The Thin Man

Dir. W.S. Van Dyke. 1934, 91 mins. 35mm. With William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O’Sullivan, Nat Pendleton, Minna Gombell. Dashiell Hammett’s hit novel—about retired private detective Nick, reluctantly pulled back into service, with the help of his keenly perceptive wife, Nora—was adapted into the comic mystery of 1930s Hollywood, kicking off a successful movie franchise to boot. Wittily adapted to the screen by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, this first and best of the series—a Best Picture Oscar nominee in 1934—introduced the world to the martini-dry chemistry of Powell and Loy, whose evocation of Hammett’s sleuthing couple (rumored to have been based on Dash’s relationship with Lillian Hellman) is one of the joys of golden-age American cinema. In one of his biggest early sound films, James Wong Howe gives everything an illustrious sheen of sophistication and visual sparkle.

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / discounted for MoMI members ($7–$11). Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission. Review safety protocols before your visit.