Word: asta
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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Among others there are Sir Storrington Thirst ("he had a habit of laying his hands upon you"); mannish Asta Thundersley (she collects paintings of "tumors wearing spectacles, wombs in aspic, ulcers in floral hats"); The Tiger Fitzpatrick, spavined prizefighter ("all I want is a chance at this so-called Braddock"); Mothmar Acord ("a dish-shaped face, discolored by oriental suns and high fevers") ; Sinclair Wensday ("a cocaine personality . . . tall and popular . . . Galahad gone to the devil"). At his best Author Kersh writes like a comic Soho Gorki, drawing wicked, lively sketches of the barflies, pimps, fairies and phonies of London...
...Chaplin, Asta Featured...
...expert hand at this sort of thing, has done it four times before. This time he once more has the able help of his original partner, lynx-eyed Myrna Loy, back in films after four years' absence. There is also, of course, the bottlebrushy terrier Asta, who must, unless like Hitler he is two other dogs, richly qualify by now for M.G.M.'s munificent old-age benefits. The fifth time around, the three of them still guarantee a pleasant excuse for putting off household repairs and serious reading...
...Shadow, the same couple, Nick & Nora Charles (William Powell & Myrna Loy), are still married, still in love, but the pace, bounce, snappy dialogue, the old fillip of murder and of amiable dipsomania have given way to resigned indigestion and middle age. Even Asta, their renowned beerhound who suffers nervous breakdowns, can pass a fire hydrant now without so much as an inquiring sniff...
Myrna Loy blinks sweetly through hell and high water, and if she isn't completely oblivious to what's going on, she is well on her way. Asta, the poor man's Rin-Tin-Tin, is back again, but to most moviegoers his cute trick of looking for stray fire-hydrants is about as worn out as the hydrants must be by this time...