For this Madison’s Musings I’m interviewing Lara Kristine Elliott, the actress who plays Nora Charles in our episode of “The Adventures of the Thin Man.”
First I have to say, I had never heard of “The Thin Man” before! Criminal, I know. But even though I’ve been listening to OTR for over 20 years, the pool of shows I’ve listened to is pretty small compared to all that are out there. (and I’ve listened to “Gunsmoke” and “Dragnet” twice… that’s approximately 800 episodes… twice!). I wanted to do a show where the male and female characters were partners rather than the female being the “Girl Friday” supporting role. When I started talking to Lara about which show to do, she immediately suggested “The Thin Man.” When I looked into the show, I found a great quote by Phyllis Kirk, who played Nora on the half-hour TV version of “The Thin Man” in the 50s. She said, “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.” Boy does THAT still resonate today. Well, let’s see what resonated with Lara about “The Adventures of the Thin Man.”
Lara, tell us about your love of “The Thin Man”
Well, I am a gargantuan fan of mysteries, especially mysteries with comedy! I was introduced in a round-about way to TTM through my all time favorite mystery movie, “Murder By Death” (by Blake Edwards), which is a spoof of the most famous detectives in literature and movies. I didn’t know who “Dick and Dora Charleston” (played by David Niven and Maggie Smith) were a spoof of, but I was completely enthralled! Once I figured out who they were it opened up a WHOLE new repertoire of movie, radio, and TV delights I have been bingeing on since!! I just LOVE, love, love the wit the two characters have with each other and the glamour of the 30s and 40s!
Do you have a favorite movie or episode (radio or TV) of the show? Why does that one resonate with you?
Well, first of all I love the movies! I am a costumer as well and the visual eye-candy of the fashion and Art Nouveau and Art Deco sprinkled everywhere left over from the 20s makes me tingle!! I can’t really say I have a favorite, though, because I get so giddy with glee when I watch each one (so many, many times!) But… I CAN tell you I do remember squeeeeeing a lot more in “After the Thin Man” because Asta (their uber adorable Wire Hair Fox Terrier, which btw, is another reason I ADORE the TTM movies) gets his own sub-plot!! And there are PUPPIES!!! OMG!!! I just want to GLOMP them all SO BADLY!!! *SQUEEEE*
What was it like voicing Nora in our episode?
Dream come true.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I still can’t fathom how two lushes can be so inherently brilliant when rarely sober! At least on Nick’s part. I think the radio loses a lot of that silliness… but it makes up for it in the added mystery and dialogue! I still think I will make a great Asta as well as Nora.
That is a good point. Many of these radio shows were also movies and then adapted later for television. While there are plusses and minuses for each medium, great characters and engaging stories are what keep us hooked. Thanks for musing with us, Lara!
