''Song of the Thin Man'' is a 1947

murder mystery Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

directed by

Edward Buzzell Edward Buzzell (November 13, 1895 – January 11, 1985) was an American film actor and director whose credits include '' Child of Manhattan'' (1933); ''Honolulu'' (1939); the Marx Brothers films '' At the Circus'' (1939) and '' Go West'' (1 ...

. The sixth and final film in MGM's '' Thin Man'' series, starring William Powell and

Myrna Loy Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams; August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. Trained as a dancer, Loy devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. ...

as Nick and Nora Charles, characters created by

Dashiell Hammett Samuel Dashiell Hammett (; May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) was an American writer of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. He was also a screenwriter and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade ('' ...

. Nick Jr. is played by

Dean Stockwell Robert Dean Stockwell (March 5, 1936 – November 7, 2021) was an American actor with a career spanning seven decades. As a child actor under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he first came to the public's attention in films including ''Anchors A ...

Phillip Reed Phillip Reed (born Milton LeRoy; March 25, 1908 – December 7, 1996) was an American actor. He played Steve Wilson in a series of four films (1947–1948) based on the '' Big Town'' radio series. Early years Reed was a star athlete at Er ...

Keenan Wynn Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn (July 27, 1916 – October 14, 1986) was an American character actor. His expressive face was his stock-in-trade; and though he rarely carried the lead role, he had prominent billing in most ...

Gloria Grahame Gloria Grahame Hallward (November 28, 1923 – October 5, 1981) was an Academy Award-winning American actress and singer. She began her acting career in theatre, and in 1944 made her first film for MGM. Despite a featured role in ''It's a Wond ...

, and Jayne Meadows are featured in this story set in the world of nightclub musicians.

Plot

A charity benefit sponsored by David Thayar is staged aboard the S.S. ''Fortune'', Phil Brant's gambling ship. The entertainment is provided by a jazz band led by Tommy Drake and featuring singer Fran Page and talented but unstable clarinetist Buddy Hollis. After a set, Drake informs a displeased Brant that he is quitting, having gotten a much better booking through Mitchell Talbin. However, Drake has a problem: he owes gangster Al Amboy $12,000. When Amboy (who is at the party) hears the news, he demands full payment that night. Drake begs Talbin to give him an advance, but Talbin is unwilling to part with such a large sum. In desperation, Drake sneaks into Brant's office and opens the safe, when he is shot from behind and killed. Brant and socialite Janet Thayar elope, as her father David disapproves of Brant's lower-class background. The next morning, they show up at Nick and Nora Charles's apartment, having learned that Brant is the prime suspect in the murder. When a bullet narrowly misses Brant, Nick turns him in to the police, having decided it is safer for all concerned. Then Nick starts investigating. Sneaking aboard the ''Fortune'', Nick discovers on the back of a sheet of music a receipt signed by Amboy acknowledging that Drake's debt had been paid. Nick then runs into Drake's band, allowed back on board to collect their instruments. When he questions them, he learns that the bandleader had many enemies, among them Buddy Hollis. Musician Clarence "Clinker" Krause agrees to help Nick track Buddy down, but they have no luck. Nick and Nora visit a hostile Janet. The bullet that killed Drake likely came from an antique gun, and Nick knows Janet's father is an avid collector. Nick finds that one gun is missing from Mr. Thayar's collection. Janet leaves after getting a telephone call. Nick and Nora follow her to Fran's apartment where they find Fran's body, recently stabbed in the back. Janet claims Fran called to sell her some information, but that she arrived after Fran was killed. Nick finds a matchbook from a hotel in

Poughkeepsie Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsie ...

that eventually leads him to a sanitarium where Buddy is undergoing treatment. The musician is too badly shaken to answer Nick's questions, though Nora's presence seems to calm him down. When Nora sneaks back later by herself, Buddy becomes agitated, confesses to the murder, pulls out the antique gun, and tries to shoot Nora but misses. Nick does not believe the deranged man's confession as Drake was slain by a well-aimed shot. Nick gathers all the suspects by arranging a party on the reopened ''Fortune'' and announces that Buddy has fully recovered and that he will reveal the murderer's identity that night. It is Nora who notices the crucial clue: Amboy's wife shows up wearing a valuable necklace that matches the earrings owned by Mitchell Talbin's wife, Phyllis. Sometime later, the necklace mysteriously reappears on Phyllis's neck. When Nick confronts Mitchell, Phyllis reveals that it was she who paid off her lover Drake's debt using the necklace. As Nick prompts Buddy to finger the killer, Mitchell confesses to both killings and pulls out a gun. An enraged Phyllis shoots him first, but her husband is only wounded. Despite Nick's pleas to desist, she fires repeatedly, finishing the job.

Cast

* William Powell as Nick Charles *

as Nora Charles *

as Clarence "Clinker" Krause *

as Nick Charles Jr. *

as Tommy Edlon Drake (as Philip Reed) *

Patricia Morison Eileen Patricia Augusta Fraser Morison (March 19, 1915 – May 20, 2018) was an American stage, television and film actress of the Golden Age of Hollywood and mezzo-soprano singer. She made her feature film debut in 1939 after several years on ...

as Phyllis Talbin *

Leon Ames Leon Ames (born Harry L. Wycoff;U.S. Federal Census for 1910 for Fowler, Center Township, Benton County, State of Indiana, access via Ancestry.com January 20, 1902 – October 12, 1993) was an American film and television actor. He is best rememb ...

as Mitchell Talbin *

as Fran Ledue Page (singing voice was dubbed by Carol Arden) * Jayne Meadows as Janet Thayar * Ralph Morgan as David I. Thayar *

Bess Flowers Bess Flowers (November 23, 1898 – July 28, 1984) was an American actress best known for her work as an extra in hundreds of films. She was known as "The Queen of the Hollywood Extras," appearing in more than 350 feature films and numerou ...

as Jessica Thayar * Don Taylor as Buddy Hollis *

Warner Anderson Warner Anderson (March 10, 1911 – August 26, 1976) was an American actor. Early years Anderson was born to "a theatrical family" in Brooklyn, New York, March 10, 1911.Aaker, Everett (2006). ''Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters''. ...

as Dr. Monolaw * Bruce Cowling as Phil Orval Brant *

Connie Gilchrist Rose Constance Gilchrist (July 17, 1895 – March 3, 1985) was an American stage, film, and television actress. Among her screen credits are her roles in the Hollywood productions '' Cry 'Havoc (1943), ''A Letter to Three Wives'' (1949), ...

as Bertha, the Charleses' housekeeper *

Henry Nemo Henry Nemo (June 8, 1909 – November 26, 1999) was a musician, songwriter, and actor in Hollywood films who had a reputation as a hipster. Band leading In 1941, Nemo formed his own 19-piece band. The group featured four Chinese women as singers ...

as The Neem * William Bishop as Al Amboy *

Marie Windsor Marie Windsor (born Emily Marie Bertelsen; December 11, 1919 – December 10, 2000) was an American actress known for her femme fatale characters in the classic film noir features ''Force of Evil'', ''The Narrow Margin'' and '' The Killing''. Wi ...

as Helen Amboy * James Burke as Captain Callahan

Production

This ''Thin Man'' film differs in several respects from the others in the series and was one of two films in the series not directed by W. S. Van Dyke, who died in 1943. The script was one of three not written by the husband and wife team of

Albert Hackett Albert Maurice Hackett (February 16, 1900 – March 16, 1995) was an American actor, dramatist and screenwriter most noted for his collaborations with his partner and wife Frances Goodrich. Early years Hackett was born in New York City, the s ...

and Frances Goodrich, who had worked with Dashiell Hammett to develop the Nick and Nora characters earlier in the series. It was the last movie of Myrna Loy with MGM.Nobody's Girl Friday The Women Who Ran Hollywood (2018) - J. E. Smyth - p.122

Reception

According to MGM records, the film earned $1,403,000 in the US and Canada and $902,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $128,000. The film was the last of six based on the characters of Nick and Nora Charles: * ''

The Thin Man ''The Thin Man'' (1934) is a detective novel by Dashiell Hammett, originally published in a condensed version in the December 1933 issue of ''Redbook''. It appeared in book form the following month. A film series followed, featuring the main cha ...

'' (1934) * '' After the Thin Man'' (1936) * ''

Another Thin Man ''Another Thin Man'' is a 1939 American detective film directed by W. S. Van Dyke, the third of six in the ''Thin Man'' series. It again stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles and is based on Dashiell Hammett's Continen ...

'' (1939) * ''

Shadow of the Thin Man ''Shadow of the Thin Man'' is the fourth of six ''The Thin Man'' murder mystery comedy films. It was released by MGM in 1941 and was directed by W. S. Van Dyke. It stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles. Also, in this fil ...

'' (1941) * ''

The Thin Man Goes Home ''The Thin Man Goes Home'' is a 1945 comedy- mystery film directed by Richard Thorpe. It is the fifth of the six '' Thin Man'' films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Dashiell Hammett's dapper ex-private detective Nick Charles and his ...

'' (1945) * ''Song of the Thin Man'' (1947)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Song Of The Thin Man 1947 films 1947 crime films 1947 comedy films 1940s crime comedy films 1947 mystery films American black-and-white films American comedy thriller films American crime comedy films American detective films American sequel films 1940s English-language films Films directed by Edward Buzzell Films set in New York City Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films The Thin Man films Films about music and musicians 1940s American films