Following the popularity of The Thin Man in 1934, MGM decided to keep the golden pairing of William Powell and Myrna Loy running on two parallel streams. One was to be the series of increasingly tepid and unimaginative sequels to The Thin Man. The other was a string of stand-alone comedies, all of them betterContinue reading “Love Crazy (1941)”
Category Archives: William Powell
One Way Passage (1932)
I’ve come late to appreciating Tay Garnett’s comedies, of which One Way Passage is probably the best. Garnett, who was once a darling of French cinéastes, is most remembered nowadays for his exotic action and war films like Slave Ship and Bataan and the noir classic The Postman Always Rings Twice. He also made fineContinue reading “One Way Passage (1932)”
The Thin Man (1934) – 2. Novel vs. Movie
One shouldn’t spend too much time comparing an original story with its film adaptation. All writers know that as soon as the options are picked up and the payments deposited, the film version is out of their hands. It’s lucky that they aren’t forced to sign non-disclosure agreements enjoining them from claiming that they actuallyContinue reading “The Thin Man (1934) – 2. Novel vs. Movie”
Libeled Lady (1936)
Libeled Lady hits the sweetest spot of Hollywood comedies of the interwar era. It’s a transcendent example of the genre, a fusion of literate script, sharp-witted dialogue, brilliant acting, pacing, mise-en-scène, and all the screwball virtues: quick-reacting women, overconfident men with absurd plans, rapid-fire repartee and pratfalls, newsroom machismo and high-society suavité. It’s miraculous, actually,Continue reading “Libeled Lady (1936)”
The Thin Man (1934)
The Thin Man is one of the most influential films that Hollywood ever produced. It’s included in the American Film Institute’s list of 100 funniest films (in a list made in 2000 the film comes in at #32); IMDB users have given it a stratospheric score of 8 of 10 (only three films have scoredContinue reading “The Thin Man (1934)”
Jewel Robbery (1932)
Jewel Robbery has experienced a formidable change of fortune recently. In the past, film historians sometimes mentioned it respectfully in passing in the context of William Powell’s career, or as an example of elegant pre-code badinage, or as one of the more successful imitations of Lubitsch’s style. It’s getting a lot more love nowadays, andContinue reading “Jewel Robbery (1932)”
My Man Godfrey (1936)
Gregory La Cava’s My Man Godfrey has a beautiful reputation. It’s viewed as La Cava’s signature film, with legendary performances by Carole Lombard and William Powell. Many of its fans consider it among the best screwball/romantic comedies ever made. It was surely the most highly regarded comedy of its time in Hollywood itself — itContinue reading “My Man Godfrey (1936)”
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936)
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford is a whodunit detective-comedy starring William Powell and Jean Arthur in what I believe is the only work they did together. Trying to build on Powell’s success two years earlier in The Thin Man, RKO tweaked the Nick and Nora setup by making Powell’s rich and natty Dr. Bradford a reluctant detective,Continue reading “The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936)”