…und sowas nennt sich Detektiv (1936)

…und sowas nennt sich Detektiv: Directed by W.S. Van Dyke. With William Powell, Myrna Loy, James Stewart, Elissa Landi. Private detective Nick Charles and his wealthy wife Nora are back home at last and hoping for a quiet New Year when Nora’s brother-in-law is murdered. The obvious suspect is his wife, Nora’s sister, Selma.

“Some weeks ago I expressed my absolute enthusiasm for u0026#39;The Thin Man (1934),u0026#39; a delightfully humorous murder mystery/comedy classic, starring the inimitable comedic marriage of William Powell and Myrna Loy as husband-and-wife detectives Nick and Nora Charles. This original film, after a solid box-office run and four Academy Award nominations, spawned a respectable five sequels, and a radio and television series. u0026#39;After the Thin Manu0026#39; is the first of these sequels, released in 1936.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs the original trailer for the film proudly proclaims, u0026#39;After the Thin Manu0026#39; brought back the three writers of the original hit (Dashiell Hammett, Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett), the same director (W.S. Van Dyke) and, of course, the three huge film stars in Powell, Loy and, of course, Asta the dog (the wire-haired terrier whose birth-name was Skippy). True to its promise, the film is every bit as witty, hilarious and suspenseful as its predecessor, masterfully melding Nick and Norau0026#39;s playful banter with another twisted mystery of love, betrayal, blackmail and murder. And look out for a memorable supporting performance from a young James Stewart, who was yet to hit it big with the likes of Frank Capra and Alfred Hitchcock.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe sequel takes place just a day or two after where u0026#39;The Thin Manu0026#39; left off, as Nick and Nora prepare to depart from the train that brought them back home to San Francisco. Like the original film, the actually murder mystery is quite a messy one, though the writers have luckily decided to tone down, just slightly, the number of interwoven threads this time around. With nothing in mind but sleeping for a month, our favourite detective couple are surprised to walk into a welcome-home party held by people they donu0026#39;t even know, before they are invited to Norau0026#39;s Aunt Katherineu0026#39;s (Jessie Ralph) house for dinner. Whilst there, Norau0026#39;s cousin Selma (Elissa Landi) reveals that her husband, Robert (Alan Marshal), has been missing for three days.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe filmmakers have, once again, managed to round up a terrific cast to complement the talents of its two sparkling leads. I particularly enjoyed the contribution of Jessie Ralph as Aunt Katherine, who absolutely detests Nick and addresses him as u0026quot;Nich-o-larse!u0026quot; Nicku0026#39;s obsession with alcohol also continues, though he maintains his uncanny ability to switch painlessly between a drunken stupor and completely alert sobriety. The good-natured inter-marital sledging that made the original film so enjoyable still carries a razor-sharp wit, and, in one hilarious sequence, Nick even goes as far as pretending not to recognise his wife so she can be temporarily detained in a jail cell.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026#39;After the Thin Manu0026#39; is one of those very rare occasions when a sequel is good enough to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with its predecessor. A mixture of clever writing, talented directing and an infectious chemistry between the cast members worked to ensure that the partnership between Nick and Nora Charles would be a prolonged one.”