zardoz-13 "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.

whpratt1 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.

MartinHafer 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.

krorie 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.