The Thin Man • The Next Reel

James Wong Howe is often cited as one of the most influential cinematographers there have been. He worked in film from the early days of the silents to the mid-70s when he received his last Oscar nomination for his color work on “Funny Lady.” But his black-and-white cinematography is what he’s primarily known for. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we start up our Black and White Cinematography of James Wong Howe series with W.S. Van Dyke’s 1934 film “The Thin Man.” We talk about the joy of watching this film, and how it really doesn’t come from the mystery so much as the fantastic relationship between Nick and Norah Charles, probably the most famous sleuthing pair to ever grace the silver screen. We talk about Howe and what he brought to the table in this studio production. We chat about William Powell and Myrna Loy and how their chemistry on and off the screen is some of the best, which must be why they starred in 14 films together. We chat about the rest of the cast as well as Van Dyke and his directing style. And we discuss why a film like this works even if its story isn’t that interesting. It’s a fun film to start our new series and we have a great time talking about it. Tune in! Hey! You know what would be awesome? If you would drop us a positive rating on iTunes! If you like what we’re doing here on TNR, it really is the best way to make sure that this show appears when others search for it, plus, it’s just a nice thing to do. Thanks!! The Next Reel on iTunesThe Next Reel on FacebookThe Next Reel on TwitterThe Next Reel on FlickchartThe Next Reel on LetterboxdGuess the Movie with The Next Reel on InstagramCheck out the Posters with The Next Reel on Pinterest And for anyone interested in our fine bouquet of show hosts: Follow Andy Nelson on TwitterFollow Pete Wright on TwitterFollow Steve Sarmento on TwitterCheck out Tom Metz on IMDBFollow Mike Evans on TwitterFollow Chadd Stoops on TwitterFollow Steven Smart on LetterboxdSupport The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible