Married couples aren’t normally found as movie heroes – filmmakers prefer their leads to come together. There are exceptions, of perhaps which Nick and Nora Charles are among the most famous. They are a marvellous couple, excellently played by William Powell and Myrna Loy, whose enjoyment of their parts are infectious.
Nick Charles is a permanently drunk ex-detective married to rich Myrna Loy, who is the perfect match for him – capable of matching him drink for drink, enjoying his low life friends and swapping quips. She doesn’t even mind when he punches her out (to ensure she doesn’t get shot). Presumably she’ll miss him when he dies of cirrhosis of the liver – he drinks an awful lot, I mean he even gets up in the middle of the night to have a drink. (I wonder if this cute depiction of alcoholism inspired people to take up heavy drinking.)
This is made with MGM polish but has Warner Bros pace, if that makes sense – the director was Woody “keep it movin’” Van Dyke. The support cast is impressive, including Maureen O’Sullivan as the missing man’s daughter and Cesar Romero as (surprise) a gigolo, plus of course Asta the dog. The story is strong, the climax is a classic with Powell inviting all the suspects around for dinner.
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