On this day devoted to couples and love, I can't help but think of my favourite screen couple: William Powell and Myrna Loy. They were first paired up in 1934 in Manhattan Melodrama and would go on to make 14 films together. They had an on-screen chemistry that was both electric and believable (off screen they remained good friends for the rest of their lives). This was never more apparent than when they played Nick and Nora Charles in six Thin Man movies. As the famed detective and his wife, Powell and Loy exhibit an ease with one another that is rarely seen on film. Their witty banter and obvious attraction for one another, not to mention the way Nora is supportive of Nick's sleuthing and love of a drink (or five), are why I adore them so much. So Happy Valentine's Day, readers. Here's hoping you find your own Nick or Nora.
Saturday was my birthday, which meant a weekend full of doing some of my favourite things. I slept in both days, watched a perfect film, revisited the "Capa in Color" exhibit, drank delicious champagne cobblers at a speakeasy, ate decadent chocolate mousse at my go-to West Village restaurant, got a mani pedi in a fabulous new Essie colour, took advantage of the sun and did some people watching at a park, and received some lovely messages and cards. All in all, a weekend worth singing about.
Day 31 of the 31 day film challenge: The “perfect” film.
On day one of this challenge I choseCasablancaas my favourite film.For the last day I’m going with another film that I love.
The Thin Man (1934) is
the epitome of the perfect film. Directed in just two weeks by the efficient W.S. "One-Take Woody" Van
Dyke and with cinematography by the great James Wong Howe, the film is witty, fast paced, funny, and filled with wonderful
characters dressed in the latest style by Dolly Tree, and a script that’s just spot on.
Based on the Dashiell Hammett
novel, The Thin Man became a screwball
mystery on screen. Retired detective Nick Charles (William Powell)
and his wealthy wife, Nora (Myrna Loy), are in New York for the holidays when Nick is dragged, reluctantly, into the
case of a missing inventor, Clyde Wynant (Edward Ellis). Soon bodies start turning up and it's left to Nick, with Nora and their
trusted canine companion, Asta, by his side to solve the mystery.
Powell and Loy
exhibit some of the best screen chemistry in film history. Watching the
affectionate, easy banter between the two is like watching a ballet. They are
perfectly in sync with each other, and you really believe this is a couple in
love, sometime usually relegated to non-married couples in film.
I don't know who created this .gif (apologies) but it's just perfect.
Their comic timing is perfect
from their delivery of punch lines to their non-verbal reactions to each other (see above). Much of the humour centres around drinking, primarily Nick's. No film has ever made being drunk look more glorious. Nick is either tipsy or drunk for most of the film and his ability to retain his urbane air and way with words is something that most drunks can only dream of accomplishing.
And then there’s Asta. The greatest
film dog of all time (in my books), this Wirehaired Fox Terrier (real name Skippy) steals every scene he’s in and
sometimes even steals the evidence. Asta also provides a lot of the comedy in the film: when there's danger, like a man pointing a gun at the Charles, he is found hiding under the bed. And when Nick decides to share a berth with Nora on the train home, Asta covers his eyes.
The duo are surrounded by a strong
cast of supporting characters including Maureen O’Sullivan as Wynant’s daughter Dorothy; Minna Gombell as her mother Mimi; a young Cesar Romero as Mimi’s
second husband Chris; William Henry as Wynant’s strange son Gilbert; Porter Hall as Wynant's attorney Herbert MacCaulay; Nat Pendleton as the police inspector trying to solve the case; Harold
Huber as a crook named Nunheim (what a
name!); and two actors with the most amazing Brooklyn accents—Edward Brophy as
repeat offender Joe Morelli and Gertrude Short as Marion, Nunheim's no-nonsense blonde girlfriend.
Another reason The Thin Man is perfect is its script filled with witty zingers.
Nick:
I'm a hero. I was shot twice in the Tribune.
Nora:
I read where you were shot five times in the tabloids.
Nick:
It's not true. He didn't come anywhere near my tabloids.
Inspector Guild:
You got a pistol permit?
Nick:
No.
Inspector Guild: Ever heard of the Sullivan Act?
Nora:
Oh, that's all right, we're married.
Reporter: Say listen, is he working on a case?
Nora:
Yes, he is.
Reporter: What case?
Nora:
A case of scotch. Pitch in and help him.
If you've never seen The Thin Man you should watch it immediately, like
tonight. I have the box set along with the other five Thin Man films but it's also available for streaming on Amazon. And if you've seen the film but didn't like it then you might just want to make an appointment to see your doctor and get your head checked.
That’s it, 31 films for the month
of July. I’m happy I accomplished this challenge (and that it's done) and hope you enjoyed
my picks. Back to regular posting soon.
A while back I started a Bookshelf section with the
intention of every few months writing short reviews of the books I had read.
Well apparently I’ve neglected to keep it up, so much so that it probably
appears to regular readers that I don’t actually read any books. But the truth
is I do, books of all types: lowbrow to high, fiction to non, even cookbooks. Normally
the piles of books by my bed are such that I rarely read a book right when it’s
published (there were a few years in grad school when my answer to the question
“what are you reading” was “dead people”) so some of these books may seem like
old news to you. Some of these I liked a lot, some not so much. Nonetheless, here is a roundup of some of the books
I’ve read so far this year.
This novella is written as letter from an elderly Icelandic
farmer to the woman he loved decades ago, explaining why he made the choices he
did. Part love letter, part confession, it’s at times beautiful in its stark lyricism and at others downright shocking.
The silent film actress’ autobiography (compiled from tapes
she made) in which she reminisces about her days on the stage and screen.
Modest about her own talents, Davies heaps praise on her lover Hearst for whom
her devotion and loyalty appears to have never wavered, even after his death.
Fonseca spent four years living with Roma families
throughout Eastern Europe, learning how they live and about their trials and
tribulations. Although bleak and slow going at times, it’s extremely informative and
makes one wish for an update to see how the Roma are faring now.
Do not be fooled. This book does not contain novellas about
everyone’s favourite married detectives but rather film treatments with notes
that were the basis for the first two sequels to The Thin Man. Fans of the films will be interested to see what changes
the studio made but others should just see the films.
Carrie McClelland is a writer of historical fiction who
rents a small cottage near the Scottish castle where her latest novel is to take
place. As she begins to write, Carrie discovers that she is uncannily tuned
in to the lives of her 18th-century characters and begins to question how much of her story is fact. Romantic and fun.
The pastry chef and cookbook author’s humorous account
about living in Paris and some of the lessons he learned like one gets
dressed properly to take out the garbage (no wearing of sweatpants) and one
does not eat ones baguette on the street. Includes a bevy of recipes.
A biography of one of my favourite actresses that includes a look at her childhood in Montana, her rise in Hollywood from bit player to
leading lady in the 1930s and 40s, and her subsequent role as an activist later in life. Includes a warranted detailed discussion of her most important role—Nora Charles in the Thin Man series.
Long but worth the read.
This collection of short stories by the queen of Southern
Gothic includes her usual eccentric characters, themes of race and religion,
and actions that lead to tragedy. Many of the stories are disturbing,
particularly “The Lame Shall Enter First,” but all are unforgettable.
When a British diplomat to Bonn dies suddenly, his widow
decides to take their three children to a small island in the Scottish Outer Hebrides.
There each of them mourn in their own way including the young boy, Jamie, who
is convinced that an escaped bear on the island is a link his father. With hints
of magic realism, a really well-written novel.
The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures—Caroline Preston It’s the 1920s and young Frankie Pratt dreams of becoming a writer. She manages to leave New Hampshire for New York where she graduates from Vassar and finds a job before moving to Paris. Filled with dozens of photographs, advertisements, and prints that serve to illustrate her adventures, this is a delightful take on the coming of age story.
The Imperfectionists—Tom Rachman This debut novel is about an English language newspaper in Rome and the lives of its staff and owners (and in one case, a reader). Each chapter is devoted to a different character but by the end their stories come together in an inevitable way. Very engaging.
A very merry Christmas to you my dear readers. I shall be back soon with some more tales but in the meantime please enjoy this Christmas scene from one of my all time favourite films—The Thin Man (1934).
