The Thin Man, early MGM feature, defines on-screen chemistry
William Powell and Myrna Loy's husband-and-wife act so resonated in 1934 release it was copied years later in Hong Kong film 'Bitter Phoenix, Sorrowful Oriole'
Part murder mystery, part marital farce, MGM's 1934 screen adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's bestselling detective novel is also the very definition of "screen chemistry". The reason can be summed up in four words: Nick and Nora Charles.
Director W.S. Van Dyke and the married screenwriting team of Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich recognised the crimes propelling 's plot were secondary to the give-and-take between the film's real crux, gentleman sleuth Nick and his wealthy but far-from-stodgy spouse Nora. As played by William Powell and Myrna Loy (pictured above with canine star Asta), the duo was the personification of a sparklingly new celluloid variety of husband and wife: chic and irreverent, yet unmistakably in love.
Part of the film's freshness is due to the couple not making their initial appearance until the second reel. The first 10 minutes revolve around Wynant (Edward Ellis), an eccentric inventor and homicide suspect. But despite it being Wynant's slim figure that's alluded to in the title, audiences so associated the appellation with Powell that the five Nick and Nora sequels made during the ensuing dozen years failed to include Wynant even while all containing "thin man" in their designations.
The case at hand has its share of twists and turns, but they serve primarily as excuses to unleash the Nick-Nora pizzazz. In this they are aided by the couple's white-haired terrier, Asta, whose escapades pushed him to the forefront of canine celebrity. Movie buffs will also enjoy the supporting cast that includes up-and-coming stars such as Maureen O'Sullivan and Cesar Romero.
The response was enthusiastic both at home — where it garnered Oscar nods for best picture, director, writing, and actor — and abroad. In Hong Kong, evidence of 's impact can be found in , a Cantonese detective picture released in 1947.
That could serve as inspiration for a film starring Cantonese opera star Sun Ma Si-tsang as a master detective and singer Cheung Yuet-yee playing his wife was also indicative of the peculiar relationship that existed between Hollywood and "the Far East".
