Excellent adaptation.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

I don't know why M-G-M decided to exchange Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell for the amazingly successful team of Melvyn Douglas and Florence Rice who debuted as Joel and Garda Sloane in 1938's Fast Company. Mind you, Robert and Rosalind actually do very good jobs, although the chance to act in a superior screenplay – which is actually even more exciting than the original – helps too. Also of immense assistance here is a really outstanding support cast led by Sidney Blackmer as the evil, stop-at-nothing "Lucky" Nolan – no, I'm not giving away an essential plot twist. Lucky's just one of the suspects so far as the main murder is concerned. Also tops in the support cast are Jo Ann Sayers as Christina, Joan Marsh as Bobby, and Tom Collins as Gerald. I know these are not household names, but it goes to show what an enormous pool of talent was hanging around Hollywood in 1939 (often described as Hollywood's greatest year). And I can't leave off praising the acting without mentioning Etienne Girardot who is absolutely priceless in the role of Christopher Oates. This one was produced on a bigger budget than Fast Company and is well directed by the usually unexciting Edwin L. Marin, who never surpassed A Study in Scarlet (his second film); but this entry comes close! Available on an excellent Warner Archive DVD.

Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell take up the roles that Melvyn Douglas and Florence Rice had in "Fast Company" (made just one year earlier), and although they do a thoroughly professional job of it, I felt that the relationship portrayed by Douglas and Rice was a tad sweeter; in "Fast And Loose", there is a little too much "Go out now darling, I have to take care of business all by myself" attitude by the husband. Nonetheless, there are some funny moments (the perfume, the closing gag, etc). The mystery itself is thicker than that of the first film and demands your full attention if you want to keep up with all the different characters. The film feels a bit drawn-out at times, however the ending does provide a jolt! **1/2 out of 4.

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.

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.