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 Posted:   Aug 3, 2005 - 6:13 AM   
 By:   Jim Phelps   (Member)

Did they do a good job in terms of restoration? The extras sure sound enticing, and while I haven't seen the last two Thin Man films, I really enjoyed the first four and was hoping to hear from from those who picked up the set. I'll probably get it anyway, with it being such a good price and all.

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 3, 2005 - 1:06 PM   
 By:   Jim Titus   (Member)

Well, I have the first film on DVD...and the restoration is so-so. I don't think the print was in a bad way to begin with, but they certainly didn't give it the Criterion treatment.

For six bucks a DVD the new set is worth it, regardless of the quality of the transfers. You can't go wrong with William Powell and Myrna Loy...I'd also reccommend Libeled Lady on DVD if you've never seen it.

 
 Posted:   Aug 3, 2005 - 1:49 PM   
 By:   MWRuger   (Member)

It's certainly going to save me a lot of work. I was just about to transfer my Laserdisc set to DVD.

 
 Posted:   May 16, 2009 - 5:03 AM   
 By:   Jim Phelps   (Member)

Okay, it's four years later and I've watched this set dozens of times since I got it. These movies are so much fun. I also enjoy the various substitute Thin Man movies made around the same time. A book about Hollywood detectives I'm reading claims that when William Powell took a two-year break from movies after being diagnosed with colon cancer, MGM rushed out several Thin Man style films as insurance.

Melvyn Douglas appeared in two new similarly-themed films: as rare book dealer/sleuth Joel Sloane in Fast Company (1938; costarring Florence Rice) and There's Always a Women (1938; Joan Blondell)and its sequel There's That Woman Again (1939; Virginia Bruce).

The Joel Sloane character also appeared in Fast and Loose (1939; Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell) and Fast and Furious (1939; Franchot Tone and Ann Sothern).

William Powell himself appeared in two Thin Man knock offs--Star of Midnight (1935; Ginger Rogers) and The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936; Jean Arthur). I'd love to get all of these films on DVD and have been lusting after them for years.

More recently, Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)had Woody Allen and Diane Keaton as amateur detectives.

Any more sleuthing couples movies?

 
 Posted:   May 16, 2009 - 5:28 AM   
 By:   Eric Paddon   (Member)

I hope you've got the first two seasons (which sadly may be all we'll ever get) of "Hart To Hart" since that was basically the whole "Thin Man" template brought to TV.

 
 
 Posted:   May 16, 2009 - 6:00 AM   
 By:   Thread Assasin   (Member)

OK, so here's some weirdness...I clicked to quote Jim's post in my reply and some other post about rare soundtracks popped up. Hmmmm...

Anyway, Jim P. -- a movie I love in this genre is GRAND CENTRAL MURDER, a 1942 programmer with Van Heflin and Virgina Grey as sluething couple "Rocky" and "Butch" Custer. Check out this supporting cast: Patricia Dane, Cecilia Parker, Connie Gilchrist, Betty Wells (a hoot as 'Baby' DelRoy) and... in a bit role...Mickey Rooney's dad! Joe Yule!! The bulk of it takes place either in Grand Central Station, backstage in a conveniently located Broadway theater, or in a cramped police interrogation room. Runs a little over an hour, as I recall, and very entertaining. Heflin & Grey play well together. (I always liked her.) This turns up on TCM from time to time; I think this was the only movie featuring these particular characters.

 
 Posted:   May 16, 2009 - 6:13 AM   
 By:   Jim Phelps   (Member)

Thanks, Castile.

I tried to edit my previous post and it took me to the forum homepgae. Weird.

 
 Posted:   May 16, 2009 - 8:03 AM   
 By:   Mr. Jack   (Member)

FYI, I've seen the Thin Man boxed set selling for $24 at Costco recently.

 
 Posted:   May 17, 2009 - 1:51 PM   
 By:   Jim Phelps   (Member)

Just ordered this:

The Thin Man: Murder Over Cocktails

http://tinyurl.com/q34qpk

 
 Posted:   Aug 7, 2013 - 8:36 AM   
 By:   Jim Phelps   (Member)

Thin Man aficionados will appreciate this WBShop "three-fer" of the "Fast" series. I just ordered this along with a half-price copy of another Sleuthing Couple film, "Star of Midnight":

http://www.wbshop.com/product/fast+companyfast+and+loosefast+and+furioustriple+feature+1000397727.do?sortby=ourPicks

 
 Posted:   Aug 7, 2013 - 12:40 PM   
 By:   BobJ   (Member)

I'm going to have to get that Thin Man book.

Jim, earlier in the thread you said you were reading a book on Hollywood detectives... what was the name of that book?

Thanks.

 
 Posted:   Aug 7, 2013 - 7:16 PM   
 By:   Jim Phelps   (Member)

I'm going to have to get that Thin Man book.

Jim, earlier in the thread you said you were reading a book on Hollywood detectives... what was the name of that book?

Thanks.


It's called The Detective in Hollywood and the author is Jon Tuska. Great resource that can be purchased cheaply through Amazon marketplace:

http://www.amzn.com/0385120931

The Thin man book is, unfortunately, not nearly as good, but I suppose Nick and Nora Charles fanatics will have to have it. smile

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 7, 2013 - 8:47 PM   
 By:   Zooba   (Member)

Are the discs in Slim Line cases? I hate overweight cases.

 
 Posted:   Aug 8, 2013 - 12:18 AM   
 By:   BobJ   (Member)

I'm going to have to get that Thin Man book.

Jim, earlier in the thread you said you were reading a book on Hollywood detectives... what was the name of that book?

Thanks.


It's called The Detective in Hollywood and the author is Jon Tuska. Great resource that can be purchased cheaply through Amazon marketplace:

http://www.amzn.com/0385120931

The Thin man book is, unfortunately, not nearly as good, but I suppose Nick and Nora Charles fanatics will have to have it. smile




Sweet! Thanks. That book looks awesome. And i'll just take your word for it on the Nick and Nora book. Sounded a bit iffy anyway.

 
 
 Posted:   Aug 8, 2013 - 10:11 AM   
 By:   Preston Neal Jones   (Member)

I'd highly recommend THE REAL NICK AND NORA, a biography of the masrried screenwriters Goodrich and hackett, who head, if anything, mre of an imfluence than Hammdett himself kn crezting those two characters on the screen. Read Hammett's nove;, and wok























































































































































































I highly recommend THE REAL NICK AND NORA, the biography of married screenwriters/playwrights Francis Goodrich and Albert Hackett. Read the original Hammett THIN MAN novel and discover how much of the humor in the characterizations derives from the film script.









I highly recommend THE REAL NICK AND NORA, the biography of Francis Goodrich and Albert Hackett, the married screenwriters/playwrights who were actually more essential than Hammett himself in creating the essential humor of these beloved characters.


















 
 
 Posted:   Aug 8, 2013 - 12:31 PM   
 By:   manderley   (Member)

.....I'd highly recommend THE REAL NICK AND NORA, a biography of the masrried screenwriters Goodrich and hackett, who head, if anything, mre of an imfluence than Hammdett himself kn crezting those two characters on the screen. Read Hammett's nove;, and wok......


I'll have to read THE REAL NICK AND NORA one day.....sounds interesting. Another husband/wife fictional detective team no one has mentioned yet is Mr. and Mrs. North, in radio, movies and early TV.


But, in the meantime, I have to say I absolutely LOVE this paragraph you've written, Preston. It reminds me of some sort of talking robot winding down and running amok in its speech. I STILL don't understand part of what you said there! Priceless! smile

How did this happen?

(I'm reading Hammett's nove; as I wok, right now......and I'm crezting, too!) smile

 
 Posted:   Aug 17, 2013 - 5:17 PM   
 By:   Jim Phelps   (Member)

Thin Man aficionados will appreciate this WBShop "three-fer" of the "Fast" series.

http://www.wbshop.com/product/fast+companyfast+and+loosefast+and+furioustriple+feature+1000397727.do?sortby=ourPicks


The second film in this series, "Fast and Loose", references the first film,"Fast Company." It also reuses the same set used for the Sloanes' office. Robert Montgomery plays Joel a bit goofy and less Powell-like, which is different than Melvyn Douglas' Performance in the first film, who was more like Nick Charles in character as well as appearance. However, with "Fast and Loose", I am having trouble deciding who is prettier: Rosalind Russell or Robert Montgomery! lol Russell was never considered a great beauty, but I sure think she's swell. <3 She seems to be channelling Myrna Loy in the Nora Charles-like Garda Sloane character, speaking in Myrna's sophisticated tones. Speaking of Tones, Franchot will play Joel Sloane in the third film,"Fast and Furious." (No relation to that crap you kids watch) smile

 
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