"Another Thin Man" demands.a retake before it can move into the cutting room for final editing, so William Powell, playing the daffy detective, and "Majorie Main, impersonating a slovenly rooming house keeper, report on the set to whip a little more comedy into one of the Picture's key scenes, writes Harold Heffernan to the "Oregonian."
This is the sequence where Powell is right on the verge of finding out who murdered his wife's financial adviser—a tragedy which turned their intended holiday trip into a crime chase. Bright lights are shining down on Powell, dapper and suave, as he stands ready to question the rooming house keeper, who regards him from the doorway of her shady resort Director W. S. Van Dyke gives the signal and the cameras grind silently.
"The dame could been gone from this place for a couple weeks," begins Miss Main from the side of her mouth. "I don't make no point of seem' tenants if they ain't behind in their rent."
Right here Miss Main reaches out and jabs. Powell in the ribs with a rigid forefinger, the better to emphasize her remarks. Our hero reacts with an "Oof—thank you!
Miss Main's next line is, "That girl knows all the answers," and now she gives Powell a harder jab. With a third line the mistress of the place intimates she could "fix it up" for the detective if he'll just leave his name and phone number—and with that she delivers a really high-powered stab toward his mid-section. But, unexpectedly, Powell side steps, Miss Main loses her balance and almost falls.
The crew laughed heartily and so did Van Dyke. "Swell," said the director. "We'll let it go that way. Its much funnier."
"And a lot easier on Powell's ribs" said the detective dryly.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.