Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)

The series of films starring sophisticated sleuths Nick and Nora Charles are among the most treasured in the movie mystery genre. Unfortunately, Shadow of the Thin Man, while very decently entertaining, is far from the best entry in the series. Chief blame lies with screenwriters Irving Brecher and Harry Kurnitz and to a lesser extent with director W.S. Van Dyke. While our two leads are given the requisite number of witty bon mots and carefully turned phrases, the humorous approach to subsidiary characters is inappropriately low and broad. This is especially true of Sam Levene's Lieutenant Abrams, who at times seems to have wandered in from a 3 Stooges short. This uneasy mix of styles damages the film, as does the muddiness with which the plot is laid out; plot points are presented not casually (which would be quite effective) but carelessly (which is annoying). Fortunately, the chemistry between and stellar talents of William Powell and Myrma Loy make up for a great deal of the film's shortcomings. Both of them seem to be enjoying themselves immensely, and there's an especially appealing ease to Loy's entire performance that is hard to resist. Barry Nelson and a young Donna Reed offer fine support, and Stella Adler makes a great deal of what is essentially just another familiar film noir type. While Shadow lacks the champagne fizz of other Nick and Nora adventures, it still provides enough seltzer bubbles to tickle the nose. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide