Cinema Classics Seminar: THE THIN MAN (1934)

Directed by “One-Take Van Dyke” in 1934, The Thin Man spawned five sequels and provided clues for countless crossword puzzles, but the original is more complex than it first appears. A comedic tale of married couple Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy), the film offers a glimpse into the lives of the happy, hard-drinking leisure class and their formerly incarcerated associates, suggesting the line between upright citizen and criminal might not be as clear as we think. Ostensibly a murder mystery, The Thin Man is better remembered for witty banter that aligns it with screwball comedies of the era. Film critic Andrew Sarris called Nick and Nora “the first on-screen Hollywood couple for whom matrimony did not signal the end of sex, romance, and adventure.”

What can Sarris’ remark reveal about expectations of gender, genre, and class in the 1930s? This seminar discusses the film’s connection to Dashiell Hammett’s 1933 novel, itself rooted in the author’s relationship with playwright Lillian Hellman. It offers background on the film’s two stars, attends to W.S. Van Dyke’s unique shooting style, and situates The Thin Man in the production methods of the mid-1930s. Finally, it explores variations on the mystery plot as they connect to real social concerns over time. In talking about all these issues, the seminar, like the film, will be a great deal of fun.
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