{ "id": "epejbg6eam", "slug": "shadow-of-the-thin-man", "title": "Shadow of the Thin Man", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series", "label": "Franchise and series entries as standalone works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series.franchise-series.teen-comedy-series-entries", "label": "Teen and comedy series film entries", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series.franchise-series.teen-comedy-series-entries" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series.franchise-series.teen-comedy-series-entries.entries-released-before-1990", "label": "Entries released before 1990", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series.franchise-series.teen-comedy-series-entries.entries-released-before-1990" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series", "label": "United States · 1800 to 1945: Franchise and series entries as standalone works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800", "label": "United States · 1800 to 1945", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series", "label": "Franchise and series entries as standalone works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1800.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Shadow of the Thin Man (1941) is the fourth of six MGM Thin Man comedy-mysteries, directed by W. S. Van Dyke, starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles investigating a racetrack jockey murder in San Francisco.", "snippet": "Shadow of the Thin Man (1941) is the fourth of six MGM Thin Man comedy-mysteries, directed by W. S. Van Dyke, starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles investigating a racetrack jockey murder in San Francisco.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.franchise-series.franchise-series.teen-comedy-series-entries.entries-released-before-1990", "markdown": "# Shadow of the Thin Man\n\n**Shadow of the Thin Man** is a 1941 American comedy-mystery from [Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer](https://www.edgepedia.org/metro-goldwyn-mayer), the fourth entry in the Thin Man series, starring [William Powell](https://www.edgepedia.org/william-powell) and [Myrna Loy](https://www.edgepedia.org/myrna-loy) as the married sleuths Nick and Nora Charles.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shadow_of_the_thin_man) Directed by W. S. Van Dyke and produced by Hunt Stromberg, it was released in theaters on November 21, 1941, with a running time of 97 minutes.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shadow_of_the_thin_man) • [2](https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/c2cc3b54-856d-54e3-80b7-c34e1ed95a11/shadow-of-the-thin-man)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Release | November 21, 1941 (theatrical, original); 97 minutes[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shadow_of_the_thin_man) |\n| Series position | Fourth Thin Man film; the 1934 original spawned five sequels[3](https://www.umsl.edu/~gradyf/film/reviews/thinmanboutross.htm) |\n| Director / producer | W. S. Van Dyke; Hunt Stromberg[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shadow_of_the_thin_man) |\n| Writers | Irving Brecher and Harry Kurnitz; Dashiell Hammett credited for characters[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shadow_of_the_thin_man) |\n| Music | David Snell[4](https://nndb.com/films/814/000037703/) |\n| Lead cast | William Powell (Nick Charles), Myrna Loy (Nora Charles), Barry Nelson, Donna Reed, Sam Levene[5](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/shadow-of-the-thin-man) |\n| Reception | 88% Tomatometer (8 reviews) and 78% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes; Metascore 63; IMDb 7.2[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shadow_of_the_thin_man) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/shadow-of-the-thin-man/) |\n| Finances | Production budget $821,000; box office revenue $2.3 million[7](https://moviewiser.com/in/movie/14590) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Plot\n\nIn San Francisco, retired detective [Nick Charles](https://www.edgepedia.org/nick-charles) and his wife Nora learn from police Lieutenant Abrams of the murder of a race jockey, but Nick refuses to get involved. He is approached next by Major Jason Scully, head of the athletics commission, and by reporter Paul Clarke, and still declines to investigate. After a second reporter is killed and Paul is taken into custody, Nick yields to Nora's entreaties and, accompanied by the family's fox terrier Asta, begins working to crack the killings.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shadow_of_the_thin_man) Other summaries place the couple at the racetrack with their young son, [Nick Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/nick-jr), when the jockey is shot, and describe the investigation as uncovering a deadly gambling ring.[5](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/shadow-of-the-thin-man)\n\n## Cast\n\nWilliam Powell and Myrna Loy return as Nick and Nora Charles, with Sam Levene again playing Lieutenant Abrams. [Barry Nelson](https://www.edgepedia.org/barry-nelson) plays reporter Paul Clarke and [Donna Reed](https://www.edgepedia.org/donna-reed) plays Molly Ford, in one of her early supporting roles.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shadow_of_the_thin_man) Richard Hall plays Nick Charles Jr., a character who appeared in only two films of the series.[8](https://www.tcm.com/watchtcm/titles/940) The celebrated acting teacher [Stella Adler](https://www.edgepedia.org/stella-adler) appears as Claire Porter, in one of her three credited movie roles.[8](https://www.tcm.com/watchtcm/titles/940) The dog Asta is played by Skippy.[5](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/shadow-of-the-thin-man)\n\n## Production\n\nThe film was written by Irving Brecher and Harry Kurnitz, with [Dashiell Hammett](https://www.edgepedia.org/dashiell-hammett), author of the 1934 novel on which the series was based, credited for the characters. It was the first Thin Man film produced without any contribution from Hammett himself.[9](https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/97111/shadowofthethinman.html) The score is by David Snell, and the film was made at MGM under Hunt Stromberg's production.[4](https://nndb.com/films/814/000037703/) One account lists a production budget of $821,000 against a box office revenue of $2.3 million.[7](https://moviewiser.com/in/movie/14590)\n\n## Place in the series and reception\n\nThe Thin Man (1934) was nominated for four Academy Awards and spawned five sequels, making Shadow of the Thin Man the fourth of six films.[3](https://www.umsl.edu/~gradyf/film/reviews/thinmanboutross.htm) Reviewers have generally judged this fourth entry lighter than the first: the Metacritic critics' consensus describes it as not nearly as good as the earlier films but rewarding for the by-play of Powell and Loy, and [Pauline Kael](https://www.edgepedia.org/pauline-kael) wrote in [The New Yorker](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-new-yorker) that the jauntiness was gone.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/shadow-of-the-thin-man/) On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an 88% Tomatometer from 8 reviews and a 78% Popcornmeter from more than 2,500 audience ratings.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shadow_of_the_thin_man)\n\nA recurring critical observation is that the appeal lies less in the mystery than in the couple's relationship. One critic gave the film 3.5 of 4 stars, writing that the best element of the entire series remains the love between Nick and Nora Charles and that the actors' chemistry is intoxicating.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shadow_of_the_thin_man) A scholarly comparison of the series notes that in this film Scully's knowledge that the informant had swapped rooms gives him away as the murderer, the pay-off of the mystery, whereas the next film treats a similar plot point as light comedy.[10](https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/50024/1/WRAP_THESIS_Pillai_2012.pdf)\n\n## Historical context\n\nMGM released the film about two weeks before the Japanese attack on [Pearl Harbor](https://www.edgepedia.org/pearl-harbor), an event that changed the world into which its later sequels would be released.[9](https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/97111/shadowofthethinman.html) The film has remained available to modern audiences: it streams on Max and TCM in the United States and can be rented or bought on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Fandango At Home.[11](https://www.flickfinder.net/movie/shadow-of-the-thin-man-1941-14590) • [5](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/shadow-of-the-thin-man)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Shadow of the Thin Man, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shadow_of_the_thin_man)\n2. [Shadow of the Thin Man (1941), British Film Institute](https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/c2cc3b54-856d-54e3-80b7-c34e1ed95a11/shadow-of-the-thin-man)\n3. [The Thin Man review, University of Missouri-St. Louis](https://www.umsl.edu/~gradyf/film/reviews/thinmanboutross.htm)\n4. [Shadow of the Thin Man, NNDB](https://nndb.com/films/814/000037703/)\n5. [Shadow of the Thin Man streaming: where to watch online?, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/shadow-of-the-thin-man)\n6. [Shadow of the Thin Man Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/shadow-of-the-thin-man/)\n7. [Shadow of the Thin Man, MovieWiser](https://moviewiser.com/in/movie/14590)\n8. [Watch Shadow of the Thin Man, Turner Classic Movies](https://www.tcm.com/watchtcm/titles/940)\n9. [Shadow of the Thin Man Blu-ray review, High-Def Digest](https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/97111/shadowofthethinman.html)\n10. [Pillai (2012), PhD thesis, University of Warwick](https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/50024/1/WRAP_THESIS_Pillai_2012.pdf)\n11. [Where to watch Shadow of the Thin Man (1941), FlickFinder](https://www.flickfinder.net/movie/shadow-of-the-thin-man-1941-14590)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works › Teen and comedy series film entries › Entries released before 1990*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [ "https://www.umsl.edu/~gradyf/film/reviews/thinmanboutross.htm" ], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/shadow-of-the-thin-man", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/shadow-of-the-thin-man.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Shadow of the Thin Man\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/shadow-of-the-thin-man. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Shadow of the Thin Man](https://www.edgepedia.org/shadow-of-the-thin-man)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/shadow-of-the-thin-man](https://www.edgepedia.org/shadow-of-the-thin-man). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Shadow of the Thin Man\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/shadow-of-the-thin-man. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Shadow of the Thin Man is the fourth of six MGM Thin Man comedy-mysteries, directed by W. S." }