"THE THIN MAN."

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 205, 30 August 1934, Page 8

"THE THIN MAN."

MYSTERY DETECTIVE FILM. Thrills, mystery, romance are all to be found in "The Thin Man," which comes to the St. James' Theatre to-morrow. The story has been made into one of the most gripping mystery films to reach the motion picture screen. It was adapted from the best-seller detective novel of the same title, written by Dashiell Hammett. It tells the story of Nick Charles, ex-detee-tive, and of three murders which involved him with the eccentric Wynant family— a half-mad father, a lying lecherous mother, a bewildered daughter and a neurotic son.

Alexander Woollcott, "ace" literary critic, proclaimed "The Thin Man" to be "the best detective story yet written in America." Sinclair Lewis, famous author and Nobel Prize winner, lias declared: "Dasliiell Hammett is undoubtedly the best of the American detective story writers, and 'The Thin Man' is certainly the most breathless of all his stories."

Brought to life upon the screen, "The Thin Man" is said to be even more gripping than the book. William Powell, the motion picture screen's outstanding detective character, plays the all-important role of Kick Charles, the ex-detective, who is dragged into the triple murder investigation against his will.

Myrna Loy, in the co-starring role, appears as his charming and amusing wife, Nora. Maureen. O'Sullivan portrays the thin man's loyal daughter and supplies a young and beautiful romance with young Henry Wadsworth. Nat Pendleton varies from his usual gangster and dumb underworld character roles to play the part of a bewildered detective lieutenant. Minna Gombell also deviates from her usual characterisations of c >medy roles to give one of her best performances, a heavy one, of the lecherous and scheming Mimi, former wife of the thin man.