User reviews

This is the second installment of a series created by Harry Kurnitz from his book "Fast Company," featuring a husband and wife team, Joel and Garda Sloane, rare book dealers who were amateur detectives. The first outing was "Fast Company" starring Melvyn Douglas and Florence Rice. "Fast and Loose" came next. Then the Sloane's misadventures came to a screeching halt with "Fast and Furious" featuring Franchot Tone and Ann Sothern." One reason for the demise was the rapid turnover in the lead roles with different actors playing Joel and Garda in each film. A common thread for all three was the writing of Harry Kurnitz which accounts for the similarities in dialog and story structures.

True, the series may remind viewers of Nick and Nora Charles but in reality there are many husband and wife flicks from the period that were somewhat patterned after the successful and popular "The Thin Man." These three films can stand on their own without such comparisons being necessary. Of the three, the first "Fast Company" is possibly the best with Douglas and Rice making a fine pair of sleuths. But the other two have merits of their own.

Robert Montgomery and the indomitable Rosalind Russell interact well with each other. The story about a forged Shakespeare which leads to murder with a whole gallery of suspects isn't always easy to follow but it's worth the time and effort. Montgomery and Russell share many a witty line and comeback, not quite as fast, nor as cutting, as the repartee between Russell and Cary Grant in "His Girl Friday" which was released the following year but still enough gibes to keep all fast and loose. There is also a running joke that carries on to the end involving a donut cushion from a previous case when Joel Slaone was shot in the tush.

The title is apt for the script and direction which are fast and loose. Not on a par with "The Thin Man," but still an entertaining piece of fluff.

During the 1930s and 40s, MGM produced many successful "Thin Man" movies starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. They were wonderful little mystery films with a very strong emphasis on humor and the banter between the two leads. Here, MGM tries to make the formula pay off again, but this time with Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell in the leads. In so many ways the film was this old formula all over again, but somehow despite their best efforts the two leads just don't make it work as well as Powell and Loy--partly because the Thin Man films are so good it's hard to match them and partly because the script just isn't as good as the Thin Man scripts--it's just too complex and not all that interesting. Still, considering the Russell and Montgomery still are wonderful actors, the film pays off well enough to recommend it. I especially liked Montgomery's easy-going manner, though unfortunately the usually strong characters Russell plays aren't as evident here and she's rather over-shadowed by Montgomery.

So overall, it's not a bad little film--just don't expect the magic of Nick and Nora Charles.

Serviceable part-time-detective story set in the world of rare-book collecting and presented in the Thin Man style. (The writer, Harry Kurnitz, later contributed to the 4th and 5th Thin Man movies.)

Points for premise and some good one-liners ("I request the pleasure of your absence"); unfortunately, the leads wear their roles with all the comfort of sackcloth. Robert Montgomery's transitions between lighthearted husband and tough-guy sleuth are awkward -- like he was just rehearsing to be Lord Peter Wimsey in "Haunted Honeymoon" a year later -- and the usually superior Rosalind Russell as a "wifey" isn't sharp enough for the Nora Charles league.

Otherwise, it's an OK way to kill some time on a rainy afternoon ... but I wouldn't waste 1.5 hours of videotape to watch it later.

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.

I love the films with Robert Montgomery. There was no one better at light comedy roles. And Roz was no slouch either. That's why this picture was so disappointing.

This picture is about two murders and 40 minutes too long. Don't try to keep up with who killed whom and why-you'll get a headache! Normally with a 30's whodunit you wouldn't expect to keep up with the plot twists. But here they just bog down the lifeless story more. It's dull and formulaic. Only the charm, wit and affection of the stars make this watchable at all.

But still, I'm not sorry I saw It-because as a film "buff," I wouldn't have believed otherwise that Montgomery and Roz had made such a stinker!

Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell just fit their roles as Joel and Garda Sloane, witty rare book dealers who dabble in detective work on the side. The book business is apparently not that good— Montgomery wishes that somebody would steal a lot of rare books so he could recover them and get the reward. Also, detective work is a lot more fun than book selling.

The plot, which gets rolling quickly, involves a Shakespeare manuscript and a Paradise Lost first edition, as well as a rival book dealer, an absent-minded client, and some family intrigue. As Russell sums up neatly at one point: "What a spot for that girl. Her father murdered and her brother and her sweetheart probably all mixed up in it." It's fairly complicated but the story moves along plenty fast enough that we don't have much time to wonder whether it makes sense.

The banter between Montgomery and Russell is the picture's main attraction, and both stars are appealing and funny. The supporting cast is also good and features such familiar faces as Reginald Owen and Ralph Morgan.

It's no masterpiece but never boring for a minute; it's certainly a solid entry in the husband-and-wife-amateur-detectives genre.

Comedy/murder-mystery with a plot that's a bit rambling, but the action is considerably boosted up by the smart, snappy patter and chemistry between the two leads, Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell. They play a husband/wife duo who own a rare book business, sleep in twin beds, and soon get themselves mixed up with a house full of murder, intrigue, and the constant back and forth of characters appearing in satin robes or satin gowns as our couple plays detective to try and find out who is behind the mystery of a forged Shakespeare manuscript.

This film is fun, though the plot is sort of hard to follow, and there are too many boring side characters that don't really add anything to the mix. But - Rosalind Russell is smart and funny, as usual, and gets to appear in lots of gorgeous dresses and gowns, as usual. Robert Montgomery, well, is just so darn charming and attractive, how can he miss (okay, I admit I have a crush - I'm afraid my feelings about this film may have been altered based on the fact I'm still swooning over him). Mediocre story, but nicely played by the two leads who really seemed like a married couple to me (I thought it was cute when she tied a little ribbon into a bow around a strand of his thinning hair).

Quick-witted rare book seller couple Joel and Garda Sloane occasionally dabbles in the dangerous world of detectives. Absent-minded Mr. Oates tells them that cash-strapped Nicholas Torrent is looking to sell a rare scrap of a William Shakespeare manuscript. They track down Nicholas for Oates and they uncover a mystery of missing books.

A fast talking couple solving mysteries is almost a genre of its own with William Powell and Myrna Loy as the movies gained sound. This is a sequel to a movie from a year earlier although that one stars two different actors. The mystery genre owes a lot to Agatha Christie. In many ways, it's a copy of a copy, a sequel to a follower. I hate to say it but it reminds me a lot of all the Lifetime mystery solving people whether they're book sellers, gardeners, or bakers. The quick retorts have moments of almost humor. I don't mind the leads although I don't see how people can develop attachments to a constant rotation of actors for the same roles. I would rather have more of the rapid fire dialogue between the married couple than the slow moving mystery.

'Fast Company' (already reviewed a few months back), 'Fast and Loose' and 'Fast and Furious' have been inevitably been compared to the generally superior Thin Man film series, also featuring husband and wife sleuths and mixing comedy and mystery with some of the biggest stars at that point in film history. Of the three 'Fast...' films, my personal favourite is 'Fast Company', which fared the best at balancing comedy and mystery and has the most eventful and most cohesive story although the two leads' chemistry is better here in 'Fast and Loose'.

The second film 1939's 'Fast and Loose' is a fun and inoffensive enough entry in the series but despite preferring the chemistry here and the female lead is superior here, as said already comedy and mystery were balanced better in comedy and mystery and did prefer the story in 'Fast Company'. Not that those elements were done badly here in 'Fast and Loose', just that they were done better before. This is a very watchable film if not a must watch.

Will begin with what is good. Fred MacMurray is charming and commands the screen very well, with strong comic timing. Rosalind Russell is even better when it comes to the comic delivery, never looks ill at ease, looks great and very easy to like, to me she has more presence here than Florence Rice did in 'Fast Company'. They have a very endearing and witty chemistry together that really helps lift the film, of all the 'Fast...' films this is the film for me that had the most spark between its two leads. It is slickly directed and the supporting cast do well, the standout being Etienne Giradot.

Generally the script is snappy and sophisticated enough and the story does intrigues. The production values are slick and have some elegance and William Axt's score has some moodiness and light-hearted edge.

At times though, the film could have gone at a tighter pace and could have been shorter as there isn't enough plot structurally to sustain the film. There are also a few too many twists and characters which made it not always easy to follow, parts are downright confusing. The ending seemed rushed and could have been a little more suspenseful.

Not all the characters seemed necessary to the story and seemed there to pad things out.

Decent film overall but not great. It does well in the comedy and falls a little short when it came to the mystery. 6/10

Neither ROBERT MONTGOMERY nor ROSALIND RUSSELL can do much to raise this above an average Nick and Nora type of mystery as they try to solve a crime involving a stolen Shakespearean manuscript worth a fortune. Montgomery and Russell are both adept at this sort of comedy and make an excellent pair in the leads, so different than the roles they played in NIGHT MUST FALL.

The wealthy household where the first murder takes place is full of suspects, including RALPH MORGAN, JOHN HOWARD, REGINALD OWEN, ALAN DINEHART and TOM COLLINS. SIDNEY BLACKMER does a nice job as a crooked gambling house owner.

With Montgomery and Russell as the husband and wife team, the accent is more on comedy than mystery when Ralph Morgan is found murdered near the open vault in his library. As Montgomery investigates, there are plenty of red herrings that seem to plant suspicion on every member of the household.

Despite all the A production trappings, there's no way this can be considered anything more than a mildly entertaining programmer.

"Fast and Loose" is a pleasant surprise. It is a well written who done it. I like the character portrayed by Robert Montgomery a part time investigator named Sloan. The role of Sloans wife is aptly played by Rosalind Russell who ' helps' her husband in his case solving endeavors. The cast is full of veteran character actors such as the venerable Ian Wolfe who can be seen in some Rathbone / Bruce type Sherlock Holmes films of the '40's. The fact that this mystery movie was written well enough to keep you guessing till the very end adds to it's charm. The setting of social muckity - mucks adds a nice flavor to the film also. In 1939, when this film was released, many landmark films crossed the silver screen. That same year Tyrone Power made an appearance as Zorro. Rathbone and Bruce started the Holmes series. As for classic mystery movies I think "Fast and Loose" was made in the right year. The film is not available on DVD, yet. It may never be. If I see it aired on TV again I WILL copy it for my archives. It is worth seeing again.

Rare book dealers Robert Montgomery and wife Rosalind Russell are called by an insurance company to investigate the theft of a Shakespeare manuscripts. A couple of corpses pile up.

MGM produced three movies in this series in 1938 and 1939; this was the second. They were intended to fill the gaps between Thin Man movies. Each featured a different couple in the lead roles. This one includes the usual cast of fine supporting players, including Ralph Morgan, Etienne Giradot, Alan Dinehart, Joan Marsh, Sidney Blackmuir, and Ian Wolfe; MGM had a lot of actors on the payroll and they liked to use them. That explains the leads here. Montgomery's star had faded a bit since the early 1930s, and MGM viewed Miss Russell primarily as someone to keep Myrna Loy under control. Montgomery gives a very good performance, but Miss Russell is excellent, as close to a screwball character as MGM had. It would not be until the next year, when she would really burst loose with HIS GIRL FRIDAY. In the meantime, this is another good programmer.

My second and surprisingly my least favorite of MGM's "Fast" Trilogy based on the popular Marco Page (pseudonym for Harry Kurnitz) Book. I say surprisingly because I truly love both Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell, who play our leads Joel and Garda. I would have thought they would be my favorite of the three couples to play Joel and Garda, our married Rare Book Dealers turned detectives who have a very banter and alcohol-filled marriage ala Nick and Nora of The Thin Man fame. This script/film was the driest of the three films with the least amount of humor and witty dialogue, but what was really a miss was the fact that Montgomery and Russell seemed to have no chemistry. Rosalind Russell actually seemed miscast in this role. There are still some funny lines and it is probably still worthy of a watching as Joel and Garda somehow get roped in to helping solve a murder yet again. Fast Company and Fast and Furious are the better films in my opinion.

Enjoyed this gem of an old film from the past with Robert Montgomery,(Joel Sloane) who deals with rare books and his business is rather slow and he is in need of trying to sell some of his rare books. Joel is married to his wife, Garda Sloane, (Rosalind Russell) and has to sleep in separate beds because of the Moral Code established in the 1930's. Joel finds a client who is interested in obtaining a very valuable manuscript of Shakespeare and needs Joel's assistance in this matter. This film then proceeds to become a mystery with Joel becoming a detective something like the "Thin Man Films" with William Powell and Myra Loy.

With Fast And Loose, it looks like MGM was trying to create another Thin Man type series with a husband and wife mystery solvers. Robert Montgomery plays Joel Sloane an expert on forgery of all kind who dabbles in detective work and Rosalind Russell plays the helpful wife. She's as helpful to Montgomery as Myrna Loy was to Willam Powell.

In this case Montgomery is called in to authenticate the sale of a rare Shakespeare manuscript that Ralph Morgan owns. Only Morgan turns up dead and his son and Montgomery's friend is looking good for it. Naturally it isn't him, but Montgomery has a lot of suspects just as there are in any Thin Man film.

In the supporting cast best in it is Joan Marsh who plays gambler Sidney Blackmer's moll. Her performance has some real zip to it and she dominates every scene she's in.

Though Montgomery and Russell were good I guess the movie going public created no great demand for a sequel.

"Fast and Loose" is the second of three films in a short series MGM made about Joel and Garda Sloane, dealers of rare books and sometimes detectives related to such. The first one, "Fast Company" of 1938 starred Melvyn Douglas and Florence Rice, and was a very good comedy crime flick. But this one, with Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell can't hold a candle to the original, and surely doesn't live up to its billing.

This is a typical case of Hollywood ballyhoo in promoting a film. The trailer shows a couple of action scenes and reads across the film, "Faster than Fast Company - and twice as Funny." Since there is a short car chase and accident, and much switching between scenes, I'll grant that this one is faster than the first film. But for comedy it's close to a dud.

Robert Montgomery was a leading man in many romance films of his time, but his smirkish persona didn't always work for comedy -- as in this film. Here, that character aspect tends to deflate the occasional clever or funny line he has . The script doesn't have much to start with, but what comedy it does have is provided mostly by Rosalind Russell and Etienne Girardot as Mr. Oataes. They save this filrm from being a ho-hmmer.

Here are the best few lines that pass for comedy.

Garda Sloane, "Joel! Joel! The phone is ringing." Joel Sloane, "Well, what'd you expect it to do - sing?"

Garda Sloane, "I don't want you getting into trouble. I worry when somebody shoots you. The first thng you know, I'll have curls under my eyes."

Garda Sloane. "And when that didn't work, they lit matches to my butt, and then they tried the Chinese water torture." Joel Sloane, "You know, darling, you haven't visited your mother in a long time."

Christopher Oates, "Money is no, no.." Joel Sloane, "Object." Mr. Oates, "Uh, right. Spare no expense, Joel. Leave no stone, uh, no stone, uh..." Garda Sloane, "Unturned." Mr. Oates, "Thank you."

Garda Sloane, "You get some rest, dear. My husband may not look very bright, but he's really very good at this sort of thing."

Why MGM decided to waste the premiere talents of Rosalind Russell, Robert Montgomery & Reginald Owen is a bigger mystery than the movie itself. The attempt to copy the snappy, chic repartee of Nick & Nora falls very short. Mr & Mrs Smith or His Girl Friday this is not. The pulp fiction author was no Dashiell Hamett & director's best effort was the 1938 production of A Christmas Carol, starring Owen. He spent most of his remaining career directing B movies & ending with formula westerns. Also in 1939 Russell could be seen as the "catty" Sylvia Fowler in the classic, unforgettable "The Women." Being under contract to the movie studios was not necessarily a good thing.

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.

One of several films Robert Montgomery did with Rosalind Russell; they're a chummy couple, they interact well on-screen, but this is one of their weaker efforts. A book expert plays part-time sleuth when a handwritten manuscript by Shakespeare is stolen; his wife inadvertently helps. Some smart jabs at the economy (circa 1939) and the playful repartee between Montgomery and Russell make this watchable, but nothing more. The scenario is too cluttered with suspects, and no one in the large supporting cast makes much of an impression (except possibly Sidney Blackmer playing a sinister gambling czar, his steely eyes just as chilly here as in 1968's "Rosemary's Baby"). Hectic, somehow tolerable, yet imminently forgettable. ** from ****

This minor sleuth drama features Robert Mongomery and Rosalind Russell, two distinctly B actors, in a whodunnit about rare books being stolen from a private library; not exactly earth-shattering stuff. The film is watchable for the book angle, but that's it.

Sixth and final film with Montgomery and Russell. Kind of a Thin Man knockoff, but both were from MGM, so no-one's going to complain. Robert Montgomery is Joel, married to Garda (Rosalind Russell). Joel is hired on to figure out why books from a rich guy's collection are mysteriously appearing on the street, and no-one is reporting them missing. Keep an eye out for Ralph Morgan, as Nick Torrent, owner of the collection. You probably know Morgan's BROTHER, Frank, who was busy making Wizard of Oz, around the same time! Sound and picture are pretty good...looks like it has already been restored. You'll see the same recipe they used in Thin Man... clever but antagonistic banter between hubby and his feisty wife, and they slowly but steadily try to solve the mystery at hand. Reginald Owen is "Charlton", probably best known as the cult leader in Rosemary's Baby. Étienne Girardot is the nervous, little twitchy guy, "Oates", who seems to be mixed up in here, somehow. Girardot was already 82, and he died soon after this came out. some good chemistry between Monty and Russell, who had already worked together so many times. It's fun. shows on Turner Classics here and there.