The Thin Man Goes Home (1945)

Director:

Richard Thorpe

Writers:

Robert Riskin (story) and
Harry Kurnitz (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

January 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Drama | Family | Romance

Plot:

Nick and Nora go on holiday, and end up involved in a murder.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Painting | Doctor | Nick And Nora Charles | Mother Son Relationship

Cast

William Powell	...	Nick Charles
Myrna Loy	...	Nora Charles
Lucile Watson	...	Mrs. Charles
Gloria DeHaven	...	Laura Ronson (as Gloria De Haven)
Anne Revere	...	Crazy Mary
Helen Vinson	...	Helena Draque
Harry Davenport	...	Dr. Bertram Charles
Leon Ames	...	Edgar Draque
Donald Meek	...	Willie Crump
Edward Brophy	...	Brogan
Lloyd Corrigan	...	Dr. Bruce Clayworth
Anita Sharp-Bolster	...	Hilda (as Anita Bolster)
Ralph Brooks	...	Peter Berton
Donald MacBride	...	Police Chief MacGregor
Morris Ankrum	...	Willoughby
Nora Cecil	...	Miss Peavy
Minor Watson	...	Sam Ronson
Irving Bacon	...	Tom
Virginia Sale	...	Tom's Wife
Asta	...	Asta
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chester Clute	...	The Drunk (scenes deleted)
Arthur Hohl	...	Charlie (scenes deleted)
Lee Phelps	...	Policeman (scenes deleted)
Anthony Warde	...	Captain (scenes deleted)
Jean Acker	...	Tart (uncredited)
Oliver Blake	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Dick Botiller	...	Big Man's Companion (uncredited)
Lucile Browne	...	Skating Woman (uncredited)
Wally Cassell	...	Bill Burns (uncredited)
Clancy Cooper	...	Butcher in Montage (uncredited)
Joseph Crehan	...	Clancy, Policeman at Railroad Station (uncredited)
Tom Dillon	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Tom Dugan	...	Slugs Lannigan (uncredited)
Helen Eby-Rock	...	Tart (uncredited)
Sarah Edwards	...	Passenger on Train asking 'Why Should I?' (uncredited)
Rex Evans	...	Fat Man in Train Passageway (uncredited)
Tom Fadden	...	Train Passenger in Passageway (uncredited)
Sam Flint	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Dorothy Ford	...	Tall Girl with Dog (uncredited)
Edward Gargan	...	Mickey Finnigan (uncredited)
Connie Gilchrist	...	Woman on Train with Baby (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	...	Bartender in Pool Room (uncredited)
Joseph J. Greene	...	Train Passenger (uncredited)
Jane Green	...	Mrs. Hobby, Clayworth's Housekeeper (uncredited)
Charles Halton	...	R.T. Tatum (uncredited)
Mickey Harris	...	Contortionist (uncredited)
Harry Hayden	...	Train Conductor (uncredited)
Robert Homans	...	Railroad Clerk (uncredited)
Bill Hunter	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Frank Jaquet	...	Train Passenger with Glasses Askew (uncredited)
Paul Langton	...	Tom Clayworth (uncredited)
Mitchell Lewis	...	Third Man Outside Barber Shop (uncredited)
Bert May	...	Sailor (uncredited)
Mike Mazurki	...	First Man Outside Barber Shop (uncredited)
Etta McDaniel	...	Ronson's Maid (uncredited)
Catherine McLeod	...	Daughter in Montage (uncredited)
Douglas Morrow	...	(uncredited)
Clarence Muse	...	Porter on Train (uncredited)
Robert Emmett O'Connor	...	Baggage Attendant on Train (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Pool Player (uncredited)
Mickey Roth	...	(uncredited)
Bill Smith	...	Skating Man (uncredited)
Ray Teal	...	Second Man Outside Barber Shop (uncredited)
John Wengraf	...	Big Man (uncredited)
Marjorie Wood	...	Mother in Montage (uncredited)
Joe Yule	...	Barber (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Thorpe

Writing credits
Robert Riskin		(story) and
Harry Kurnitz		(story)
Robert Riskin		(screenplay) and
Dwight Taylor		(screenplay)
Dashiell Hammett		(characters)

Produced by
Everett Riskin	....	producer

Original Music by
David Snell
Lennie Hayton		(uncredited)
Bronislau Kaper		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Karl Freund
Joseph Ruttenberg		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Ralph E. Winters

Art Direction by
Edward C. Carfagno		(as Edward Carfagno)
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Production Management
Edward Woehler	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Al Jennings	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Mildred Griffiths	....	associate set decorator

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
James Burbridge	....	unit sound mixer (uncredited)
Standish J. Lambert	....	sound effects mixer (uncredited)
Standish J. Lambert	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)
Frank McKenzie	....	sound effects mixer (uncredited)
Frank McKenzie	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)
Robert Shirley	....	sound effects mixer (uncredited)
Robert Shirley	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)
Newell Sparks	....	sound effects mixer (uncredited)
Newell Sparks	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)
William Steinkamp	....	sound effects mixer (uncredited)
William Steinkamp	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)
Michael Steinore	....	sound effects mixer (uncredited)
Michael Steinore	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)
John A. Williams	....	sound effects mixer (uncredited)
John A. Williams	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	transparency projection shots (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Harkness Smith	....	second camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irene	....	costume supervisor
Marion Herwood Keyes	....	associate costume supervisor (as Marion Herwood)

Music Department
Edward Baravalle	....	music mixer (uncredited)
Henry Eicheim	....	music technical advisor (uncredited)
Wally Heglin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
M.J. McLaughlin	....	music mixer (uncredited)
William Saracino	....	music mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Jeanette Bates	....	dance director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Loew's

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1944) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Loew's
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  presents

Also Known As:

Aí Vem Nick (Portugal) [pt]
Der dünne Mann kehrt heim (Germany) [de]
Gäckande skuggan tar hem spelet (Sweden) [sv]
L'introuvable rentre chez lui (France) [fr]
L'uomo ombra torna a casa (Italy) [it]
Pettävä varjo voittaa pelin (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #10301) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2005) | UK:A (original rating)

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Norman Taurog directed the additional scenes filmed in August and September, 1944, because Richard Thorpe had begun work on his next film Thrill of a Romance (1945).

Goofs:

Factual errors: The "Japanese Sniper Rifle" that is used to commit the murder is actually a British Light Machinegun, the Bren. A Czechoslovakian design with .303 Caliber Rifle bullets that, needless to say, still could have done the job.

Quotes:

Nicholas 'Nick' Charles: A couple of weeks on this cider and I'll be a new man.
Nora Charles: I sort of like the old one.
Nicholas 'Nick' Charles: Why, darling, that's the nicest thing you've said to me since the time I got my head caught in that cuspidor at the Waldorf.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Hollywood Remembers: Myrna Loy - So Nice to Come Home to (1991) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Happy Birthday to You

The Vacation That Wasn't

Nick & Nora Charles (William Powell, Myrna Loy) decide to go back to Nick's home town and visit his parents. It had been some time since the Charles family had been back to see Nick's parents, as relations between Nick and his father had been strained. We are introduced to a wide cast of characters in the small town and, as this took place in World War II, the themes of "wartime work" and "wartime security" became watchwords. As with any situation with "security", mysterious happenings soon take over, and a man is killed in front of the Charles house as he comes to Nick for help. In typical disavowal of taking on the case - preferring to leave the investigating to the local police - Nick finds himself getting more and more involved, as does Nora, both more by choice than by events. In the end, in the usual showdown of all potential subjects to the murders (there are others as the story develops), Nick uses his disarming wit and pointed questions to find the murders and traitors involved with wartime intrigue at the local manufacturing plant. This movie is quite entertaining, perhaps not as top-notch as other "Thin Man" movies, but very close, and in the process of solving the crime there is always the delightful word play and verbal sparring between the movies two stars, Powell and Loy. Watching them work together on the screen is a delight, as always.