Return of the Thin Man

September 10, 2012
Hammett completists and film fans will best appreciate this collection containing the story treatments that became After the Thin Man (1936) and Another Thin Man (1939), the sequels to the original Hollywood hit, The Thin Man (1934), starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as imbibing investigators Nick and Nora Charles, abetted by their adorable dog, Asta. Written in movie shorthand (“Nick and Nora exchange suspicious glances”), these treatments don’t represent Hammett’s artistic peak, though there’s the occasional nugget (“He is having the first ‘clean’ love affair of his life and thinks this slut is Joan of Arc”). Hammett scholar Richard Layman and Hammett’s granddaughter, Julie M. Rivett, provide background on such matters as negotiations with MGM. Amazingly, the alcoholic author reported he spent 10 months sober while writing one of these bibulous scripts. In the 1939 effort, one of the two words uttered by the infant Nick Jr. is drunk. A short unproduced treatment from 1938 titled “Sequel to the Thin Man” rounds out the book. Agent: Joy Harris, Joy Harris Literary.

February 25, 2013
Legendary novelist Dashiell Hammett’s 1934 crime classic, The Thin Man, was the basis for several very popular films featuring hard-drinking, retired private detective Nick Charles and his lovely socialite wife Nora. Fans of the novel and movies will no doubt relish the chance to listen to the author’s novella-length scenarios for the book’s first two sequels, After the Thin Man and Another Thin Man. But they may be a little disappointed with this audio edition. Narrators Peter Ganim and Nicola Barber do capture the charming, boozy banter of Nick and Nora—but the on-screen portrayal of the duo by William Powell and Myrna Loya is so familiar, so distinctive, and so perfect that performing the material again (regardless of quality) seems a dubious endeavor. Scott Brick’s narration—crisp, properly hardboiled, and highly energized—creates a subtle, pleasing atmosphere for the proceedings. Acting as a sort of audio host, he compliments the actors with an on-point rat-a-tat delivery. A Mysterious Press hardcover.

Starred review from February 15, 2013

HighBridge Audio, the answer to hard-boiled mystery lovers' dreams for more than a year with its outstanding "Black Mask Stories" series, now offers a double dose of Dash! This fun package sports Hammett's two detailed treatments for sequels to the film adaptation of his novel The Thin Man (TTM) featuring ace detective Nick Charles and his wife, Nora. After the Thin Man picks up directly at TTM's conclusion, while Another Thin Man is set roughly two years later and finds the couple with infant Nick Jr. While not fully fleshed-out novels, the dual treatments are significant to American letters as Hammett's last two pieces of long writing. There's additional scholarly merit in a lengthy introduction by top Hammett biographer Richard Layman and afterwords by the master's granddaughter Julie M. Rivett. A bonus is Hammett's brief description of a possible TTM sequel incorporating the lead characters from the original novel and film. Narrator Scott Brick and an ensemble cast perform both titles, with Peter Gamin as an overly droll Nick, Nicola Barber as Nora, and a bevy of others. VERDICT Offering two solid mysteries plus scholarly extras, Return of the Thin Man is a hunk of Hammett heaven worth celebrating. Drinks are on Nick and Nora!--Mike Rogers, Library Journal

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.