Il manoscritto scomparso

Comedy/murder-mystery with a plot that's a bit rambling, but the action is considerably boosted up by the smart, snappy patter and chemistry between the two leads, Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell. They play a husband/wife duo who own a rare book business, sleep in twin beds, and soon get themselves mixed up with a house full of murder, intrigue, and the constant back and forth of characters appearing in satin robes or satin gowns as our couple plays detective to try and find out who is behind the mystery of a forged Shakespeare manuscript.

This film is fun, though the plot is sort of hard to follow, and there are too many boring side characters that don't really add anything to the mix. But - Rosalind Russell is smart and funny, as usual, and gets to appear in lots of gorgeous dresses and gowns, as usual. Robert Montgomery, well, is just so darn charming and attractive, how can he miss (okay, I admit I have a crush - I'm afraid my feelings about this film may have been altered based on the fact I'm still swooning over him). Mediocre story, but nicely played by the two leads who really seemed like a married couple to me (I thought it was cute when she tied a little ribbon into a bow around a strand of his thinning hair).

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.

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.

'Fast Company' (already reviewed a few months back), 'Fast and Loose' and 'Fast and Furious' have been inevitably been compared to the generally superior Thin Man film series, also featuring husband and wife sleuths and mixing comedy and mystery with some of the biggest stars at that point in film history. Of the three 'Fast...' films, my personal favourite is 'Fast Company', which fared the best at balancing comedy and mystery and has the most eventful and most cohesive story although the two leads' chemistry is better here in 'Fast and Loose'.

The second film 1939's 'Fast and Loose' is a fun and inoffensive enough entry in the series but despite preferring the chemistry here and the female lead is superior here, as said already comedy and mystery were balanced better in comedy and mystery and did prefer the story in 'Fast Company'. Not that those elements were done badly here in 'Fast and Loose', just that they were done better before. This is a very watchable film if not a must watch.

Will begin with what is good. Fred MacMurray is charming and commands the screen very well, with strong comic timing. Rosalind Russell is even better when it comes to the comic delivery, never looks ill at ease, looks great and very easy to like, to me she has more presence here than Florence Rice did in 'Fast Company'. They have a very endearing and witty chemistry together that really helps lift the film, of all the 'Fast...' films this is the film for me that had the most spark between its two leads. It is slickly directed and the supporting cast do well, the standout being Etienne Giradot.

Generally the script is snappy and sophisticated enough and the story does intrigues. The production values are slick and have some elegance and William Axt's score has some moodiness and light-hearted edge.

At times though, the film could have gone at a tighter pace and could have been shorter as there isn't enough plot structurally to sustain the film. There are also a few too many twists and characters which made it not always easy to follow, parts are downright confusing. The ending seemed rushed and could have been a little more suspenseful.

Not all the characters seemed necessary to the story and seemed there to pad things out.

Decent film overall but not great. It does well in the comedy and falls a little short when it came to the mystery. 6/10

It's a good thing Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell were the stars of "Fast and Loose," otherwise, there would be nothing to recommend it.

They are wonderful as a sort of penniless Nick and Nora hot on the trail of a stolen Shakespearian manuscript. I found it a little hard to follow as far as who killed whom and why.

Both actors were excellent at both comedy and drama, and in fact, right before seeing this, I saw them in "Night Must Fall." What a difference! And really, it is a tribute to the talent of both that they could do such different types of films so easily.

I wish they'd had a better script to work with. This film is too long and too confusing. But if you want to see two masters at work, by all means, check it out.