All good things come to an end, and that proved true for the Thin Man movie franchise. After 13 years and six films, 1947’s Song of the Thin Man concludes the series.

Detectives and socialites Nick (William Powell) and Nora Charles (Myrna Loy) attend a gambling party on a boat. Despite the fun and frolic, tensions abound among some of those on the vessel.

This leads to the murder of bandleader Tommy Drake (Phillip Reed). N the aftermath of this event, Nick and Nora reluctantly agree to investigate the crime and find the killer.

Doesn’t that sum up the plots for all of the Thin Man movies? Nick and Nora socialize, someone dies, and they take on the case despite a lack of enthusiasm for this task.

Formulaic as the flicks can be, they still usually offer entertainment. This led me to hope Song would finish the series on a positive note.

And it does – to a degree, at least. While weaker than the best of the franchise, Song becomes a largely entertaining experience.

As usual, the easy charm between Loy and Powell helps keep us engaged. After all those years together, they enjoyed a casual chemistry that helps make the material enjoyable, even when the script may lack much oomph.

Powell and Loy get a boost from a fairly young Keenan Wynn as Clarence “Clinker” Krause, a hepcat jazz musician who abets Nick and Nora. In other hands, Clinker could easily turn into an annoyance, but Wynn imbues the part with enough wit and spark to avoid those pitfalls. He makes a throwaway role a highlight of the film.

Another future star, Dean Stockwell turns up as Nick and Nora’s son. Already a show biz veteran at the age of 11, Stockwell doesn’t add much to the project, but he doesn’t hurt it, and in retrospect, it proves fun to see him in the part.

Indeed, Stockwell takes part in one of the movie’s most amusing sequences, as we see how Nick reacts when implored to use corporal punishment on little Nicky. The scene ends oddly – how painful could it be to spank a kid with a newspaper through heavy jeans? – but Powell pulls off Nick’s reticence in a hilarious manner.

Song does emphasize comedy more than thriller, perhaps to a greater degree than most of the prior flicks, as a lot of the narrative just feels like an excuse for attempted laughs. Nonetheless, I never viewed the Thin Man movies as tight mysteries anyway, so a stronger orientation toward humor doesn’t bother me.

Fans of the Thin Man flicks seem unlikely to view Song as one of the series’ best, but it also lacks the problems with the least effective films. Nick and Nora didn’t go out at the top of their game, but Song nonetheless acts as a pleasant farewell.

Song of the Thin Man appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.37:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This became a pleasing presentation.

Although some minor softness interfered with a few wide shots, I thought that most of the film seemed well-defined. Despite a few slightly soft elements, the movie usually came across with nice delineation.

Moiré effects and jagged edges remained absent, and I saw no edge haloes or digital noise reduction. Print flaws failed to materialize.

Black levels appeared deep and rich, with some fine contrast throughout the film. I also found shadow detail to seem nicely clear and not too heavy. I felt happy with this strong transfer.

Though not as impressive, the movie’s DTS-HD MA monaural audio held up well. Dialogue was mildly thin but appeared relatively clear and distinct, with no edginess or concerns related to intelligibility.

Effects were similarly crisp and accurate and they showed little distortion. The music sounded smooth and appropriately bright, so whole it lacked much dynamic range, it showed acceptable clarity. For a film from 1947, this seemed like a successful soundtrack.

In addition to the film’s trailer, the disc includes two vintage shorts from 1947. We find the live-action A Really Important Person (10:50) as well as the animated Slap Happy Lion (7:26).

Person presents a young boy (Dean Stockwell) who writes an essay about a local notable – and winds up with text about his policeman father (Clancy Cooper). It seems sappy but fun in a sentimental way.

With Lion, the king of the jungle gets driven bonkers by a tough mouse. The Tex Avery-directed affair doesn’t dazzle but it comes with enough cleverness to work.

13 years after it debuted, the Thin Man franchise wound up with Song of the Thin Man. Though not a great entry in the series, Song offers enough light charm to become a likable effort. The Blu-ray boasts very good picture, appropriate audio and minor supplements. Thin Man fans will enjoy this engaging little mix of comedy and mystery.