More Thin Man Understudies Go Sleuthing
Franchot Tone and Ann Sothern Are Would-Be Nick and Nora in Fast and Furious (1939)
How critical was Bill Powell to continuation of
the Thin Man series? Well, he couldn't be replaced in them, first of all. MGM
considered that and even tried second-string detecting couples in hope of a
switch in event Powell's health took him out (cancer surgery and uncertainty
he'd recover). Showmen wanted more Thin Men, so a next best thing was
duplicating the formula with husband-wife crimebusters on reduced budget in
what was more or less audition to recast Nick and Nora Charles should worse come to worse. Fast and Furious was third of these attempts, Franchot Tone
and Ann Sothern as married rare book dealers who dabble at sleuthing. The
previous two had cast other MGM couples in pursuit of one that might click
(Melvyn Douglas/Florence Rice, Robert Montgomery/Rosalind Russell). The Joel
and Garda Sloane mysteries if nothing else point up distinction between
workmanlike leads and a truly irreplaceable team, latter being Powell and Myrna
Loy. Fast and Furious gets by in the way a fair copy might for a Rembrandt; so
long as expectation stays at that level, it can please. The killer was so
obvious that even I guessed it, but that too is part of fun, further doses of which can be had with Warner Archives' three-pack DVD release of the Joel/Garda Sloanes.
UPDATE --- 12/7/13: Found the above in a vintage newspaper. This was the sort of item that would adorn entertainment sections in dailies, and was gratis publicity for local theatres that advertised regularly.
Donald Benson addresses the Joel and Garda Sloane series at MGM:
ReplyDeleteActually, I thought that was the weakest of the three. It lost the interesting rare book angle, and those lions belonged in another movie (I like my whodunits at least marginally plausible). The first two were pretty snappy, though. All three couples seeming perfectly agreeable to me.
The farm team angle is an interesting one. If they lost Powell, would the Thin Man series continue as A films? Or would they replace Loy as well and step up the frequency as lower-cost Bs?
In Thomas Schatz's book, THE GENIUS OF THE SYSTEM, he recounts discussion at MGM on replacing Myrna Loy as Nora Charles (I can't remember now if she was balking or just unavailable). Supposedly such replacements as Marsha Hunt, Jean Arthur, and Loretta Young were considered and dismissed.
ReplyDeleteAll those ladies are fine, but there was just no messing with the THIN MAN chemistry.
How about 1942's "Mr. and Mrs. North," with Gracie Allen and William Post Jr.
ReplyDelete