REGENT

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21296, 16 October 1934, Page 8

REGENT

"THE THIN MAN"

Any thriller—and one wonders why the producers of films do not make more use of the prolific output in this literary form—is assured of some popularity. Thrillers of the first class are, however, comparatively rare, and "The Thin Man," which was shown at the Regent Theatre on Saturday night, will have a popularity correspondingly increased. The film version of a best-seller detective novel by Dashiell Hammett, it has the first great requisite, a sound and intriguing plot with just that degree of complication needed for sustaining suspense until the end. There is also present a welcome addition of humour, frequently of the broad type, occasionally more subtle. The cast has been carefully selected and balanced, and the general standard of acting is high. Particular praise is due to William Powell, as the former detective Nick Charles, who by the quiet and rather i disguised use of his brain solves the problem of the triple murder, and to Myrna Loy, who as Nora, Nick's wife, has abandoned her eastern roles to play her best part to date. The comedy, with its undercurrent of seriousness, that is contributed by these two is excellently done. Maureen O'Sullivan as Dorothy, the daughter of. the inventor Wynant, gives an attractive performance in a part demanding uie portrayal of a wide range of emotions. Other very competent parts are played by Nat Pendleton as Guild, the puzzled detective, by Minna Gombell as Mimi, and by Porter Hall as Maccaulay. By no means last m this list is the dog Asta. . The title, "The Thin Man," is excellently chosen. He is seen for a very short period only, but at the beginning he establishes himself in one s mind as a strange and perhaps dangerously eccentric figure, and his presence is felt throughout.

GRAND "LITTLE WOMEN" "Little Women," which began a return season at the Grand Theatre on Saturday, is an epic of the screen. In this picture the spirit of Louisa M. Alcott's classic of literature has been captured and recreated. It is a film which will be enjoyed by thousands who have never read the book, and it will add to the meaning of the story for those who have. Most of all, it will be remembered for the remarkable performance of Katharine Hepburn as Jo, one of the four sisters whose personality time and again rises to unusual heights, overshadowing everything else in the picture. The box plans are now open at the D.I.C.