After the Thin Man (1936)

This sequel's title is literal: the story in After the Thin Man is set immediately after the events of the 1934 film, which of course took place at Christmas. I actually think they're quietly retconning the timeline in that one a bit to allow time for protagonists Nick and Nora to reach California before New Years, but - if so - it's fairly trivial considering the events within this movie seem to be set over a minimum of three days between the evening of December 31st and January 1st. More on that later.

The tone (and debatably genre) of After the Thin Man undergoes at least a moderate shift from the earlier film. The first movie is really a farcical parody of the detective/mystery genre. While there's a pretty standard plot going on, The Thin Man takes pains to prevent the audience or leads from becoming too engrossed in what's going on or becoming invested in the characters impacted by the resolution. The side characters were basically comedic caricatures; even the victim's daughter's fear and depression were played for laughs.

After the Thin Man, on the other hand, plays like what's now a fairly typical typical comedy/mystery. It's still funny (occasionally even drifting into slapstick antics), but the characters are developed more like people than gags, the ending reveal is structured as a twist, and a woman in a situation resembling that of the victim's father from part one is developed much more sympathetically.

You'd think this would be an improvement, but something's lost in the transition from genre parody to comedic entry. Mainly, the problem centers around Powell and Loy's Nick and Nora. The pair are still funny, fortunately, but something's changed in how they play off each other. Before, there was a sense of deep, genuine affection, in spite of everything going on and the barbs they throw at each other. But in After the Thin Man, their barbs come off as less good-natured, occasionally bordering on actual annoyance or anger. It's still fun seeing them together, but the magic that made the original a classic is at the very least muted.

In addition, I found myself missing the nonchalant attitude the first movie had for its genre and tropes. To be fair, we get a couple moments here echoing that approach, but within the context of an actual, semi-serious mystery, they just don't land the same way.

That said, this is still perfectly enjoyable for what it is: a comedic detective adventure with a great cast (including arguably the all-time MVP of Christmas movies, James Stewart). The second half pulls you into its mystery, and - unlike the first time - the reveal makes for a satisfying resolution (though The Thin Man's pointed lack of resolution was satisfying in other ways).

All of which is to say this is a perfectly solid, if imperfect, '30s comedy/mystery, not quite good enough to be considered essential but more than worth seeking out for fans of the era and genre. And to that end, I'd advise anyone considering watching this to stop reading before I get to the synopsis, as this time spoilers actually could make a difference.

And, yes, I'm issuing a spoiler warning in a movie that's nearly eighty years old. What of it?

Picking up with Nick and Nora still on the train they boarded at the end of the last movie, we're shown a quick montage of them traveling across the country and arriving in California. They attempt to go home only to find their friends are attempting to throw them a party in their own home, a gesture the exhausted couple neither asked for nor appreciates. They're soon called away to Nora's aunt's New Year's Eve gathering, where they discover Nora's cousin, Selma, in distress. Selma's husband, Robert, has been missing for a few days, and Nick's asked to investigate. We're also introduced to David, a rival suitor who wanted to marry Selma who knows Robert's up to no good (he's even offered to leave Selma in exchange for twenty-five thousand dollars, an offer Robert is considering).

Nick has no trouble locating Robert, who's partying at a Chinese restaurant. Here we meet a handful of other important characters, including Robert's mistress, a man posing as her brother (actually her husband, but we won't learn that until later), and the restaurant's owners (at least one of whom is a hardened criminal).

David pays off Robert, who then stops by his home to pick up a few things and gloat to his wife, who grabs a gun and follows him outside at a distance. Only by now there's a bunch of minor characters in the area, so when Robert's shot, it's not clear who's responsible. Selma finds his body, however, and David arrives immediately after. He takes her gun and tells her to return home and deny ever coming outside, which she does. Meanwhile, David gets rid of the weapon by tossing it into the ocean.

Eventually the police, along with Nick, start interrogating suspects and piecing bits and pieces of what's going on together. Soon, they've arrested Selma, who professes her innocence. When David shows up, she tells him she really didn't kill Robert and needs the gun, but of course he got rid of it. He offers to tell the police where he threw it, but they're unable to locate the weapon.

That night, Nick receives a clue when a rock with a note on it is tossed through his window. More accurately, he receives half a clue, as the dog eats the other half before Nick and Nora can retrieve it. Along with some forged checks, this leads the police to a hotel the following evening where Selma's "brother" is discovered murdered.

Later, Nick discovers a room above that one where someone has installed equipment to listen in on the apartment below. He's also almost killed by the owner of the Chinese restaurant all of this ties back to. In the process, he discovers the body of a man who used to work for Nora and Selma's family.

He gets the police to gather all the suspects in the hopes one will slip up. One does: David mistakenly reveals details about the murdered gardener that prove he's seen the man more recently than he claimed. With this clue, Nick is able to piece together that David murdered Robert and disposed of Selma's gun so it couldn't be used to clear her. He was motivated by revenge: despite claiming he'd still wanted to marry Selma, he secretly wanted to frame her for the murder and watch her hang. The other victims were witnesses he killed to silence.

As usual, everything gets wrapped up fairly soon after. David is taken into custody, as are some of the other characters, albeit for less serious crimes. The movie has one more surprise, however: as Nick and Nora start off on another trip, Nora reveals she's pregnant. I'm guessing that's a plot point in the next movie.

Before we movie on, I should mention there's a separate, less significant subplot concerning Nick and Nora's dog competing with a rival dog over the affections of a female both have puppies with. It's all supposed to be very silly, though - honestly - I mostly just found it uncomfortable to watch. At any rate, it resolves with him shoving a push mower over the hole in the fence the rival dog uses to get in, so... make of that what you will.

Now then, let's talk New Year's. Aside from the brief afterword, the entire film is explicitly set on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, though - as I mentioned up front - the timeline really doesn't work. We're told that Nick and Nora slept in until 6PM on New Year's Day after their misadventures the night before, and between then and the reveal Nick and the police discover two bodies, news of the murders circulates, and there's an ongoing investigation. This isn't a case where the timeline is unclear, either - the movie constantly references the holiday or specifies the party at Nora's aunt's house was the previous night. It just doesn't work.

Not that it matters - the audience is typically going to be more interested in the story than finding plot holes. I doubt I'd have noticed if I weren't fixated on how the holidays were being used.

Speaking of which: how is New Year's utilized here? As far as I can tell, sparsely. You could of course read thematic significance into Selma's abusive marriage ending on New Year's, but the movie doesn't really highlight this. If anything, I felt like the reveal Nora was expecting had more resonance with the season, though even this could just as easily be incidental.

The larger use is as an excuse for parties and musical numbers (of which there are several). It's worth noting on New Year's Nick and Nora go from a dull gathering held by old money to an exciting, lively celebration at the Chinese restaurant. But before you read too much symbolic significance into that, before either one of those, they left a party they deemed too lively, which sort of undercuts the "out with the old, in with the new" motif. I suppose you could take the fact the villain comes from the old money side of things, though it's not like the other half is painted in a perfect light: there are more than enough criminals scattered throughout the cast of characters.

I will celebrate a couple choices that hold up. First, the police detective who Nick is working with (or, as far as Selma's innocence is concerned, against) is portrayed as brash, mean, and not particularly bright. The movie implies he means well, but he's neither particularly heroic nor likeable.

Second, the Chinese restaurant has two owners, one white and one Chinese. To the movie's credit, it's the white guy who's ultimately one of the bad guys. The Chinese owner actually saves Nick's life at the end. Though, since we're crediting them with this, I should acknowledge that character's dialogue consists of tired, broken English stereotypically associated with immigrant characters.

Again, this isn't a great movie. But as far as these things go, it's entertaining and features some strong elements. It's definitely not for everyone, but so long as you don't expect it to match its predecessor, it makes for an enjoyable watch.

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