Light and Shadow: Greta Garbo

On the Set: Gloria Grahame

Director Robert Wise with with Gloria Grahame and Harry

Belafonte on the set of Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)

Director Robert Wise with Gloria Grahame and Shelly

Winters on the set of Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)

The Art of the Dangle: Anna Karina

Vivre Sa Vie (1962) aka Die Geschichte der Nana S (German Title)

Happy Second Birthday Film Noir Photos!

Paulette Goddard in Modern Times (1936)

Marion Davies, Conrad Nagel, Helen Jerome Eddy and

Director Sidney Franklin with the cast of Quality Street (1927)

George Reeves Dennis Morgan watches Ann Sheridan cut the cake at a

cast party during the filming of The Torrid Zone (1940)

Clara Bow

Flo

It's that time again. FNP celebrates another birthday. Thanks to all my wonderful followers for your interest and attention.

Modern Femmes Fatale: Part 45

Ally Sheedy in High Art (1998)

Christina Hendricks

Christina Ricci

Gwyneth Paltrow in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)

Jessica Jaymes

Kim Basinger in The Sentinel (2006)

Laura Prepon

Milla Jovovich in Zoolander (2001)

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Scherzinger

Adventures in Androgyny: Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye

Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in White Christmas (1954)

Christmas Carole

Carole Lombard, carrying cards wishing a "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" in German (above) and Hungarian (below). Thanks to Carole & Co. for the images. :)

A Max Sennett publicity photo from 1927 featuring Carole (center) and 2 other beauties.

A Pathe holiday pic featuring Carole with Jeanette Loff

(Looks to me like bad girl Jeanette will be getting a lump of coal)

Wishing everyone room at the inn this year!

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!

Twas the night before Christmas,

and all through the house,

not a creature was stirring,

except for Fredric March and Nancy Carroll dressed up in these bear suits...

Laughter (1930)

I haven't seen this movie, but based on this picture, I'm betting it was not high drama!

Rub-a-dub-dub: Julia Roberts

Pretty Woman (1990)

Inside Looking Out: Ladies Behind Bars 18

Hélène Delavault in La Tragédie de Carmen (1983)

Smoking in Bed: Myrna Loy

The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932)

The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932)

Sweater Girl: Paulette Goddard

For the Boys: Ann Margret

Singer, dancer and actress Ann Margret entertains US troops during a Bob Hope USO show in Vietnam, 1966.

Bathing Beauties: Yvonne De Carlo

Reflections: Pola Negri

Recurring Themes: The Thin Man

Today, we debut a new feature focusing on movie franchises, by which I mean movies that have multiple sequels. The Thin Man (1934) was based on a crime novel by Dashiell Hammett. The witty script and wonderful comedic chemistry between William Powell, as the perpetually tipsy ex-detective and Myrna Loy as his wealthy, thrill seeking and unflappable wife made the film an sensational hit. This, naturally, led to 5 sequels over the next 13 years. Many feel that the series kind of "jumped the shark" after the death of the original director, W.S. Van Dyke, in 1943, but, personally, I like the final two entries. They may not be quite up to the standard of the first 4 films, but I still find them entertaining.

The Thin Man (1934)

The Thin Man (1934)

The Thin Man (1934)

Interestingly, although the term "the thin man" came to refer to William Powell's character Nick Charles, in the original novel "the thin man" referred to the victim. In Hammett's novel, Nick Charles was overweight.

After the Thin Man (1936)

After the Thin Man (1936)

After the Thin Man (1936)

In Another Thin Man (1939), the Charles' are joined by their newly arrived son.

Another Thin Man (1939)

Another Thin Man (1939)

Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)

Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)

Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)

The Thin Man Goes Home (1945)

One of the most popular recurring characters in the series was the Charles' terrier Asta. In fact, Asta was so popular with moviegoers of the 30s and 40s that demand for the breed led to the over-breeding of wire-haired terriers around the country.

Song of the Thin Man (1947)

Song of the Thin Man (1947)

Song of the Thin Man (1947)

Although arguably the weakest entry in the series, I have a soft spot in my heart for Song of the Thin Man (1947) because the murder victim is a big band singer played by Gloria Grahame.