Il manoscritto scomparso

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.

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.

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.

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.