Saw The Thin Man, a delightful little 1930s noir. The ace detective in this case is a man with a serious drinking problem who wants out of the detective game. A murder happens and everyone (the victim's lover, the victim's other lover's daughter and his wife, yes everyone) comes to see him to beg him not to take the case. This happens during a wonderfully chaotic Christmas party composed of the detective's friends (retired boxers, stool pigeons, other drunks.) It's hilarious and messy. Of course, the detective takes the case.
The film was apparently meant to be a B-picture and was hastily shot in two weeks. You'd never know it though. There's a breezy casual quality to it which is missing from a lot of flagship pictures. Whereas Maltese Falcon and The Third Man are very serious, almost dour films, this is a jaunt. The detective drinks and chuckles his way through the case, keeping everyone guessing. The film spawned several sequels and it's not hard to see why. I'd watch this detective and wife joke and flirt their way through the phone book. They're just delightful to watch.
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