The Thin Man (TV series)
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| The Thin Man | |
|---|---|
| Phyllis Kirk, Peter Lawford, and Asta the dog, 1957. | |
| Genre | Comedy Drama |
| Based on | The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett |
| Written by | Ben Starr |
| Starring | Peter Lawford Phyllis Kirk |
| Theme music composer | Johnny Green (Season 1) Pete Rugolo (Season 2) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 72 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 1/2 hour (25:33 minutes) |
| Production companies | Clarington Productions MGM Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | September 20, 1957 (1957年09月20日) – August 28, 1959 (1959年08月28日) |
The Thin Man is a half-hour weekly television series based on the mystery novel The Thin Man (1933) by Dashiell Hammett. The 72 episodes were produced by MGM Television and broadcast by NBC for two seasons from 1957–1959 on Friday evening.[citation needed ] It was the first TV series produced by MGM.[1]
Overview
[edit ]The series starred Peter Lawford and Phyllis Kirk as Nick and Nora Charles. The dog, Asta, was played by three identical wire-hair terriers.[1] 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's 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.[2]
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": the original Robby the Robot from the 1956 film Forbidden Planet . This episode is available as an extra on the Forbidden Planet DVD.
Ben Starr was the program's writer, while Sam Marx was the executive producer.[1] Episodes were shot back to back across the two seasons.[3] In May 1959, Kirk revealed that she and Lawford were contractually attached to the series until August.[4]
The series began airing on Sony's GetTV in March 2016.[5]
Episode list
[edit ]Season 1: 1957–58
[edit ]| No | Ep | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Dollar Doodle" | Unknown | Unknown | September 20, 1957 (1957年09月20日) |
| 2 | 2 | "Duke of Sing Sing" | Unknown | Unknown | September 27, 1957 (1957年09月27日) |
| 3 | 3 | "The Angel Biz" | Unknown | Unknown | October 4, 1957 (1957年10月04日) |
| 4 | 4 | "Come Back Darling Asta" | John Meredyth Lucas | Story by : Herman Groves Teleplay by : Dean Riesner & Martin Ragaway | October 11, 1957 (1957年10月11日) |
| 5 | 5 | "Paris Pendant" | Unknown | Unknown | October 18, 1957 (1957年10月18日) |
| 6 | 6 | "That's the Spirit" | Unknown | Unknown | October 25, 1957 (1957年10月25日) |
| 7 | 7 | "Acrostic Murder" | Unknown | Unknown | November 1, 1957 (1957年11月01日) |
| 8 | 8 | "Dead Duck" | Unknown | Unknown | November 8, 1957 (1957年11月08日) |
| 9 | 9 | "Fatal Cliche" | Unknown | Unknown | November 15, 1957 (1957年11月15日) |
| 10 | 10 | "Ring Around Rosie" | Unknown | Unknown | November 22, 1957 (1957年11月22日) |
| 11 | 11 | "Angels in Paradise" | Unknown | Unknown | November 29, 1957 (1957年11月29日) |
| 12 | 12 | "The Fashion Showdown" | Unknown | Unknown | December 6, 1957 (1957年12月06日) |
| 13 | 13 | "Dead Giveaway" | Unknown | Unknown | December 13, 1957 (1957年12月13日) |
| 14 | 14 | "Unwelcome Alibi" | Unknown | Unknown | December 27, 1957 (1957年12月27日) |
| 15 | 15 | "Asta Day" | Unknown | Unknown | January 3, 1958 (1958年01月03日) |
| 16 | 16 | "The Scene Stealer" | Unknown | Unknown | January 10, 1958 (1958年01月10日) |
| 17 | 17 | "Damone Dilemma" | Unknown | Unknown | January 17, 1958 (1958年01月17日) |
| 18 | 18 | "Unlucky Lucky Number" | Unknown | Unknown | January 24, 1958 (1958年01月24日) |
| 19 | 19 | "Man on the Bridge" | Unknown | Unknown | January 31, 1958 (1958年01月31日) |
| 20 | 20 | "Pre-Incan Caper" | Unknown | Unknown | February 7, 1958 (1958年02月07日) |
| 21 | 21 | "Murder Is Where You Find It" | Unknown | Unknown | February 14, 1958 (1958年02月14日) |
| 22 | 22 | "Ship Shakedown" | Unknown | Unknown | February 21, 1958 (1958年02月21日) |
| 23 | 23 | "Robot Client" | Oscar Rudolph | Devery Freeman | February 28, 1958 (1958年02月28日) |
| 24 | 24 | "The Mystery of the Missing Murders" | Unknown | Unknown | March 7, 1958 (1958年03月07日) |
| 25 | 25 | "Double Jeopardy" | Unknown | Unknown | March 14, 1958 (1958年03月14日) |
| 26 | 26 | "Bookworms" | Unknown | Unknown | March 21, 1958 (1958年03月21日) |
| 27 | 27 | "Jittery Juror" | Bretaigne Windust | Phil Davis & Charles Hoffman | March 28, 1958 (1958年03月28日) |
| 28 | 28 | "The Departed Doctor" | Unknown | Unknown | April 4, 1958 (1958年04月04日) |
| 29 | 29 | "The Tennis Champ" | Unknown | Unknown | April 11, 1958 (1958年04月11日) |
| 30 | 30 | "The Delinquent" | Unknown | Unknown | April 18, 1958 (1958年04月18日) |
| 31 | 31 | "The Painted Witnesses" | Unknown | Unknown | May 2, 1958 (1958年05月02日) |
| 32 | 32 | "The Saucer People" | Unknown | Unknown | May 9, 1958 (1958年05月09日) |
| 33 | 33 | "The Carstadt Man" | Unknown | Unknown | May 16, 1958 (1958年05月16日) |
| 34 | 34 | "The Art of Murder" | Unknown | Unknown | May 23, 1958 (1958年05月23日) |
| 35 | 35 | "Kappa Kappa Kaper" | Unknown | Unknown | May 30, 1958 (1958年05月30日) |
| 36 | 36 | "The Valley Forger" | Unknown | Unknown | June 6, 1958 (1958年06月06日) |
| 37 | 37 | "The Screaming Doll" | Unknown | Unknown | June 13, 1958 (1958年06月13日) |
Season 2: 1958–59
[edit ]| No | Ep | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 1 | "Scene of the Crime" | October 24, 1958 (1958年10月24日) |
| 39 | 2 | "Housewarming" | October 31, 1958 (1958年10月31日) |
| 40 | 3 | "Pack My Gat, Beulah" | November 7, 1958 (1958年11月07日) |
| 41 | 4 | "Lost Last Chapter" | November 14, 1958 (1958年11月14日) |
| 42 | 5 | "I Loathe You, Darling" | November 21, 1958 (1958年11月21日) |
| 43 | 6 | "Human Bomb" | November 28, 1958 (1958年11月28日) |
| 44 | 7 | "Plague of Pigeons" | December 5, 1958 (1958年12月05日) |
| 45 | 8 | "Design for Murder" | December 12, 1958 (1958年12月12日) |
| 46 | 9 | "Murder in Mink" | December 19, 1958 (1958年12月19日) |
| 47 | 10 | "Lady on the Lam" | December 26, 1958 (1958年12月26日) |
| 48 | 11 | "Beauty and the Bath" | January 2, 1959 (1959年01月02日) |
| 49 | 12 | "The Case of the Baggy Pants" | January 9, 1959 (1959年01月09日) |
| 50 | 13 | "Maine Thing" | January 23, 1959 (1959年01月23日) |
| 51 | 14 | "Outrageous" | January 30, 1959 (1959年01月30日) |
| 52 | 15 | "The Big Holdout" | February 6, 1959 (1959年02月06日) |
| 53 | 16 | "Perfect Servant" | February 13, 1959 (1959年02月13日) |
| 54 | 17 | "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Morgue" | February 20, 1959 (1959年02月20日) |
| 55 | 18 | "Black Wind and Lightning" | February 27, 1959 (1959年02月27日) |
| 56 | 19 | "Holiday for Hazel" | March 6, 1959 (1959年03月06日) |
| 57 | 20 | "Lady Frankenstein" | March 13, 1959 (1959年03月13日) |
| 58 | 21 | "Mayhem to Music" | March 20, 1959 (1959年03月20日) |
| 59 | 22 | "La Sabre Invecta Est?" | March 27, 1959 (1959年03月27日) |
| 60 | 23 | "Gory Road" | April 3, 1959 (1959年04月03日) |
| 61 | 24 | "Anonymity Anyone?" | April 10, 1959 (1959年04月10日) |
| 62 | 25 | "That's Gratitude" | April 17, 1959 (1959年04月17日) |
| 63 | 26 | "The Cat Kicker" | April 24, 1959 (1959年04月24日) |
| 64 | 27 | "Bronze Bonze" | May 1, 1959 (1959年05月01日) |
| 65 | 28 | "Requiem for a Recluse" | May 8, 1959 (1959年05月08日) |
| 66 | 29 | "Nora Goes Over the Wall" | May 15, 1959 (1959年05月15日) |
| 67 | 30 | "Hamilton Hollered Help" | May 22, 1959 (1959年05月22日) |
| 68 | 31 | "Dear Dead Days" | May 29, 1959 (1959年05月29日) |
| 69 | 32 | "Cold Cargo" | June 12, 1959 (1959年06月12日) |
| 70 | 33 | "Bat McKidderick Esq." | June 12, 1959 (1959年06月12日) |
| 71 | 34 | "Cherchez La Sexpot" | June 19, 1959 (1959年06月19日) |
| 72 | 35 | "Paradise Discovered" | June 26, 1959 (1959年06月26日) |
References
[edit ]- ^ a b c "Hollywood Today". Eureka Humboldt Standard. July 3, 1957. p. 2. Retrieved April 13, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
- ^ 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. Open access icon
- ^ Rich, Allen (February 26, 1959). "Listening Post and TV Review". Valley Times. p. 26. Retrieved January 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Torre, Marie (May 29, 1959). "Out of the Air". The Evening Review . p. 10. Retrieved January 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "GetTV Announces New Blocks of Classic Retro TV Shows". Cinema Retro . April 30, 2016. Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
External links
[edit ]
- The Thin Man at IMDb
- 1950s American crime television series
- 1957 American television series debuts
- 1959 American television series endings
- 1950s American comedy-drama television series
- American detective television series
- Black-and-white American television shows
- American English-language television shows
- Television shows based on American novels
- Television series about marriage
- Television series by MGM Television
- Television shows set in New York City
- Nick and Nora Charles
- NBC television dramas