Fast and Loose (1939)

People are voting emotionally.

i must have seen a different film!!

A Masterpiece!

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

"Fast and Loose" was one of the many husband and wife murder mysteries spawned by the success of "The Thin Man" franchise. Living up to its title at 80 minutes, this lighthearted contemporary M-G-M crime story featured a married couple forged in the mold of Nick and Nora Charles. Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell were ideally cast as an amusing couple of amateur detectives, Joel, and Garda Sloane, investigating the theft of the only existing excerpt of a genuine William Shakespeare manuscript valued at half-a-million dollars. At least three people die under mysterious circumstances because of this priceless manuscript. Since this is an M-G-M effort, the production values are glossy, the cast immaculate, with glamor in every department, particularly the villainous gambling entrepreneur. Indeed, everything is its proper place, and the amusing banter between Joel and Garda Sloane is more fun than the formulaic plot. Rare book dealer--and resident smart-aleck--Joel Sloane (Robert Montgomery of "The Lady in the Lake") is approached by a client, Christopher Oates (Etienne Girardot of "The Kennel Murder Case"), who wants him to buy a scrap of Shakespearean manuscript from a wealthy gentlemen desperately needing money. The economy of Edwin L. Marin's invisible direction is surpassed only by charisma of the two leads. Montgomery and Russell belong together. They have rhythm. Like traditional heroes and heroines, they don't blunder into this investigation from the get-go, they are desperate for work themselves. The office landlord has threatened to evict them if they don't pay up in ten days. Joel and Garda are in their office surrounded by book shelves bristling with valuable texts when she utters forbidden sentiments. "Too bad they abolished slavery, you'd bring a nice price," quips Garda flippantly. I'm surprised that comment didn't spark some controversy.You can tell "Fast and Loose" is an M-G-M film because even the police look like they have better salaries. Mind you, this murder mystery unfolds in a large house, and everybody here had been there when the murders were committed. Furthermore, this crime follows infighting among the wealthy Torrent family. Nicholas Torrent (Ralph Morgan of "Strange Interlude") suspects that his son, Gerald Torrent (Tom Collins of "The Secret of Dr. Kildare"), may be stealing his prized books from his collection and selling them to pay off his gambling debts to 'Lucky' Nolan. The father plans to cut his son out of his will because of his son's larcenous spree. Joel phones one of his close friends, Phil Sergeant (John Hubbard of "The Mummy's Tomb"), who works for Torrent, Phil gives Joel nothing. Everything kicks into gear after Joel's insurance agent friend Dave Hilliard (Alan Dinehart of "Hotel for Women") asks him to visit Torrent and snoop around for him. The agent shows Joel a rare hardback copy of a book that Hilliard's company obtained. Hilliard and company are suspicious about what is happening out at the Torrent estate. Joel Sloane isn't a defenseless amateur. He pulls some mighty slick moves, especially when he disarms Nolan in the gambling house. Garda ridicules Joel about his rush to heroism and wishes that he would refrain from it. You'll chuckle when you see what condition Joel is in at the close of "Fast and Loose." Even if the climactic payoff isn't as surprising as it is, "Land of the Pharaohs" scenarist Harry Kurnitz parcels out the appropriate scenes in agreeable order. Light comedy is the order of the day. Indeed, Kurnitz would later pen the stage play "A Shot in the Dark" that would become the basis for an Inspector Clouseau comedy. Anyway, Garda needles her impetuous husband about what happened when he got in the way of a crime investigation. We learn that Joel was shot in the buttocks. Garda wiggles a finger through the bullet hole as she holds up his pants and reminds him how painful the aftermath was with an inflatable donut tube. When Joel and Garda aren't picking at each other, Joel interferes with Nolan's dame, Bobby Neville (Joan Marsh of "Anna Karenina"), to question her about her presence at the house. Harry Kurnitz provides swell dialogue, interesting characters, but the revelation about the villain's identity isn't startling. This individual was fairly smart, but like all villains tripped himself up in the long run. "Fast and Loose" doesn't wear out it welcome.

Brush up your Shakespeare, 'cause you may need it for clues in solving this murder involving original Shakespeare manuscripts replaced by phonies. Well, MGM thought its original stars of the first entry in this three part series to be phonies, too, and out were Melvyn Douglas and Florence Rice, and in were Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell. Roz's addition was fine, but Montgomery seems slightly out of his element replacing Douglas. He's great in romantic comedy or drama and even in action, but after terrorizing Roz in "Night Must Fall", seems to be a desperate choice. The chemistry might have worked had Douglas been back, but he got Garbo that year, so he didn't loose in the deal. There is a bit more intrigue here, including an attempt to kill the couple in a car accident which ends up being played for laughs. Etienne Girardot is amusing as a little sprout of a man whom Montgomery orders to keep an eye on Roz. Other than the typical MGM gloss, there is nothing really remarkable about this, which comes as a major disappointment considering the talent involved. Russell gets a few opportunities to show off her comedic skills but is lost amidst the many convoluted plot twists which may make you lose attention and miss important clues in order to solve the crime. Something is definitely rotten in this state of confusion!

Here's the story of the entertainment industry; if something works then copy it. What was working back in the 30's was The Thin Man, the very popular series with William Powell and Myrna Loy. So, every other studio including the poverty row ones cranked out clones featuring husband and wife teams solving mysteries. The best of these, in my opinion were the three films featuring book seller and part-time detective Joel Sloane and his wife Garda. Each of the three films featured a different set of actors playing the Sloanes. The first film, "Fast Company" starred Melvyn Douglas and Florence Rice followed by this film with Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell. The last of the films, "Fast and Furious" had Franchot Tone and Ann Sothern. I like all three films, but this one is my favorite probably because I really like Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell, but also because the supporting cast was also good displaying the talents of Reginald Owen and Sidney Blackmer. It's also a good story and nice mystery with some great comic relief. The chemistry between Montgomery and Russell seemed genuine to me and unlike one other reviewer I thought Mongomery transitioned well between the comedy and action elements of the story. Any comparison between this film and the disappointing Lord Peter Wimsey story "Haunted Honeymoon" is way off base. Again, I like all three of the films and would recommend them to anyone who enjoys the mystery films from this era. I've watched this one many times and continue to find it funny and entertaining with each viewing. This may not match the best of the Thin Man movies, but it's far better than a couple of the weaker entries.

It's a good thing Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell were the stars of "Fast and Loose," otherwise, there would be nothing to recommend it. They are wonderful as a sort of penniless Nick and Nora hot on the trail of a stolen Shakespearian manuscript. I found it a little hard to follow as far as who killed whom and why.Both actors were excellent at both comedy and drama, and in fact, right before seeing this, I saw them in "Night Must Fall." What a difference! And really, it is a tribute to the talent of both that they could do such different types of films so easily.I wish they'd had a better script to work with. This film is too long and too confusing. But if you want to see two masters at work, by all means, check it out.