Post by Salzmank on Apr 8, 2017 19:10:24 GMT
Last night I saw Fast Company (1938), another fun Thin Man cash-in, this one put out by the same studio (MGM) in between Thin Mans--they were that popular! Melvyn Douglas and Florence Rice play the Nick and Nora Charles knock-offs, here named Joel and Garda Sloane. (Even the cadences of the names are similar!)
It has a great cast, and the movie's a ton of fun.
Of all the Thin Man knock-offs, this is by far the closest. Not only is it put out by the same studio and does it share Nat Pendleton, but both plot and characters are so similar to the original. The pretty Mary Howard plays the female romantic lead exactly as Maureen O'Sullivan played the role in The Thin Man; both plots hinge on
Ah, and may I add: there's quite an ingenious clue involving gloves that is very satisfying. I was happy to see a clue in the story.
It may only be the MGM atmosphere, but it's the only knock-off I've seen that one could confuse for an actual, if later, Thin Man.
Melvyn Douglas is fine, and it's interesting to see him try to do a William Powell impression yet change it up enough--but the lovely Florence Rice does a pitch-perfect Myrna Loy impression, and I believe she's better at it than Douglas is at Powell.
A big problem with Miss Rice's performance, though, has nothing to do with her and everything to do with the writers, who gave her just about nothing to do. At the very least, Nora was off doing something with Nick, even if he were trying divers means to keep her away. The point is, of course, that Nick doesn't want to do detective work and Nora pushes him to it. Here, the fact that Joel Sloane wants to do the detective work keeps Garda from having a stronger character.
Anyway...
Still quite a fun movie. I'm happy I saw it.
It's available on TCM screening, but only until Wednesday. Anyone else seen this one?
It has a great cast, and the movie's a ton of fun.
Of all the Thin Man knock-offs, this is by far the closest. Not only is it put out by the same studio and does it share Nat Pendleton, but both plot and characters are so similar to the original. The pretty Mary Howard plays the female romantic lead exactly as Maureen O'Sullivan played the role in The Thin Man; both plots hinge on
a murdered father
(that's a little bit of a spoiler for TM); and Joel and Garda Sloane are far closer, in relationship and repartee, to Nick and Nora Charles than are Clay Dalzell and Donna Martin (Star of Midnight, 1935) or Lawrence and Paula Bradford (The Ex-Mrs. Bradford, 1936).Ah, and may I add: there's quite an ingenious clue involving gloves that is very satisfying. I was happy to see a clue in the story.
Also, the identity of the murderer seems to derive ultimately, albeit with caveats, from Hammett's/Huston's The Maltese Falcon!
It may only be the MGM atmosphere, but it's the only knock-off I've seen that one could confuse for an actual, if later, Thin Man.
Melvyn Douglas is fine, and it's interesting to see him try to do a William Powell impression yet change it up enough--but the lovely Florence Rice does a pitch-perfect Myrna Loy impression, and I believe she's better at it than Douglas is at Powell.
A big problem with Miss Rice's performance, though, has nothing to do with her and everything to do with the writers, who gave her just about nothing to do. At the very least, Nora was off doing something with Nick, even if he were trying divers means to keep her away. The point is, of course, that Nick doesn't want to do detective work and Nora pushes him to it. Here, the fact that Joel Sloane wants to do the detective work keeps Garda from having a stronger character.
Anyway...
Still quite a fun movie. I'm happy I saw it.
It's available on TCM screening, but only until Wednesday. Anyone else seen this one?