After the Thin Man

Nick and Nora Charles return to their house in San Francisco for New Year. The husband of one of Nora's relatives has disappeared, and when he is found he has been murdered. Nick wants to retire and everyone expects him to solve it. W.S. Van Dyke directed. William Powell plays Nick, Myrna Loy plays Nora, with a young James Stewart in the cast. It is the second film in the series and the formula settles here: the murder plot is a pretext, and the real subject is how a married couple talk to each other. The ease between Powell and Loy is rare for the cinema of the period. Their dog Asta gets his own subplot in this one. The New Year and nightclub scenes show off the set thinking of thirties studio filmmaking. The solution always arrives the same way: a long speech in a room with everyone in it. Who it is for: viewers who like classic murder comedy and the Powell and Loy pairing. Who it is not for: anyone wanting realistic crime; everything here is light and slightly drunk.