Shadow of the Thin Man


Shadow of the Thin Man is the fourth of the six The Thin Man films. It was released in 1941 and was directed by W. S. Van Dyke. It stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles. Also, in this film their son Nick Jr. is old enough to figure in the comic subplot. Other cast members include Donna Reed and Barry Nelson. This was one of three films in which Stella Adler appeared.

Plot

Nick and Nora Charles are looking forward to a relaxing day at a racetrack, but when a jockey accused of throwing a race is found shot to death, Police Lieutenant Abrams requests Nick's help. The trail leads to a gambling syndicate that operates out of a wrestling arena, a murdered reporter, and a pretty secretary whose boyfriend has been framed. Along the way, Nick and Nora must contend with a wild wrestling match, a dizzying day at a merry-go-round, and a table-clearing restaurant brawl.

Cast

After difficulties with the previous films, author Dashiell Hammett was uninvolved in the production of Shadow or the subsequent two films. Shadow of the Thin Man was eagerly welcomed, coming two years after the previous outing and hitting theaters just two weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor. It would be three years before Loy would make another film as she left Hollywood for New York, where she volunteered with the Red Cross.
The film was fourth of six based on the characters of Nick and Nora:
According to MGM records the film earned $1,453,000 in the US and Canada and $848,000 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $769,000.