and appeal of its two leads. This, combined with a handful of memorable episodic scenes -- fun at a wrestling match, hunting for a diamond bracelet with Asta, a few light scuffles, and a damn good restaurant brawl -- help this show cruise by at a sleek 97 minutes, as do a handful of welcome supporting roles for Barry Nelson (AKA the real first James Bond, here as investigative reporter Paul Clarke), fellow newcomer Donna Reed (Paul's girlfriend Molly Ford), Louise Beavers (the Charles' dutiful maid), Stella Adler (who would appear in only two other films), and more. All told, it's a well-cast and largely agreeable production whose only mild drawback is the familiarity of it all... but, like most films in the franchise, can be enjoyed on its own terms by newcomers as well as established fans.

Whether or not you've already bought the first three films, Shadow of the Thin Man likewise represents another top-tier catalog release from Warner Archive that serves up a flawless, fully-restored 1080p transfer paired with lossless audio and a handful of era-specific bonus features. As of this writing, the last two films are available as well.

Shadow of the Thin Man Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shadow of the Thin Man lets its nitrate roots shine brightly with another pitch-perfect restoration from Warner Archive which, like the other chapters in this series, has been given a spotless makeover sourced from original preservation elements. Fine detail and silvery grays absolutely sparkle with clarity, from bold close-ups to wide shots captured with the series' reliably good cinematography. Simply put, most or all of the compliments I've paid to previous Thin Man movies -- or other films from this era handled by Warner Archives, for that matter -- clearly apply here, from its strong film-like textures to near flawless disc encoding that impresses at every turn with a high bit rate and no glaring signs of posterization, compression artifacts, banding, or other eyesores. In short, Shadow of the Thin Man marks another knockout release from the reliably great boutique label, easily surpassing previous home video editions.

Shadow of the Thin Man Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Warner Archive's DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track squeezes a respectable amount of sonic detail from the film's source elements, which have a few obvious seams but nothing outside of reasonable expectations from this era. There's a slight hiss and crackle inherent to many sound effects and lines of dialogue; it's nothing more than a mild distraction as just about every line is clearly intelligible, but such a flaw -- which is more than likely baked into the source material -- prevents this split mono track from reaching even greater heights. It's still a very fine effort that, at the very least, falls in line with other films in this series, and likewise still sounds quite a bit fuller and more robust than earlier home video editions. Simply put, if you've been fine with other Thin Man audio tracks, you'll feel right at home here.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature but, unfortunately, not the extras.

Shadow of the 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.

• Vintage Short: "The Tell-Tale Heart" (19:45) - This 1941 adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's classic story is notable for being the first directorial effort of Jules Dassin, who would go on to make such films as Night and the City and, of course, Rififi. Starring Joseph Schildkraut (The Shop Around the Corner) and Roman Bohnen (The Best Years of Our Lives, Of Mice and Men), this classic short is in rough but watchable condition.

• Classic Cartoon: "The Goose Goes South" (6:12) - Another pre-show short from the same era, this MGM cartoon is co-directed by William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, and an uncredited Friz Freleng. It's not exactly a standout effort but still worth a once-over and concerns a goose who, after being left behind by his flock, tries other methods of travel. Unfortunately, this looks to be an edited version of the original short and omits two short scenes featuring a group of "happy, carefree cotton-pickers". See the uncut cartoon here.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:59) - This lively vintage promotional piece can also be seen here.

Shadow of the Thin Man Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

When W.S. Van Dyke's Shadow of the Thin Man was first released on Blu-ray by Warner Archive back in August, fans of the series were still unsure if its last two entries, The Thin Man Goes Home and Song of the Thin Man, would be issued by the boutique label as well. Now that they've seen the light of day, it's perfectly safe for hesitant fans to go all in... even though, like its predecessor Another Thin Man, this represents the series on cruise control. No matter: Shadow of the Thin Man is still fun on its own terms, thanks in large part to its reliably good lead duo, a handful of fine supporting characters and, of course, all of the screwy circumstances they're stuck in. Warner Archive's Blu-ray picks up the slack with another outstanding 1080p presentation and a nice little mix of era-specific extras. Recommended.