I was very relieved when I saw this movie. That's because I had already seen the THIN MAN movies that came just before and just after and they were both a bit of a disappointment. This movie, unlike SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN (1941) and SONG OF THE THIN MAN (1947), had a unique plot and the film didn't just seem like a re-hash of their other films. The movie was the only one in the series that was made during WWII and as a result, the plot eventually leads to espionage. However, this isn't handled in a heavy-handed or over-the-top manner--the plot works well. I also think it helped to move Nick and Nora Charles from New York and San Franciso to a small town--providing a very fresh influx of energy.
While the humor in this movie wasn't as ever-present or as rib-tickling as the first two THIN MAN movies, it was less important to the movie anyway because the plot was strong and engaging. But I still would have appreciate more humor--after all, you usually DON'T watch THIN MAN movies because of the mystery but in order to watch the great repartee between William Powell and Myrna Loy.
While the humor in this movie wasn't as ever-present or as rib-tickling as the first two THIN MAN movies, it was less important to the movie anyway because the plot was strong and engaging. But I still would have appreciate more humor--after all, you usually DON'T watch THIN MAN movies because of the mystery but in order to watch the great repartee between William Powell and Myrna Loy.