Quotes & Pics from your Favorite Mister and Missus...Nick and Nora Charles

The Thin Man (1934)

Nora Charles: How many drinks have you had?
Nick Charles: This will make six Martinis.
Nora Charles: [to the waiter] All right. Will you bring me five more Martinis, Leo? Line them right up here.

Nora Charles: Pretty girl.
Nick Charles: Yes. She's a very nice type.
Nora Charles: You got types?
Nick Charles: Only you, darling. Lanky brunettes with wicked jaws.

Reporter: Say listen, is he working on a case?
Nora Charles: Yes, he is.
Reporter: What case?
Nora Charles: A case of scotch. Pitch in and help him.

Nick Charles: The important thing is the rhythm. Always have rhythm in your shaking. Now a Manhattan you shake to fox-trot time, a Bronx to two-step time, a dry martini you always shake to waltz time.

Nick Charles: How'd you like Grant's tomb?
Nora Charles: It's lovely. I'm having a copy made for you.

Nora Charles: All right! Go ahead! Go on! See if I care! But I thinks it's a dirty trick to bring me all the way to New York just to make a widow of me.
Nick Charles: You wouldn't be a widow long.
Nora Charles: You bet I wouldn't!
Nick Charles: Not with all your money...

Nick Charles: Now don't make a move or that dog will tear you to shreds.

Nora Charles: [to Asta, as Nick and Asta are going out on a case] If you let anything happen to him, you'll never wag that tail again.

Nora Charles: You asleep?
Nick Charles: Yes!
Nora Charles: Good... I want to talk to you.

[last lines]
Nora Charles: Nicky... Nicky, put Asta in here with me tonight.
Nick Charles: [chuckles] Oh, yeah?
[throws Asta in the other bunk]

After the Thin Man (1936)

Nick Charles: Come on, let's get something to eat. I'm thirsty.

Nick Charles: You see, when it comes to words like that, an illiterate person...
Polly Byrnes: Whaddaya mean "illiterate"? My father and mother were married right here in the city hall!
Nick Charles: [Leans toward Nora] Having a good time, Mrs. Charles?
Nora Charles: It couldn't be better.

Nora Charles: Are you packing?
Nick Charles: Yes dear, I'm putting away this liquor.

[Last line, as Nick gapes at Nora knitting baby boots]
Nora Charles: And you call yourself a detective.

Another Thin Man (1939)

Nora Charles: I got rid of all those reporters.
Nick Charles: What did you tell them?
Nora Charles: We're out of scotch.
Nick Charles: What a gruesome idea.

Policeman with flashlight: We're going to have to shoot that mutt. We'll never find him like this.
Nick Charles: Wait a minute. He's not going to come running up to a lot of strange men with lights. What do you think he is? A moth?

Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)

Nora Charles: He's [ Little Nicky ] getting more like his father everyday.
Estrellita: He sure is. This morning he was playing with a corkscrew.

Nora Charles: Follow that car, quick!
Cab Driver: Yes, ma'am!
[Drives off after cab, leaving Nora and Molly on the sidewalk]

The Thin Man Goes Home (1945)

Nora Charles: Just imagine, four murders, all strangulations, no fingerprints, no clues. The police were baffled. All they had were four bodies. So what do they do? They dump the whole thing in Nick's lap. Nobody suspected Stinky, because he's been a cripple ever since some nitro went off while he was cracking a canister in Salt Lake. Everybody thought it was Rainbow Benny, but Nick knew that Rainbow was an expert with the shiv. Strangling was out of his line! Oh, smart Nick! Then they turned the heat on Slasher Martin who ran an dice joint down in China Town. But Slasher had an alibi with Squinty Burke and Studsy Green, so that took care of him. But all the time Nick was certain that Stinky Davis was the killer. Why? Because he had him pegged right away for a two timing double crossing rat! But the police listen to Nick? No! They told him it was a hophead theory, wild as loco buttons, because Stinky was a cripple and couldn't navigate. So Nick got the brushoff from the police. They cold-shouldered him right out. But did that stop him? No sir! He knew the case was hot and he was all set to start cooking on the front burner. He said: "Stinky, you're the two timing double crossing rat who strangled Knobs McClure and Reesy Joe and Horseface Dan and Denver Mike and then he turned his back on him. And the trick worked! Because Stinky got out of his chair and tried to strangle Nick with a piece of wire he had hidden in his mouth. But just in time, Nick turned around and gave him the old one-two and knocked Stinky colder than an ice flounder. Stinky wasn't a cripple at all! He was just using it to cover up his crimes. Now, what do you think of *that*?

Song of the Thin Man (1947)

Taxi Driver: Follow that car?
Nora Charles: Movie fan.
[ See Nora's line to Cab Driver in Shadow of the Thin Man (1941) above ]