"AFTER THE THIN MAN."

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 15, 17 July 1937, Page 7

"AFTER THE THIN MAN."

Sequel to Famous Film.

Most people, by now know that there once was a film called "The Thin Man," made from a successful noyel by Dashiel -Hammett, a writer of some note in the field of detective fiction. "The Thin Man" established a new vogue in mystery films, as these successes do. and so there was a whole array of imitations from, "Star of Midnight" to "The Ex-Mrs. 'Bradford." But it was not quite the same thing; there was the slickness, • the wisecracks, the edged humour, . even the interference motive >by the lovely wife, yet all lacked something. With "After the Thin Man," which has been long heralded, prepared by Mr. Hammett. filmed by the studio which made the original movie, it at .last emerges just what that lack has been. First and foremost, of course, it has been the team of William Powell and Myrna Loy. Secondly, it has been an abrupt humour which makes off at a tangent from the film, from the business at hand and from everything but the moment. "Home, sweet home," say Nick and Nora Charies as, after the exhausting chase caused by the thin man murders, they reach their own little' nest. . '.'Home, sweet home; we are going to rest for a month ..." ■ and then fling the door open on a riotous surprise party in which wrestlers are teaching holds, firemen saving girls,' and everybody knows'everybody but Nick and Nora. That was one of the things about "The Thin Man"—surprise; there was a joke around every corner..' And here, following the same formula, is another of the original kind. _ The. sequel, which is complete from it's provision of many motives for murder to a sketch of the loye life of Asta, will inevitably be judged by its predecessor and will almost inevitably be judged by some to fail her and there. But in.the baffling, eerie • atmosphere . that was created in the original film Hammett has not failed and if Asta's triumph, is of a different kind it is a fresh triumph and will bring him new friends,' while the old, high-spirited, subtle, persuasive relationship of Nick and Nora is depicted again. - Perhaps Nick is a trifle more sober, but he ha 3 the same remarkable power of static influence. He is seen at the telephone, not having moved in the midst of uproar, calmly 'phoning about an .escape. He has also his old' flashes of inspira* tioh which he goes off mysteriously to develop while gunmen wait- for ■him around corners. The same bodies pop up from unexpected places. The police are just as receptive to his ideas and his queer array of friends is just as much an aid!- The supporting players, of course, are carefully.chosen and. their excellence is to, be read in their names. James Stewart, Elissa Landi, .Joseph Calleia. Jessie Ralph, and Dorothy McNulty are, at the head of them, and- they make as: varied an array of types as ever met to unravel a triple: murder. In short, .'.'After the Thin Man" avoids the usual fate of sequels—it doesn't disappoint.