Review of Fast and Loose

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!