The Thin Man Goes Home
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The Thin Man Goes Home | |
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Directed by | Richard Thorpe |
Written by | Dashiell Hammett (characters) |
Screenplay by | |
Story by |
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Produced by | Everett Riskin |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Karl Freund |
Edited by | Ralph E. Winters |
Music by | David Snell |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Loew's Inc. |
Release date |
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Running time | 100 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $1,401,000 |
Box office | $2,814,000 |
The Thin Man Goes Home is a 1944 American
Plot
Nick and Nora visit Nick's parents in Nick's hometown, Sycamore Springs, in New England. The residents are convinced that Nick is in town on an investigation, despite Nick's repeated denials. However, when aircraft factory employee Peter Berton seeks out Nick and is shot dead before he can reveal anything, Nick is on the case.
An old childhood friend, Dr. Bruce Clayworth, performs the autopsy and extracts a pistol bullet. When Nick searches Berton's room for clues, he is knocked unconscious by Crazy Mary, a local eccentric.
Nora's innocent purchase of a painting for Nick's birthday present turns out to be the key to the mystery. When she shows it to her husband, it brings back unpleasant memories for him, so she donates it to a charity bazaar. When Edgar Draque offers Nora a large sum for the painting, Nick wonders why it is so valuable. Nick learns that Draque's wife Helena bought the artwork, but she is knocked out and the painting disappears. Nick discovers that Crazy Mary is Berton's mother and goes to see her, only to come across her lifeless body. Nick and Nora's dog Asta finds the painting in her shack.
Nick puts the pieces together and has the police bring all the suspects to his father's house. Early on, it is revealed that Nick's father, Dr. Bertram Charles, has never been overly impressed with his son's unusual career choice, so this allows Nick to change his father's mind. Using Dr. Charles's
Cast
- William Powell as Nick Charles
- Myrna Loy as Nora Charles, Nick's wife
- Lucile Watson as Mrs. Charles, Nick's mother
- Gloria DeHaven as Laurabelle "Laura" Ronson
- Anne Revere as Crazy Mary
- Helen Vinson as Helena Draque
- Harry Davenport as Dr. Bertram Charles
- Leon Ames as Edgar Draque
- Donald Meek as Willie Crump
- Edward Brophy as Brogan; in the first film he played a character named Joe Morelli
- Lloyd Corrigan as Dr. Bruce Clayworth
- Anita Sharp-Bolster as Hilda (as Anita Bolster)
- Ralph Brooks as Peter Berton
- Donald MacBride as Police Chief MacGregor
- Morris Ankrum as Willoughby
- Nora Cecil as Miss Peavy
- Minor Watson as Sam Ronson
Notes
Production of a Thin Man film had been planned for 1942, but
The Thin Man Goes Home was Loy's only wartime picture.[2]
The cocktail shaker, a staple prop from previous films in the series, ceased to be omnipresent in this one, replaced by a running gag about how difficult it is to get a drink in Nick’s hometown: Nick's faithful flask contains only cider. TCM's Notes on the film say that "according to an April 1944 Hollywood Reporter news item, wartime liquor rationing prompted producer Everett Riskin to eliminate the heavy drinking that had been an integral part of Nick and Nora's daily life in previous The Thin Man films".[2]
The film was the fifth of six based on the characters of Nick and Nora:
- The Thin Man (1934)
- After the Thin Man (1936)
- Another Thin Man (1939)
- Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)
- The Thin Man Goes Home (1944)
- Song of the Thin Man (1947)
Box office
According to MGM records, the film earned $1,770,000 in the US and Canada, and $1,044,000 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $501,000.
References
- ^ "The Thin Man Goes Home (1945) - Articles - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ a b "The Thin Man Goes Home (1945) - Notes - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.