| The Thin Man | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:The_Thin_Man_1934_Poster.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | W. S. Van Dyke |
| Screenplay by | |
| Based on | The Thin Man 1934 novel by Dashiell Hammett |
| Produced by | Hunt Stromberg |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | James Wong Howe |
| Edited by | Robert J. Kern |
| Music by | William Axt |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Loew's Inc. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $231,000[1][2] |
| Box office | $1.4 million (worldwide rentals)[1][2] |
The Thin Man is a 1934 American pre-Code comedy-mystery film directed by W. S. Van Dyke and based on the 1934 novel by Dashiell Hammett. The film stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, a leisure-class couple who enjoy copious drinking and flirtatious banter. Nick is a retired private detective who left his very successful career when he married Nora, a wealthy heiress accustomed to high society. Their wire-haired fox terrier Asta was played by canine actor Skippy. In 1997, the film was added to the United States National Film Registry having been deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[3][4]
The film's screenplay was written by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich, a married couple. In 1934, the film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. The eponymous "Thin Man" is not Nick Charles, but the man Charles is initially hired to find – Clyde Wynant (part way through the film, Charles describes Wynant as a "thin man with white hair"). The "Thin Man" moniker was thought by many viewers to refer to Nick Charles and, after a time, it was used in the titles of sequels as if referring to Charles. It was followed by five sequels.
- ^ a b Glancy, H. Mark (1992). "MGM film grosses, 1924-1948: The Eddie Mannix Ledger". Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television. 12 (2): 127–144. doi:10.1080/01439689200260081.
- ^ a b Glancy, H. Mark (1992). "Appendix". Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television. 12 (S2): 1–20. doi:10.1080/01439689208604539.
- ^ "25 More Films Picked for National Registry". Chicago Tribune. November 19, 1997. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
- ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved April 17, 2024.