THE MOVIEGOER

Bill Powell is back after a year's illness with his quizzical eyebrows, scotch and sodas, and gift for repartee quite intact. Unhappily, Dashfell Hammett's plot gives Mr. Powell somewhat less support than his hospital bed and consequently the film fails to live up to the previous Thin Man standard. However, Myrna Loy and Asta are around too Lot to mention Nick Charles, Jr. and they combine their talents with a capable cast to create a better than average photoplay.

The story is enough to make a mystery fan throw up his hands in abject despair. It concerns a psychic convict fresh from taking the tap for a rich, buccaueering and, of all things, the rich man's murder. There's a nifty bit of Rube Goldbergiana concerning the firing of a pistol, but otherwise the film ends with very little clarification of anything save the fact that Nick Charles leads a very merry married life. However, the conversation sparkles at frequent intervals and Myrna Loy wears a negligee now and then for a man's money this is enough.