TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: The Thin Man Vol. 1 (The Thin Man / After the Thin Man / Another Thin Man / Shadow of the Thin Man)

The movies are very well done. The acting is superior. William Powell is terrific. On a scale of 1-5 it’s a 10!!

I love the "Thin Man" movies, Powell and Loy are excellently paired. I imagine the dialog was quite avant-garde back in the day, not sure how some of it made it past editing but happy it did.

Great

"THE THIN MAN" movies are FUN. They're pure vintage gems of wit and humor. The original movie premiered in May 1934. The great depression was still raging, but prohibition had recently ended, and people needed something to lift their spirits. Luckily, Hollywood was still pre-code, so movies were uncensored and un-rated. Perfect timing! Along comes the Thin Man movie with detective Nick Charles and his never-empty cocktail glass and witty sexual quips; accompanied by his beautiful wife Nora, and their scene-stealing little terrier, Asta.On screen, the lavishly furnished homes, the millionaires’ attire and exquisite ambiance were in stark contrast to the poor moviegoers who could barely afford the dime for a theater ticket. But at least for a little while they were transported into the opulence and splendor of Hollywood's fantasy world. The series was based on an eloquently written novel by Dashiell Hammett (of Maltese Falcon fame). Not unlike his fictional detective, the author himself was no stranger to frequent hangovers. He and his girlfriend Lillian Hellman were the real-life prototypes on which his fictional characters of Nick and Nora Charles were formed.The two actors, William Powell and Myrna Loy remain today, after nearly a century, as the two stars who are yet unrivaled as THE FIRST AND COOLEST MAN-WIFE DETECTIVE TEAM IN MOVIE HISTORY. I was always a bit puzzled by the title "The Thin Man" because Mr. Powell didn't seem to be thin or malnourished. And I recently discovered that the "Thin Man" was actually a character in the original novel, and not the detective!Evidently the author had decided to use the minor character's nickname as the book's title. I suppose he assumed that idiots like myself would assume the title refers to the book's detective and not question it. Anyway, here's one more little piece of trivia,,, Nick Charles beat James Bond to the punch (bowl) by several decades in the "shaken or stirred" cocktail controversy. Mr. Charles prefers it shaken. Cheers!(If this review was helpful in any way, please click on the ‘helpful’ key below, or write a comment. Thanks).

There is something special about William Powell and Myrna Loy acting together. They were perfect as a pair. They are the Abbott/Costello, Burns/Allen, Laurel/Hardy, etc. Their timing and words are pitch perfect. As stated, most all reviews agree these are the Best of the Thin Man Series. The two movies of the Thin Man not included, are The Thin Man Goes Home and Song of the Thin Man, these are two dogs. The Thin Man Goes Home played off as the son solves the case and makes his dad proud. Frankly, none of the actors jell, the storyline is weak and stupid. The bad guy/villain is not believable at all. Song of the Thin Man is ruined by Keenan Wynn in his worst performance ever. This is all "Jazzed Up" and just plain annoying. What is missing most in these two films is Nick's buddies and a good story.The neatest thing of all about the movie set is the Extras. I would buy it over again again, just for the Dramatic Short "The Tell Tail Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe played starring Joseph Schildkraut, who was a great Villain/Scroundel. Each movie has a Short Movie and a Cartoon, just like the old days in the Movie Theater.Also worth the price of admission is Jimmy Stewart, as a "Bad Guy" and he plays it to a tee, just as he did "Good Guys".My personal favorite is Another Thin Man, as it shows why Sheldon Leonard as Phil Church became one of the most successful TV producer/directors of the 1950s and 1960s. Four of his productions (all on CBS)--"Make Room for Daddy" (1953), "Gomer Pyle: USMC" (1964), "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1961) (which won 21 Emmy Awards) and "The Andy Griffith Show" (1960)--were rated in the Top Ten. He had a further success with "I Spy" (1965), championing the cause of racial equality over the (initial) objections of the network by being the first series to have an African-American (Bill Cosby) in an equal co-starring dramatic role with a white actor. Leonard is also regarded as having invented the television spin-off.

They are the best black and white movies of the roaring 20s. Nick is the best detective and Nora makes me laugh when she pushes him into detecting!

I love the Thin Man Series, especially the first two ("The Thin Man" and "After The Thin Man"). Absolutely hilarious! I hope they saved Nick's liver for science, because he was able to drink about a gallon of booze a day (morning, noon, and night), and not only survive, but stay lucid enough (in a "Jack Sparrow" kind of way) to solve baffling mysteries! However, starting with "Another Thin Man," Nick and Nora had a kid, Nora cut down on her partying and drinking, and things started to get a little too normal (i.e., boring).This set contains the first four movies, each on its own DVD; the quality of these DVDs is great, especially for the price. My only complaint is the packaging: all four DVDs are mounted on top of each other on the same spindle! Couldn't Warner Brothers (or TCM) have spared another 50 cents or so to accommodate a proper four-disc DVD case, with each disc in its own slot? I think all of us who purchased this set would have gladly paid it. Luckily I had purchased some quad DVD cases and successfully transferred the four DVDs to one of these cases, along with its title sheet, and Bob's Your Uncle, problem solved!P.S. I ordered the seven-disc "Complete Thin Man Collection" several months ago, but, as of this writing, it is still unavailable from Amazon. So, I cancelled that order and chose this set instead. I am pleased with that decision, now that I have the discs stored in a proper four-DVD case.

This 'Thin Man' collection was something I had in the back of my mind, but it was not high priority. Deliver time was, again, before expected, and the condition of the DVD itself was excellent. I am so pleased to have these Thin Man movies - I was not expecting to acquire them at this time, and there they were! Available and on offer. Thanks so much. These are going to be an appreciated part of my DVD collection.

Reliving my childhood black and white murder mysteries - including Asta the dog

My hubby loves The Thin Man series. There's about 5 movies in the series, but getting these four will give you most of a day's worth of viewing. No problems with picture, or DVDs. It's great for the person in your life who loves the old movies with great, snappy dialogue. Seeing the couple and their child doing some great mysteries makes these movies a great addition to any moviephile's collection.

An excellent collection of a classic series of films

I love "The Thin Man" series - so funny and entertaining. Myrna Loy is hilarious!!