Despite being released nearly 90 years ago, The Thin Man is still a very watchable classic movie, especially during the holidays, however, with six similarly named films making up the franchise, it can be unclear how exactly they should be watched. The Thin Man, released in 1934, is a mystery comedy movie based on a novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett. The story, and its consequent sequels, follow married couple Nick and Nora Charles. Though Nick left his successful career as a detective to be with his wealthy heiress wife, he is sucked back in when a family friend asks him to help find her father.
Overall, The Thin Man franchise is unique because of its longevity and its relation to the holidays. It isn’t often that a movie made in the 1930s remains relevant to modern audiences, but The Thin Man has done it. Furthermore, though the best classic holiday movies can range in genre, a mystery is definitely not the most common type of holiday movie. Both of these qualities make The Thin Man a stand-out film, and worth the watch for anyone who hasn’t seen it. Plus, to add a cherry on top, there are rumors that a reboot of The Thin Man franchise could be coming soon.
The Thin Man Movies In Order Of Release
In total, there are six movies in The Thin Man franchise. Upon its release in 1934, The Thin Man was praised by critics and audiences alike, and nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. The film did so well in the box office that five sequels were made in quick succession. All in all, The Thin Man franchise lasted for over a decade, ending in 1947. For the most part, The Thin Man sequels continued to garner just as much as success as the original film. It wasn’t until the final film, Song of the Thin Man that the franchise lost steam, and consequently, came to an end.
- The Thin Man (1934)
- After the Thin Man (1936)
- Another Thin Man (1939)
- Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)
- The Thin Man Goes Home (1945)
- Song of the Thin Man (1947)
The Thin Man Movies In Chronological Order Of Events
The Thin Man (1934)
Box Office: $1.4 million | Runtime: 91 minutes
The Thin Man franchise began in 1934 with the original The Thin Man. Starring William Powell as Nick Charles and Myrna Loy as Nora Charles, the film sees the couple travel to New York City for the Christmas holidays. Although Nick retired from being a private detective, a woman asks for his help to find her missing father, Clyde. As it turns out, Nick had worked for Clyde in the past, and so decides to help find him. Nora, eager to see her husband in action, also decides to help. Thus, the Charles’ investigate where Clyde could have gone, and ultimately, find themselves in a much darker, deadlier situation.
After the Thin Man (1936)
Box Office: $3.2 million | Runtime: 112 minutes
Two years after The Thin Man, a sequel was made called After the Thin Man. It takes place only a week after the events of The Thin Man, when Nick and Nora return from New York City to their home in San Francisco. It is New Year’s Eve, and they are hosting a dinner with Nora’s stuffy family. Just as in the first movie, the Charles’ holiday plans are quickly turned around when Nora’s cousin Selma asks her and Nick to locate her missing husband, Robert. Though the case seems like an easy, open-and-shut type of deal, the Charles find themselves in another precarious situation full of murder and mischief.
Another Thin Man (1939)
Box Office: $2.2 million | Runtime: 103 minutes
Another three years later, The Thin Man franchise came out with its third movie, Another Thin Man. In this film, Nick and Nora are back in New York, staying with Nora’s father’s business partner in Long Island. They have brought their iconic dog, Asta, and their baby, Nick Jr. Unsurprisingly, their host, Colonel Burr Macfay, asks Nick to use his investigative skills to figure out who has been sending him death threats. Once again, a fairly simple case devolves into a murder investigation, in which anyone and everyone could be the criminal behind it all.
Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)
Box Office: $2.3 million | Running Time: 97 minutes
Two years later, the fourth installment in The Thin Man franchise came out: Shadow of the Thin Man. Notably, this film came out approximately a week before the attack on Pearl Harbor, which led Nora Charles actor, Myrna Loy, to leave Hollywood for a time to join the Red Cross. Shadow of the Thin Man is likely one of the most chaotic Thin Man films, as Nick, Nora, and Nick Jr. take a trip to the racetrack for the day, only to be thrown into a case of murder, gambling, and wrestling. The film includes a merry-go-round, a restaurant brawl, and a wild wrestling match.
The Thin Man Goes Home (1945)
Box Office: $2.8 million | Running Time: 100 minutes
The second to last Thin Man movie came out three years after its predecessor and was titled The Thin Man Goes Home. In it, Nick and Nora visit Nick’s parents in Sycamore Springs, New England. When an aircraft factory employee tries reaching out to Nick, but is shot dead before he can speak, the Charles’ immediately get on the case. Though this film is filled with mystery and murder, what makes it stand out is that it is the first Thin Man film to explore Nick’s background. While the previous films typically connected to Nora and her parentage, this is the first that sees where Nick Charles came from.
Song of The Thin Man (1947)
Box Office: $2.3 million | Running Time: 86 minutes
Song of the Thin Man is the final movie in The Thin Man franchise. It came out two years after the fifth movie, and 14 years after the first Thin Man film. It follows a musician working on a gambling ship called the U.S.S Fortune who owes money to a gangster and is mysteriously killed. Nick and Nora come to the rescue, trying to figure out who killed the musician and why. Apparently, this film lost about $128,000, which could be a reason why it is the last installment in The Thin Man franchise.
