Nick and Nora Charles hanging out at a bar... of course!
Nick and Nora Charles became an iconic couple when "The Thin Man" (1934) became a huge hit during the Depression as their carefree, fun loving attitude really connected to audiences looking for escapism.
The monster success of the film led to 4 follow up "sequels" and Willliam Powell and Myrna Loy became huge stars. Loy was often referred to as the "Queen of Hollywood" at the height of her career. Her voice is unforgettable. Even the Charles' dog Asta became a star!
Here's some background on the series from AMC's Filmsite:
The film's mystery story takes a back seat to the romantic screwball comedy, featuring the splendid, snappy banter between the rich, carefree married couple. They are known for sleuthing, solving murders, wisecracking one-liners, affectionate witticisms, delightful teasing and one-upmanship, alcoholic fun with plenty of martinis, a wire-haired terrier named Asta (actually named Skippy), and a loving relationship – often punctuated with quick kisses and slight hiccups.
The story is taken from Dashiell Hammett's 1934 detective novel of the same name, with a married couple that was supposedly modeled on the author's relationship with longtime love and playwright Lillian Hellman. [This was Hammett’s fifth and final novel, written following The Maltese Falcon and The Glass Key.] The 'thin man' is actually the murder victim in the novel and film, and only appeared in the initial film. This low-budget MGM film, that was shot in less than three weeks (14 days) and earned over $2 million, is the best of the bunch.
The Timelessness of the Series
In 2005, 71 years after its original release, a box set of the series was number 1 on Amazon. The New York Times wrote about some of the reasons why:
That may be the reason Nick and Nora are popular again. Leaving the world's grittiness behind to wallow in a life of luxury is a fantasy that is particularly prevalent right now. On a new television show on VH1, "Kept," young men are competing to be the kept man of a wealthy woman. On another, NBC's "I Want to Be a Hilton," young people are vying to be part of a family of rich celebrities.
We are not in a Great Depression. But with the economy feeling precarious, the war in Iraq going badly and the headlines filled with London subway bombers and North Korean nuclear weapons, it is comforting for many people to imagine that a rich person might want to take care of them – or that they are rich themselves, with little more to worry about than how to get over a martini-induced hangover.
James Bond had nothing on Nick and Nora's Martini Binges
Roger Ebert writes about how much alcohol played a key part in the series:
Nick Charles drinks steadily throughout the movie, with the kind of capacity and wit that real drunks fondly hope to master. When we first see him, he's teaching a bartender how to mix drinks ("Have rhythm in your shaking … a dry martini, you always shake to waltz time"). Nora enters and he hands her a drink. She asks how much he's had. "This will make six martinis," he says. She orders five more, to keep up.
Powell plays the character with a lyrical alcoholic slur that waxes and wanes but never topples either way into inebriation or sobriety. The drinks are the lubricant for dialogue of elegant wit and wicked timing, used by a character who is decadent on the surface but fundamentally brave and brilliant. After Nick and Nora face down an armed intruder in their apartment one night, they read about it in the morning papers. "I was shot twice in the Tribune," Nick observes. "I read you were shot five times in the tabloids," says Nora. "It's not true," says Nick. "He didn't come anywhere near my tabloids."
The Trailer and Some Great Scenes
Here's some the best lines in the movie:
And here's the original preview. It starts off a bit strange, but then goes into a more normal trailer presentation.