THE THIN MAN GOES HOME (1945)

The fifth (out of six) comedy-mystery feature film, starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Dashiell Hammett's iconic characters Nick and Nora Charles, is both a departure from the usual series and a personal favorite of mine.  No constant martini drinking or big-city locale here; no, this film has Nick and Nora heading back to Sycamore Springs - Nick's hometown - to visit Nick's parents in small-town suburbia.  Nick's dad, a prominent local doctor, has always had a reserved relationship with Nick, whom he always wanted to practice medicine instead of solving crimes ... but when a hometown boy is shot on Nick's parents' doorstep, seconds after telling Nick he has to speak to him, The Charles's learn that Nick's hometown harbors a few skeletons in the closet - and a murderer prepared to kill again.  From snappy one-liners to a nicely-plotted mystery, genuinely funny moments to the dynamite on-screen chemistry of Powell and Loy, this "homespun" entry to the Thin Man series is a real treat. (not rated)  ****1/2

THE THIN MAN GOES HOME trailer