Lists
- ranked 32 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs
- ranked 843 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? 1000 Greatest Films (August 2005)
- ranked 859 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? 1000 Greatest Films (March 2006)
- ranked 896 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? 1000 Greatest Films (December 2006)
- one of 100 Of Edgar Wright's Favourite Comedies
- one of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
- one of AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs Nominees
- one of AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies Nominees
- one of AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions Nominees
- one of The New York Times Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made
Nick Charles (William Powell) is a private detective turned socialite, unwillingly pulled into the investigation of an ex-client's secretary's murder.
The Thin Man was a low-budget B-movie shot in twelve days, and it shows. Cuts are clumsy, there are no fancy sets and most of the acting is tolerable at best. The mystery itself, based on a novel by Dashiell Hammett (The Maltese Falcon), has convolutions enough to maintain interest, but W.S. Van Dyke's film doesn't have time enough to do it justice; at times it moves with confusing rapidity.
What raises it classic status is the fantastic interplay between Nick and his wife Nora (Myrna Loy), layered with loving barbs and sarcastic -- but visibly genuine -- affection. Dialogue is rarely so entertaining, and the leads have remarkable chemistry. It isn't quite domestic bliss, but it's a real treat.