How do you get private detective Nick Charles to bring his son home from the park? Mix a martini, shaken not stirred, of course, and the sound alone will get him running. Of course, you also want to get him to stop reading the racing pages to Nick Jr., the cute 5 year old son of New York's most sophisticated husband and wife detective team. That sends Nick and Nora off to another murder case, this one at the racing track, and one that will bring out all the usual suspects, including some red herrings and pink elephants if Nick doesn't stop boozin' it up! All the archetypes are there for Nick and Nora, those from the opposite side of the social spectrum mixing it up with the jet set, and filled with social climbers, gamblers, boozers and floozies. The great acting coach Stella Adler has one of her two movie roles as a true hard-boiled dame here, and is unforgettable, even though it is obvious she belonged to the stage. Dickie Hall is adorable as Nick Jr., a little firecracker with both a bit of mom and dad in him, which you know means a sense of fun. Asta is adorable as ever, especially when one of his hijinks results in a bar brawl. Powell keeps the comic aspects of Nick alive, taking a rousing ride on a children's merry-go-round (is it the carousel or some previous cocktail which has him spinning?) and Loy remains the most perfect wife of all times, still beautiful in the morning, not nagging, not scolding, and filled with that love for life that here even includes a brief conversation with a professional wrestler while he's still in the ring.

When the creators of the original 'The Thin Man' film released their hilarious movie back in 1934, they could never have realised what a successful formula they were using! Produced seven years later, using basically the same ingredients as the original, the fourth edition to the six-part series – 'Shadow of the Thin Man' – still feels as fresh and witty as ever, even surpassing its direct predecessor in terms of wit and mystery. Just as in'Another Thin Man,' there is perhaps a little more murder-mystery and a little less comedy in this installment, but this was a necessary decision in order to reach a fine balance, since, as we know from most comedic sequels, some jokes can get old pretty fast. Fortunately, of course, this is not the case for these movies, and 'Shadow of the Thin Man' still packs a deadly punch, perhaps due to the flawless chemistry of its leads and the return, once again, of the original director, W.S. Van Dyke (credited here as Maj. W.S. Van Dyke II), just two years before his suicide.A few years after the previous film left off, Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy) are living happily with their growing son, Nick Jr. (young Richard "Dickie" Hall, in his debut). Nick suddenly becomes involved in a murder investigation when the dead body of a corrupt jockey is found in the showers at the racetrack. The murders don't stop there, either, and there is a range of suspicious and nefarious characters who could have orchestrated the deaths. With his ultra-enthusiastic wife at his heels, and the playful Asta the dog by his side, Nick must get to the root of the mystery before a good friend of his, newspaper reporter, Paul (Barry Nelson, also in his debut), is convicted of murder. Rounding out a decent supporting cast are Donna Reed (in only her second film, and five years prior to Frank Capra's 'It's A Wonderful Life'), Sam Levene (reprising his role as the incompetent Lieutenant Abrams), Alan Baxter, Henry O'Neill, Stella Adler, Loring Smith, Joseph Anthony and Lou Lubin.It is Nick Charles' philosophy that if you lock a bunch of murder suspects in the same room, eventually somebody like slip up and give themselves away. Once again, this law proves the villain's ultimate undoing, and I'll confess that never in a million years would I have suspected the actual murderer! The screenplay was written by Irving Brecher and Harry Kurnitz, both new to the franchise, and the murder-plot is noticeably less twisted and convoluted than previously, allowing for enjoyable viewing that doesn't require the viewer to strain their mind quite so much. Nonetheless, it is always fascinating to see how all the pieces fall neatly into place, and how one seemingly-minor clue can prove the most significant evidence of all.Though present only during the early part of the film, young Nick Jr. – at about four years of age – allows for some excellent comedic gags. The film opens with Nick Charles and his son walking through the park, with the former offering to recite a fantastic fairy-tale that's never been heard before, only to clumsily make one up based on the horse-racing schedule he's reading. In order to coax Nick back to the house for a meal, Myrna begins using the cocktail shaker, prompting her husband – far, far away – to suddenly decide: "Nicky, something tells me that something important is happening somewhere and I think we should be there." Another particularly entertaining sequence involves Asta the dog, and how he single-handedly initiates a heated brawl between every single patron of a restaurant. Despite this being their fourth "Thin Man" mystery together, the chemistry between the two leads remains incredibly potent, and I can't help looking forward to their next great adventure.

SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN offers nothing really new but it does offer exactly what fans of the franchise expect. Nick and Nora get dragged into another murder mystery. They continue to bicker in their loving way. Nick and all his old street contacts help Nick do what the police cannot. Lt. Abrams (Sam Levene) last seen in AFTER THE THIN MAN returns. He is to Nick what Inspector Lestrad is to Sherlock Holmes. It's a treat to see a young Donna Reed in a film 5 years prior to her breakthrough performance in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE and 2 decades prior to her self named sitcom. As usual, Nick with Nora's help rounds up all the suspects and walks the viewer through his deductive reasoning and then announces who the killer is. As this was the third sequel it is plain to see the basic formula that is present in all the THIN MAN films. It, by this film, had become about as complex as a color by numbers coloring book. Little imagination but still fun to do. I would rank this my fourth favorite of the six THIN MAN FILMS.

This fourth of the six Thin Man movies is one of the most fun, most enjoyable. Powell and Loy are terrific, as always, and Donna Reed is beautiful in an early role. But it's Sam Levine as police Lt Abrams who steals the show. It's murder at the race track. Who killed the jockey? See it and find out. And enjoy!