The Thin Man is the murder mystery that only the 1930s could produce.
I hadn’t seen The Thin Man since 1999 before the Warner Archive Blu-ray arrived. While I understand its importance in film history, I can’t say that I’m a fan. However, I didn’t expect the hilarity of seeing how bad a murder mystery has aged over the years.
William Powell and Myrna Loy are a great couple, but they make for bad detectives. Specifically, they let Maureen O’ Sullivan motivate all the action. When that’s not enough, they hang back and let a ton of people get murdered. By the end of the film, it’s super apparent that Powell has put it all together. So, why did we get 30-40 minutes of people getting murdered?
The Thin Man was shot in 12 days back in 1934. That alone says a lot. Still, I love a semi-romance that treats crime and murder like a mild inconvenience. Still, I found myself returning to my Hart and Hart DVDs before feeling the urge to pick this one up again. The disc is impressive, I just find the movie to be awkward.
The Blu-ray comes with a Lux Radio Theater broadcast and an episode of the Thin Man TV series. Plus, you get a trailer! The A/V Quality is insanely impressive for the era. The 1080p transfer and the DTS-HD 2.0 mono makes for the best viewing I’ve ever had of the Thin Man. Check it out if you’re a fan!
