After the Thin Man is a 1936 comedy mystery film directed by WS Van Dyke. The film is a a sequel to The Thin Man (1934) and is the second of six films in that series. It stars William Powell, Myrna Loy, and features James Stewart in an early supporting role.
Director: WS Van Dyke
Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Cast: William Powell, Myrna Loy, James Stewart, Elissa Landi, Joseph Calleia, Jessie Ralph
US Box Office: $4,980,000 ($190,600,000 adjusted for inflation)
Film Format: Black & White
Genre: Comedy, Mystery
Release Date: December 25, 1936
Plot Summary: Immediately after the events of the first film, Nick Charles (William Powell) and his wife Nora (Myrna Loy) return home to San Fransisco with their dog Asta. Nick is hoping to finally retire, but not long after getting back, he needs to help Nora’s sister Selma (Elissa Landi), whose husband Robert (Alan Marshall) disappears and is later found murdered. The top suspects for the murder include: Selma’s ex boyfriend David (James Stewart), Selma herself, and a gangster (Joseph Calleia) who is trying to steal Nora’s family fortune.
Production: In late 1934 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer decided to produce a sequel to The Thin Man (1934), which had been an unexpected critical and commercial success for the studio. Although MGM announced their plans to release a sequel in 1934, they did not start production on the film until 1936. Hunt Stromberg, who had produced the original film, was put in charge of producing the sequel. Dashiell Hammett, the writer of the original book, wrote the story for After the Thin Man, which he didn’t base on any of his preexisting novels. Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich wrote the film’s screenplay based on Hammett’s story. WS Van Dyke, who had directed the original film, also returned to direct After the Thin Man.
William Powell and Myrna Loy reprised their roles as Nick and Nora Charles, respectively, in After the Thin Man. James Stewart was cast as supporting character David Graham. Stewart had only been acting in Hollywood for about two years at this point. Earlier in 1936, Stewart had his first leading role in Speed for MGM. He would later become a big star after the release of his film You Can’t Take It With You (1938), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Author Dashell Hammett was originally supposed to make a cameo appearance, but his scene was never shot.
After the Thin Man was filmed from mid September to late October of 1936. Unlike its predecessor, After the Thin Man was considered a high priority release by MGM, and it received a longer shooting schedule and a much higher budget. Several exterior scenes in the film were shot on location in San Francisco. For example, the base of Coit Tower in San Francisco was used to represent the exterior of the Charles’ home.
Fun Facts and Trivia: After the Thin Man was George Zucco’s (Doctor Kammer) first American film. He had previously appeared in several British films, but this was his first Hollywood role. Some sources have claimed that the nightclub in the film was based on the real life “Forbidden City” nightclub in San Francisco, as both were Asian-themed with a Chinese staff, however this is not true. The “Forbidden City” didn’t open until 1938, two years after the film released. James Stewart and Sam Levene (Lt. Abrams) would later appear together in The Shopworn Angel (1938). Asta the dog is played by Skippy, who played the part in the original film and later the next two sequels.
Reception: After the Thin Man was released on December 25, 1936. The film was a massive success for MGM and it grossed more than twice as much as its predecessor. After the Thin Man became one of the top five highest grossing films of 1936. The film’s success can be attributed to the popularity of the original film and the chemistry between its lead actors. Lux Radio Theatre aired a radio adaptation on June 17, 1940 in which Powell and Loy reprised their roles.
After the Thin Man also received good reviews from critics at the time, though it did not receive the same vast critical acclaim as The Thin Man had gotten back in 1934. Frank S Nugent gave the film a positive review in The New York Times. He thought that it wasn’t as good as the first film, but was still one of the best comedy films of the year. Ann Ross of Maclean’s Magazine also gave the film a positive review. She didn’t think it was as good as the original, but still liked the dialogue and the performances of the lead actors. After the Thin Man continues to receive a generally positive response from modern critics. For example, Gabe Leibowitz of Film and Felt gave the film a positive review. He thought that the film had a more engaging mystery than the original film and that Jimmy Stewart gave a good performance.
Oscars: After the Thin Man was nominated for one Oscar at the 1937 Academy Award ceremony: Best Screenplay (Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, based on a story by Dashiell Hammett).
Why You Should See It: After the Thin Man is a funny comedy-mystery film and a worthy sequel to the original The Thin Man. William Powell is great as Nick in this film. He has plenty of good facial expressions and witty dialogue in After the Thin Man. Myrna Loy is also pretty good as Nora, usually reacting to the goofy things that Nick or Asta do. After the Thin Man is also a good early showcase for Jimmy Stewart’s talent. His part in the film is mostly dramatic, and he does a good job with the material.