A toast to the distinguished detective duo!

About Skippy (who plays Asta)

Asta is the charming wire‐haired fox terrier companion of Nick and Nora Charles in the 1934 film The Thin Man.

In the story, Asta serves not only as a beloved pet—tugging Nick around on his leash, hiding under furniture at the first hint of danger, and even “sniffing out” clues (Nick quips, “Asta, you’re not a terrier, you’re a police dog”)—but also as comic relief and a symbol of the couple’s playful, affection-filled partnership. Following the success of the original movie, Asta appears in the five theatrical sequels (After the Thin Man, Another Thin Man, Shadow of the Thin Man, The Thin Man Goes Home, Song of the Thin Man) and on the 1950s television series, cementing his place in the franchise’s legacy.

Interestingly, Dashiell Hammett’s original novel featured Asta as a female miniature schnauzer—but when MGM adapted the story for the screen, they cast a male Wire Fox Terrier named Skippy, whose natural expressiveness and trainability made him an instant star.

Skippy (c. 1931–1951)

was far more than a “bit player.” Trained by Henry and Gale East (with additional coaching from the famed Weatherwax family), he began film work around age one and debuted in 1932. By the time he starred as Asta, Skippy commanded a remarkable $250/week—more than many human actors in his day—and went on to appear in dozens of 1930s comedies including Bringing Up Baby (1938) and The Awful Truth (1937). Renowned for his intelligence, Skippy could follow both verbal commands and subtle hand signals, even “faking” a drink of water on cue when producers needed multiple takes.

Thanks to Skippy’s memorable performances, “Asta” became synonymous with clever canine sidekicks in popular culture—the name still crops up as crosswordese (“Thin Man dog”) and in retrospectives on Hollywood’s greatest animal actors. His impact endures whenever Nick, Nora, and that endearing terrier’s antics bring a smile to viewers nearly a century later.

Sources:

Asta’s favourite toy: the mini hydrant!

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