Strange Affair

This is the worse representation of women I have seen in a long time. Allyn does a terrible job. It is not funny just stupid. I would not recommend this to anyone.

Another in a line of successful comedy/mysteries for Columbia's B-film assembly, starring EVELYN KEYES and ALLYN JOSLYN who get into all kinds of silly business while trying to solve a doctor's murder.

All of it is played for humorous effects and some of it actually works pretty well. Keyes is pert and vivacious as a frisky blonde who is always trailing behind hubby Joslyn (lucky for him) and helps nab the culprits just before the wind-up.

MARGUERITE CHAPMAN does nicely as a sophisticated femme fatale and SHEMP HOWARD has a brief comic routine as a laundry truck driver. HUGO HAAS has a pivotal role as a doorman friend of Joslyn.

It passes the time, a programmer that played the lower half of double bills in the '40s. Keyes almost overdoes the many farcical turns of her role but manages to be charming nevertheless, giving her role the light touch it needs and Joslyn is in fine style as her long-suffering husband.

This was not a good attempt at recreating the success of The Thin Man series. Most of the stars from me are for Evelyn Keyes, who did a great job whenever she was on screen. Sadly, when she was not on screen the movie really had nothing going for it. Her physical comedy was great to watch, and she held nothing back in 'selling' her character. The three actors playing police clearly had a hard time holding on to her, when she was beating them senseless at the police station. The movie was short, and otherwise harmless enough, to watch once for one good performance. But then I do like the period movies.

To fully appreciate the brilliant chemistry of Powell and Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, just watch any of the myriad wannabes like this one. They try; some come close; but nobody did it better.

Joslyn and Keyes try almost too hard in a script that's above average for the array of aspirants. It's also fun to see Shemp Howard used so effectively in the early going. Nice try, but easy to see why these characters didn't warrant sequels.

I haven't actually done any research on this, but I get a sneaky feeling that Strange Affair was an attempt by another studio (Columbia in this case) to cash-in on the success of The Thin Man series. You can't help but notice the similarities - a fairly wealthy, thoroughly urban couple with modern (for its time) sensibilities gets mixed-up in solving a murder. Even the couple's banter and playful jealousy is straight out of the Nick and Nora playbook. Allyn Joslyn and Evelyn Keyes are fine as the would-be sleuths, but William Powell and Myrna Loy they aren't. Joslyn and Keys just don't have the same chemistry that Powell and Loy had.

As for the rest of the film, the murder is okay, but nothing spectacular. It's pretty much impossible to play along with other than the old adage about the least suspicious person being the killer. The comedy can be hit or miss, with the scenes involving Joslyn acting as the doorman being among my favorite. The movie looks great, but most Columbia pictures from the 40s do. The supporting cast is fine. I always love seeing Shemp Howard pop-up in the most unlikely of places. He does a great bit involving counting shirts for the laundry.

As much as I'd like to rate Strange Affair higher, it's really only about average as far as entertainment value goes. Joslyn and Keyes give it their all, but are let down by a fairly routine script.

5/10