Well, you must admit I've got pretty good taste

The Thin Man (1934) is one of my favorite Christmas movies. I feel as though it's in the category of Die Hard where you have to argue that it is, in fact, in the Christmas category. But the Christmas morning scene is one of my favorites in the whole movie. It's so funny. And I inevitably think of it every Christmas:




What are some of your favorite unorthodox Christmas movies?

All right, I'll remember: must scold, must nag, mustn't be too pretty in the mornings.

from Doctor Macro

This week, we take a look at a murder mystery centered around New Year’s Eve. Nick and Nora are at it again in the first sequel to the popular The Thin Man. This was to be the first sequel of five, all based on the main characters in Dashiell Hammett’s gritty detective story, but not based on any actual plots by Hammett. After the success of The Thin Man, plots were contrived for Mr. and Mrs. Charles, the witty detective couple. The screenwriters, Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett tried to kill the series with the first sequel, burdening the couple with a baby. They figured no one would want to watch Nick and Nora as parents, that the fun would be gone. They were vastly mistaken. After the third movie in the series, the writers left and a different writer was assigned to each movie that followed.

from Doctor Macro

After the Thin Man (1936)

MGM

Director: W.S. “Woody” Van Dyke

Featuring: William Powell, Myrna Loy, James Stewart, Elissa Landi, Penny Singleton, Joseph Calleia

Plot in a nutshell:

from Doctor Macro

When Nick and Nora Charles return home from their stressful vacation, they find that their New Year’s Eve won’t be nearly as peaceful as they’d hoped. When Nora’s cousin, Selma (Landi) is accused of murdering her philandering husband, the couple are on the case, attempting to clear her name.

Trivia:

- Though William Powell and Myrna Loy were very close friends off-screen, their only romantic moments together occurred on-screen. The public, however, was determined to have them married in private life as well. When the two stars showed up in San Francisco (where most of this film was shot) at the St. Francis, the hotel management proudly showed "Mr. and Mrs. Powell" to their deluxe suite. This was an especially uncomfortable moment as Jean Harlow, who was engaged to Powell, was with them, and the couple had not made a public statement about their relationship. Harlow saved the day by insisting on sharing the suite with Loy: "That mix-up brought me one of my most cherished friendships," Loy said in "Being and Becoming", her autobiography. "You would have thought Jean and I were in boarding school we had so much fun. We'd stay up half the night talking and sipping gin, sometimes laughing, sometimes discussing more serious things." Meanwhile, Powell got the hotel's one remaining room - a far humbler accommodation downstairs. (from IMDb)

- The nightclub featured in the film was loosely modeled on the famous Forbidden City, a popular San Francisco night spot from the late 1930s through the 1950s. (from IMDb)

- Although this sequel cost twice as much as The Thin Man (1934), it was still MGM's 5th biggest grossing film of the year, earning $3.1 million on a $673,000 investment. (from IMDb)

-  There's a wonderful book on the Thin Man series by Charles Tranberg called The Thin Man: Murder Over Cocktails and he gives some fascinating tidbits about the film as well. For instance, the screenwriters, Frances and Albert Hackett really wanted to kill the series with film #2. They even wanted to go so far as to kill Nick and Nora but the producer wouldn't let them. Instead, they saddled the couple with a baby, hoping the movie-going public would lose interest if Mr. and Mrs. Charles became too domestic.

Thoughts on the movie:

from Doctor Macro

This is honestly one of my favorites in the Thin Man series. I love Nick and Nora’s banter in this one and having Jimmy Stewart in it is a real treat. Selma is a bit ridiculous but that’s part of the fun of the film, really (in my opinion). Nick and Nora constantly seem to find themselves among crazy, absurd, over-the-top characters throughout the series. It makes it kind of enjoyable to notice that they’re about the only normal ones in there. There’s usually a handful of more normal characters in the film (James Stewart, for instance, in this one). It’s a good time.

Favorite scenes:

This has been a favorite of mine for a long time so, naturally, I have a ton of favorite scenes. But one of my absolute favorite scenes ever is the one where Nora wakes up and starts asking about scrambled eggs. It’s a perfect example of the clever banter that made the couple so popular. I also really like the New Year’s Eve scene at the Chinese restaurant. Oh and the surprise party. And also the part where-- well, basically you should just watch the movie. It’s fantastic.

You're my favorite woman

My favorite married couple: Nick and Nora!

This photo is from the TCM archives.

You act as though it were the only present you ever had.

Now, it's time for my Christmas movie review. There have been some great ones so far and I can't wait to post a full list on Christmas Eve!

This year, I held off on calling dibs on a movie because last year, I reserved a movie before everyone else did - and that didn't seem fair. So, this year, I waited. And, as I waited, pretty much every classic Christmas movie that I really love got snatched up! Yipes! So, after much deliberating, I decided on this classic Christmas movie.

The Thin Man (1934)

The plot, for those unlucky few who have not seen this movie, is as follows: Inventor Clyde Wynant is often mysterious, even to his daughter, Dorothy, his laywer, MacCauley, and his girlfriend, Julia. But when he doesn't return at Christmastime as he promised, Dorothy begins to worry and brings the disappearance to the attention of former sleuth, Nick Charles. When Julia is found dead in her apartment by Wynant's ex-wife, everyone is on the lookout for the mysterious man. But is he the culprit? With Nick and his glamorous wife, Nora, on the case, the case is sure to be solved - with plenty of drinking and joking around, of course!

How's that for a nutshell? Not too bad. Okay, so this movie has very little Christmas in it. But, let's be honest, a lot of my favorite Christmas movies have very little to do with Christmas: White Christmas, Holiday Inn, Christmas in Connecticut. They usually take place around Christmas, like The Thin Man but hardly depend on Christmas to carry the theme of the story. Even the quintessential Christmas movie, It's A Wonderful Life, takes place, for the most part, at times other than Christmas. It's just that the climactic portion of the film is on Christmas Eve. What do all of these films have in common though, besides time of year setting? They're such fun movies to watch! And they usually have some sort of feel-good part about them that makes them fun to watch with a mug of hot cocoa. The Thin Man, being a murder mystery, can be tricky to label as "feel-good fun" but it is!! It's so laugh-out-loud hilarious! It's absolutely delightful. It's one of my all-time favorite movies ever.

If you're still in doubt as to whether it counts as Christmas movie, here's some proof. Nick and Nora throw a Christmas party (in one of my favorite dresses worn by Nora. I want this dress!!!)

See? There's a Christmas tree and Nora's super cute candy-cane dress!!

and they play with their Christmas presents on Christmas morning. Such a funny scene!!



Check back again on Christmas Eve for a full list of Christmas posts!! For those participating, please continue to let me know when you've written yours so I can add it to the list!

Did you say something about scrambled eggs?

There's a very good chance I've used that title for a post before, but that's okay. I love this photo!

You might have mentioned me first on the billing.

So, I have a bit of a bone to pick. (I actually don't like that expression very much.) The Thin Man remake.


Please bear with me on this one - I tried to make it as cohesive as possible (it was hard not to just ramble). I'm actually torn about the whole thing - not 'torn' in that I want to see it and I don't want to see it. I'm torn in that I'm infuriated that they're even attempting to touch on something so unbelievably perfect as The Thin Man but also a little annoyed with my own fury.

I'll tackle the latter first. The Thin Man (1934) was filmed in about two weeks. I read Myrna Loy's autobiography (which is amazing, by the way, and I highly recommend it) and she really mentions the whole experience rather briefly. After all, the whole thing took very little time. She talks often of William Powell and their friendship, but the actual film itself holds little space in the pages of her memoir. All in all, I'm probably holding the film on a far higher pedestal than those who created it really intended.

Be that as it may, the movie is perfect (in my opinion). Okay, so... not really perfect. I could do without the actual plot often times because, let's face it, I'm really just watching it to see Nick and Nora. I don't really care who done it and, no matter how many times I've watched it, I'm still a little foggy on the motive. What makes this timeless film so wonderful is Nick and Nora. William Powell and Myrna Loy. They're brilliant together. Inspired. Adorable. Sexy. You just can't duplicate that kind of chemistry.


Which, frankly, is why I'm shocked anyone is even attempting it. They don't even know who will play Nora yet (or if they do they're not telling). But, it seems to me, that if you're going to remake a film that is famous for the chemistry of its two leads, wouldn't you go into the project with two leads that you know have good chemistry to begin with? It's not about how well Johnny Depp can capture Nick Charles. Or how well whoever it is can play Nora. William Powell was perfect as Nick Charles (I actually liked him better than Dashiell Hammett's original sleuth). In my opinion, he was Nick Charles. But William Powell was a remarkable actor. He was probably really good as Philo Vance too (although I haven't yet seen it). The movies weren't good because William Powell was so fantastic as Nick; they were good because he and Myrna were so outrageously perfect together.


Now, that being said, the remake is an old and reputable tradition. I really shouldn't be freaking out as much as I am. After all, My Favorite Wife, Move Over Darling, and Something's Got To Give were all made and remade within about 20 years of each other. And I've even admitted that my favorite among The Shop Around the Corner, In the Good Ol' Summertime and You've Got Mail is the most recent one. When we like something, we really like it. So, why not The Thin Man? My main issue is that now if the movie does well, people will say, "Oh, that's the movie with Johnny Depp, right?" ugh. Kill me now.

My other issue, my really worrisome one, is that times have changed. Sensibilities have changed. Senses of humor, of romance, of suspense have all changed. I highly doubt that this new film will be the light and frothy concoction that it was in '34. We don't have to see Nick and Nora having sex back then to know that their sizzling relationship isn't confined to separate beds. But nowadays, entendre and subtext are kind of thrown by the wayside. Clever wordplay is exchanged for lewd humor. Why show gangsters with shadows and lighting tricks when we can just show gore instead? The subtlety is gone. I'm very worried that they'll do to my favorite detective couple what they did to Longfellow Deeds. (Really? Adam Sandler? Really?)

So, despite my understanding that remakes have been around for quite a while, I'm very wary of this upcoming one. Please be careful, Johnny Depp. You have something very precious in your grasp.

You don't scold, you don't nag, and you look far too pretty in the mornings.

Okay, so the last 100 movie post I did was in October, which is a bit ridiculous. Let's see if we can kick that old habit back into gear, shall we?

And let's do it with a good timey old classic like...

After The Thin Man (1936)



I'm picking this movie for several reasons:
one, we're only very recently past the new year and I consider this a New Year's movie.
two, I'm in a bit of a Thin Man mood after having read Charles Tranberg's The Thin Man Films: Murder After Cocktails which was highlighted in the wonderful blog of C.K. Dexter Haven.
and third, well, I just love this movie. It's one of my favorite Thin Man films and it is, I believe, widely regarded as one of the better. This probably because it had a team as the first one: same director (W.S. Van Dyke), same writers (Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett), and our heroes are still partying it up without the soon-to-come hindrance of a child.


The story picks up where the first one leaves off - with Nick and Nora on their way home to San Francisco. Nick has just finished the Thin Man case and he's ready to relax... or so he thinks. Back at home, Nora's family is finding trouble when her cousin, Selma's (Elissa Landi) husband disappears. When her husband is later found murdered, Selma becomes a chief suspect and Nick and Nora start sleuthing. There are some great lines in this one and stellar performances by all, including a fantastic young James Stewart. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it. If you haven't seen a Thin Man movie yet, then you definitely should add the series to your Netflix queue. They're worth watching (and rewatching).


I'm hoping to come back in full force. I'm going to assume that I'm doing so by being optimistic and adding a poll. The poll will cover this topic: Which is your favorite Thin Man movie? Weigh in with your opinion!

You're a perfect lady. You're a regular guy. We should be together, you and I!

In January, I stated that I would like to a different list of favorites every month. I've already done Favorite Actresses and Favorite Actors. Now, in honor of February and Valentine's Day, I'd like to do Favorite Couples! I have a few disclaimers before I begin, however. First, there is a difference between a couple and a dance team. I'm specifically avoiding dance partners because I think they deserve a list all their own. So, these pairs are pairs because I like the way their chemistry while acting, sans dance (even if they happen to dance together, as is the case with #2). Also, I've carefully avoided doubling up on some actors. Each performer is listed only once (which is why you'll see no Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, who I do actually like, but I prefer the Cary Grant pairing I have below). Instead of having ninth and tenth couples, I have two honorary mentions. That is, two pairings that I love that have only been paired together once. I'm also including the films in which I like the performers' chemistry best; in the first three choices, I'm including two films. If you like this list or this idea, please feel free to consider yourself tagged in this listing process. I'd love to see what couples you like!

#1. William Powell and Myrna Loy
The Thin Man and I Love You Again


#2. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
Swing Time and Roberta


#3. Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland
The Adventures of Robin Hood and Captain Blood


#4. Cary Grant and Irene Dunne
The Awful Truth


#5. Gene Kelly and Kathryn Grayson
Thousands Cheer


#6. Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell
Footlight Parade


#7. Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee
That Funny Feeling


#8. Frank Sinatra and Betty Garrett
On the Town


Honorary Mentions:
#9. William Holden and Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday


#1o. Claudette Colbert and Don Ameche in Midnight




P.S. I'd like to thank Noir Girl for picking up the movie review chain! I can't wait to read her review!
P.P.S. Don't forget to vote on the poll! There are only two votes so far, which is making the competition a very slow neck-and-neck race.
P.P.P.S. Happy Valentine's Day!! I've picked one of my favorite onscreen kisses as a banner for the occasion!
P.P.P.P.S. (I promise, this is the last one!) Because it relates to the list and to the day, I'm going to do some shameless self-promotion and post one of my videos. I hope you like it! It features my top three couples! The song is written by and performed by the incomparable Emma Wallace of Emma's Music

Did you say something about scrambled eggs?

For this month's spotlight on a scene, I'd like to discuss a scene of one of my favorite on-screen couples, Nick and Nora Charles. The scene is from After the Thin Man (1936) when the couple is in bed (separated, of course). Nick is trying to fall asleep while Nora is anxious about the fate of her cousin, who is mixed up in a murder. The scene is hilarious because Nora keeps chatting to Nick and Nick keeps trying to fall asleep. I'm working through my copy on Leading Couples of the Studio Era and I finally got to William Powell and Myrna Loy. Frank Miller writes that the couple proved marriage could be "sophisticated, passionate, and fun." I think you can see some of that in this scene - the way Nora smiles at Nick, the fact that Nick sacrifices his sleep to scramble Nora some eggs, and their witty banter (particularly when they get into the kitchen). I'm embedding the scene below. I'll put two vids because the scene continues with the chase around the house. The scene begins at 5:30. Enjoy!

Top 20 Actors (aka Merry Christmas Ladies)

Kate Gabrielle at Silents and Talkies did a post the other day on her top 20 actors. She kindly opened the invitation to anyone who wanted to join in the fun. Well, I definitely want to join in the fun! So here are my top twenty favorite actors. The list is comprised of actors with whom I'm completely in love, the ones who are so great that they can do no wrong and character actors. I have a couple of explanations before I begin: the trend seems to be to list the actors along with your favorite roles they played - I simply couldn't decide with some of the actors and listed two movies (those are usually the ones who can do no wrong). Oh, and I too tag anyone who is interested. From my understanding, this meme has been going on for a while, which may mean I'm late in the game. Just the same, if anyone hasn't done this list yet and would like to then feel free to consider yourself tagged by me!

#1 Cary Grant
Philadelphia Story and Bringing Up Baby



#2 Fred Astaire
The Gay Divorcee and Swing Time



#3 Errol Flynn
The Adventures of Robin Hood and Captain Blood



#4 Gene Kelly
Singin' In the Rain and Summer Stock



#5 Danny Kaye
White Christmas and Court Jester



#6 William Powell
The Thin Man and I Love You Again



#7 Ricardo Montalban
Neptune's Daughter



#8 Rudolph Valentino
The Sheik


#9 Gary Cooper
Mr. Deeds Goes To Town



#10 James Stewart
The Philadelphia Story



#11 William Holden
Born Yesterday



#12 Donald O'Connor
Singin' in the Rain



#13 Frank Sinatra
On the Town


#14 Robert Redford
Barefoot in the Park



#15 Yul Brynner
The King and I



#16 Howard Keel *
Kiss Me Kate




#17 Peter Lawford
Easter Parade



#18 Bobby Darin
That Funny Feeling



#19 Charlie Chaplin
The Kid

(I'm a little obsessed with photos of Charlie Chaplin when he's not The Little Tramp. I think they're fascinating and very hard to find)

#20 Tony Curtis
Paris When It Sizzles



Wow! That was fun! Just out of curiosity, has anyone done a list of top 20 actresses or top 20 dancers?

Oh, and I'm going to take this opportunity for a little shameless self-promotion. Another one of my favorite hobbies is video editing. I actually considered pursuing editing as a career but realized I'd have to watch movies I don't like so I've been sticking to it as a hobby. Anyway, I made a movie a little while ago about who I think are the sexiest actors (most of them are on this list) and I thought I'd share it with you. The music is performed and written by a wonderful musician, Emma Wallace, who has a blog of her own.



I hope you like the video and the list! All comments are welcome! Thanks for reading!


* I originally had Edward Everett Horton because he is my favorite character actor. But then I thought about it and realized that I'd titled my entry "Merry Christmas Ladies" and Mr. Horton, though fantastic, is not exactly dreamy. I had just happened to watch Calamity Jane the other day and remembered how much I love Howard Keel, so I decided to name him instead.

Okay shoot! I mean... what's on your mind?

It's nearing Christmas and I am going to attempt to make my posts semi-holiday-themed (no promises, though). The next on the list of 100 movies is sort of a Christmas movie, to my mind (However, I tend to categorize strange movies as Christmas movies). Continuing on the list of 100 movies:

#6 The Thin Man (1934)


This movie is absolutely delightful! Hollywood Dreamland did a fantastic series of reviews on the films and it's a great read for those who have seen the movies as well as those who have not.

The Fred and Ginger dances poll is still going on, so please continue voting. And thank you to all who have voted already!

I'd like to add another poll just for fun. There's a good chance that it will be a landslide victory... but I will just accept that this time. If there's variety, that's great because variety is always a wonderful thing. And if everyone votes for the same movie then we can all revel in our flawless taste. (But we can do that no matter what the result is).

Also, for the sake of discussion, which quote from the movie is your favorite? There are so many, I have difficulty choosing one, but the title is one of my favorites. I say it all the time. What's your favorite?

"I don't need anything in the world, darling, but you... and a toothbrush."

Well, Christmas is behind us and it's time for the New Year! Which means, it's time for a New Year movie. One of my favorite New Year movies (although, frankly, I'm not sure how many New Year movies there are) is After the Thin Man (1936). I recommend first watching The Thin Man (1934) in order to get a better sense of the characters, but it really isn't necessary. Nick Charles (William Powell) is an ex-police detective who gave up professional sleuthing when he married Nora (Myrna Loy). However, he just can't get gumshoeing out of his system because he always ends up with a case! In this movie, the case hits home when it involves Nora's wealthy family. This movie is hilarious as well as intriguing, and it takes place on New Year's Eve! If you like drinking, I'll suggest my brother's idea for a drinking game in which you take a swig every time they do... which is often. However, being drunk is not necessary to enjoy this movie, which has a stellar cast (including James Stewart) as well as a humorously-not-so-stellar cast (Elissa Landi, who plays Selma is ridiculously over-the-top). I highly recommend it - it's thoroughly enjoyable. Just a short trivia note, the bantering relationship of Nick and Nora was not in the original script (or the original book, The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett), but was added in based on William Powell and Myrna Loy's bantering relationship in real life! So, enjoy the humor and quick wit as you watch this delightful mix of martinis, murder, and madness!

Nick: Have you made your New Year's resolution yet?
Nora: No, any complaints or suggestions?
Nick: A few...
Nora: Which?
Nick: Complaints.
Nora: All right, shoot.
Nick: Well, you don't scold, you don't nag, and you look far too pretty in the morning.
Nora: All right, I'll remember: must scold, must nag, mustn't be too pretty in the morning.