Nick and Nora Charles: a couple rarely heard of in modern times, but an important one in film history.

Nick (William Powell) and Nora (Myrna Loy) are a fictional married couple in The Thin Man series. The series began with The Thin Man (1934), introducing the Charles's to the world and changing the way moviegoers viewed marriage.

The film is a comedic mystery: Nick is a retired private detective thrown back into his work when a mysterious case comes up that begs for his attention. Nora is an heiress who often helps Nick with his crime-solving work. Asta, their wire-haired fox terrier, is their loyal (and adorable) companion.

Nick and Nora exude charm, class, and wit right from the beginning of the series:

They flirt like a couple of kids and exchange witty banter in just about every sentence.

"You've got types?"
"Only you, darling. Lanky brunettes with wicked jaws."

Nora wrinkles up her nose at Nick at one point and their exchange is so cute.

Nick often calls Nora "sugah." I swear, only William Powell could make that word sound so sweet and sexy. Oh, and of course they poke and prod at each other:

Although I don't really drink alcohol, I admire the way Nick and Nora carry around martinis all the time. They look so classy. The Thin Man is the reason why I think the martini is the classiest drink around.

Here are a handful of scenes which just begin to sum up their marriage:

As a classic film buff, I have watched countless romantic films from all kinds of eras and all kinds of genres. The relationships onscreen vary, of course. Like other people, I'm drawn into some love stories more strongly than others. The love stories that have drawn me in, tend to leave a great impact on me.

Standards begin to rise dramatically, in most cases.

Life isn't the movies, but movies often reflect life. I'd like to one day enter into a marriage kind of like Nick and Nora's. It doesn't need to be exactly like it; what fun would that be to be so unoriginal? But seeing these two on screen even revolutionized the way I see marriage. It's inspirational.

Really, Nick Charles is quite a standard to live up to. Marriage needs to be taken seriously, but in my opinion, it should be every bit as fun, too. Flirting isn't just for talking to your crush. Flirting is forever.

Nick and Nora Charles forever. Thanks for the inspiration, you two.