The Thin Man (TV series)

The Thin Man

Kirk and Lawford as Nick and Nora with Asta, 1957.
Genre Comedy
Drama
Written by Ben Starr
Starring Peter Lawford
Phyllis Kirk
Theme music composer Johnny Green Season 1
Pete Rugolo Season 2
Country of origin USA
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 72
Production
Running time 1/2 hour (25:33 minutes)
Production company(s) Clarington Productions
Distributor MGM Television
Release
Original network NBC
Original release September 20, 1957 – August 28, 1959

The Thin Man is a half-hour weekly television series based on the mystery novel The Thin Man (1933) by Dashiell Hammett and the 1935 -1947 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie series of the same name. The 72 episodes were produced by MGM Television and broadcast by NBC for two seasons from 1957–1959 on Friday evening.[1] It was the first TV series produced by MGM.[2]

Overview

The series starred Peter Lawford and Phyllis Kirk as Nick and Nora Charles. The dog, Asta, was played by three identical wire-hair terriers.[2] Jack Albertson, Patricia Donahue, and Nita Talbot had recurring roles during the show's second season. Albertson played Lieutenant Harry Evans of the New York Police Department. Donahue played Hazel, Nick and Nora's neighbor. Talbot played Beatrice Dane, alias Blondie Collins, a criminal who dragged Nick and Nora into her schemes. Both Hazel and Beatrice made attempts to seduce Nick. Nora's jealousy fueled her sarcasm on these occasions.

A newspaper columnist wrote that Nora Charles' role was different from that of other female leads in detective programs on television. Kirk commented:

We were the first of the sophisticated detective dramas, and from the scripts it was simple to see that the part of Nora Charles was that of a leading lady who made more than token appearances. Since then some of the new shows just use girls as part of the scenery.[3]

Among the series guest stars was Billy Gray, who appeared at the same time he was cast as James "Bud" Anderson, Jr., in Father Knows Best. Ann McCrea was cast as Billie in the 1958 episode, "The Lost Last Chapter". Of note is the "guest star" in the episode "Robot Client", none other than the original Robby the Robot from the 1956 film "Forbidden Planet".

Ben Starr was the program's writer; Sam Marx was the executive producer.[2]

The series began airing on Sony's getTV in March 2016.

Episode list

Season 1: 1957–58

  1. "The Dollar Doodle" / 1957-09-20
  2. "Duke of Sing Sing" / 1957-09-27
  3. "The Angel Biz" / 1957-10-04
  4. "Come Back Darling Asta" / 1957-10-11
  5. "Paris Pendant" / 1957-10-18
  6. "That's the Spirit" / 1957-10-25
  7. "Acrostic Murder" / 1957-11-01
  8. "Dead Duck" / 1957-11-08
  9. "Fatal Cliche" / 1957-11-15
  10. "Ring Around Rosie" / 1957-11-22
  11. "Angels in Paradise" / 1957-11-29
  12. "The Fashion Showdown" / 1957-12-06
  13. "Dead Giveaway" / 1957-12-13
  14. "Unwelcome Alibi" / 1957-12-27
  15. "Asta Day" / 1958-01-03
  16. "The Scene Stealer" / 1958-01-10
  17. "Damone Dilemma" / 1958-01-17
  18. "Unlucky Lucky Number" / 1958-01-24
  19. "Man on the Bridge" / 1958-01-31
  20. "Pre-Incan Caper" / 1958-02-07
  21. "Murder Is Where You Find It" / 1958-02-14
  22. "Ship Shakedown" / 1958-02-21
  23. "Robot Client" / 1958-02-28
  24. "The Mystery of the Missing Murders" / 1958-03-07
  25. "Double Jeopardy" / 1958-03-14
  26. "Bookworms" / 1958-03-21
  27. "Jittery Juror" / 1958-03-28
  28. "The Departed Doctor" / 1958-04-04
  29. "The Tennis Champ" / 1958-04-11
  30. "The Delinquent" / 1958-04-18
  31. "The Painted Witnesses" / 1958-05-02
  32. "The Saucer People" / 1958-05-09
  33. "The Carstadt Man" / 1958-05-16
  34. "The Art of Murder" / 1958-05-23
  35. "Kappa Kappa Kaper" / 1958-05-30
  36. "The Valley Forger" / 1958-06-06
  37. "The Screaming Doll" / 1958-06-13

Season 2: 1958–59

  1. "Scene of the Crime" / 1958-10-24
  2. "Housewarming" / 1958-10-31
  3. "Pack My Gat, Beulah" / 1958-11-07
  4. "Lost Last Chapter" / 1958-11-14
  5. "I Loathe You, Darling" / 1958-11-21
  6. "Human Bomb" / 1958-11-28
  7. "Plague of Pigeons" / 1958-12-05
  8. "Design for Murder" / 1958-12-12
  9. "Murder in Mink" / 1958-12-19
  10. "Lady on the Lam" / 1958-12-26
  11. "Beauty and the Bath" / 1959-01-02
  12. "The Case of the Baggy Pants" / 1959-01-09
  13. "Maine Thing" / 1959-01-23
  14. "Outrageous" / 1959-01-30
  15. "The Big Holdout" / 1959-02-06
  16. "Perfect Servant" / 1959-02-13
  17. "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Morgue" / 1959-02-20
  18. "Black Wind and Lightning" / 1959-02-27
  19. "Holiday for Hazel" / 1959-03-06
  20. "Lady Frankenstein" / 1959-03-13
  21. "Mayhem to Music" / 1959-03-20
  22. "La Sabre Invecta Est?" / 1959-03-27
  23. "Gory Road" / 1959-04-03
  24. "Anonymity Anyone?" / 1959-04-10
  25. "That's Gratitude" / 1959-04-17
  26. "The Cat Kicker" / 1959-04-24
  27. "Bronze Bonze" / 1959-05-01
  28. "Requiem for a Recluse" / 1959-05-08
  29. "Nora Goes Over the Wall" / 1959-05-15
  30. "Hamilton Hollered Help" / 1959-05-22
  31. "Dear Dead Days" / 1959-05-29
  32. "Cold Cargo" / 1959-06-05
  33. "Bat McKidderick Esq." / 1959-06-12
  34. "Cherchez La Sexpot" / 1959-06-19
  35. "Paradise Discovered" / 1959-06-26

References

  1. ↑ Classic TV Archives: The Thin Man, accessed October 6, 2016
  2. 1 2 3 "Hollywood Today". Eureka Humboldt Standard. July 3, 1957. p. 2. Retrieved April 13, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ Scott, Vernon (April 24, 1959). "Phylliss Kirk's Brain Power Keeps Her Flying on Series". The Daily Inter Lake. p. 10. Retrieved April 13, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
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