Strange Affair

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.

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.

Allyn Joslyn is fairly insufferable playing a cartoonist who continually annoys the local police while butting into their cases; as his better half, Evelyn Keyes yips and yelps with cartoonish abandon, trying to make something light and cute out of this script. Based on Oscar Saul's story "Stalk the Hunter", four screenwriters (Saul included) manage to turn this comedic murder mystery into a flighty "Thin Man" derivative (the opening sequence typifies the rest: a cute visual followed by outright silliness). Plot has a doctor poisoned at a social gathering, with another doctor the prime suspect. As usual, the law is always three steps behind the snooping marrieds, and the one-liners alternate between amusing and ridiculous. *1/2 from ****

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.