It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

A new decade has begun, Nick Jr. is growing bigger - but Nick and Nora still are FAR from being 'normal' American parents: Nick reads the horse racing news to his son instead of fairy tales, Nora prepares her husband a cocktail to 'lure' him home... But Nickie Jr. has also already developed QUITE a stubbornness: he forces his father to drink... MILK! Nick, on his part, exceeds the speed limit once again; and so they are escorted by the police to the racetrack where they were heading for - but when they arrive there, the whole place is packed with cops: a jockey has just been murdered...Of course, Nick can't resist helping poor, slow-witted Lieutenant Abrams with the case, which inevitably soon leads them to a big-scale gambling ring, which government official Major Sculley is trying to break, with the help of a brave young reporter, Paul Clarke, an old friend of Nick's an Nora's. And while Nora drags Nick to a wrestling event (!), where the gambling ring is of course also involved, Paul gets some information from his girlfriend, who's the secretary of one of the crooks, and he decides to break into his office to search for evidence - and stumbles upon his 'bad' colleague Whitey there, who's working and writing for the gangsters. A fight for the incriminating notebook ensues; and the result is that both reporters are found on the floor - Whitey shot, and Paul unconscious with a pistol next to him, as the number one murder suspect...Now, for the sake of his friend, Nick starts investigating for good, of course, and we soon get to know a whole bunch of shady types who are all more or less involved in the whole thing - but where's the notebook, and who's the head of the ring?? With the atmosphere being nicely balanced between a tough crime yarn and a hilarious spoof throughout the movie, we certainly won't get bored until Nick enlightens us in the end...This forth entry in the 'Thin Man' series (and the last one being directed by W.S. van Dyke, who died two years later) really almost equals its 30s' predecessors concerning suspense as well as fun; William Powell and Myrna Loy once again play Hollywood's most unusual couple - and by now parents, too - in a most wonderful and charming way, the plot is very clever and twisted (but not too much for those who keep paying attention!) - it could maybe be called the last 'classic' one of the 'Thin Man' movies. Not that the last two films that followed during and after the War were that much inferior, but the style definitely changed due to the circumstances and the generally changing attitudes in the American society...

Watching Nick (William Powell) and Nora (Myrna Loy) Charles takes you back to a day when wit was king, and men carried cigarette cases and gold lighters. The subtle humor throughout makes this more than a simple murder mystery.Oscar and Golden Globe winner Donna Reed ("The Donna Reed Show", From Here to Eternity) gets a big break in her debut year as she gets a good role in the film. This was Barry Nelson's film debut, but it din't work as well for him as it did for Reed.Even the dog Astor was hilarious, and the Charles are now parents of a four-year=old, even though there was only two years since the last film.Great movie.

"Shadow of the Thin Man" is another addition to the "Thin Man" series starring that wonderful couple, Nick and Nora Charles, played to perfection by William Powell and Myrna Loy. In this film, they have a son, Nicky, who's adorable and keeps Daddy on his toes. In one scene, Nick has to drink milk (instead of his cocktail) so that Nicky will drink his; in another, so as not embarrass his son, Nick rides the carousel and gets quite dizzy. So does Asta - we see him hugging a fire hydrant for dear life once the ride ends.The movie starts out innocently enough with Nick reading the racing forms to his son as if it's a story. When Nick and Nora get to the track, a murder has been committed and the two become immediately involved. Donna Reed has a small role as a secretary for a thug, and she's giving information to her boyfriend, a reporter, played by Barry Nelson. This was the stage actor's first film, and he's right out of college.There are some very funny scenes in this film - the best being the one in the restaurant. But Nora and Nick attending a wrestling match is another goodie. That brilliant actor, Asta, really has a good supporting role. It's one of his better performances.The murder mystery is interesting, but like all the "Thin Man" movies, the style, the repartee, and the humor are what make Nick and Nora fun and even today, keep them popular. And their little dog too.

In this fourth movie in the Thin Man series, the familiar formula still works pretty well, making "Shadow of the Thin Man" an enjoyable feature with plenty of wit, an interesting mystery, and most of all Nick and Nora. It's hard to think of any other screen couple that worked together better than William Powell and Myrna Loy. All it takes is a few seconds of seeing them interact before you feel as if you are in the company of old friends.The story and setting make use of Nick's fondness for the horse races, and this also allows for an entertaining assortment of characters. The mystery has several twists and turns, and the story developments alternate with lighter stretches of Nick and Nora being themselves. Besides the race track, there are some other imaginative settings that help in creating an atmosphere that is both believable and interesting.Most of the other characters are pretty straightforward, but Sam Levene gets quite a few good moments as the police lieutenant. Barry Nelson also has a decent role as a reporter. A very young Donna Reed gets a fair amount of screen time, but her character is not as interesting as the others. It's also interesting to see Stella Adler in one of her rare screen roles.This one is a cut below the earlier movies in the series, but it's still good fun. As well as the familiar combination works, there weren't a lot of reasons to make significant changes.