ksf-2 Sixth and final film with Montgomery and Russell. Kind of a Thin Man knockoff, but both were from MGM, so no-one's going to complain. Robert Montgomery is Joel, married to Garda (Rosalind Russell). Joel is hired on to figure out why books from a rich guy's collection are mysteriously appearing on the street, and no-one is reporting them missing. Keep an eye out for Ralph Morgan, as Nick Torrent, owner of the collection. You probably know Morgan's BROTHER, Frank, who was busy making Wizard of Oz, around the same time! Sound and picture are pretty good...looks like it has already been restored. You'll see the same recipe they used in Thin Man... clever but antagonistic banter between hubby and his feisty wife, and they slowly but steadily try to solve the mystery at hand. Reginald Owen is "Charlton", probably best known as the cult leader in Rosemary's Baby. Étienne Girardot is the nervous, little twitchy guy, "Oates", who seems to be mixed up in here, somehow. Girardot was already 82, and he died soon after this came out. some good chemistry between Monty and Russell, who had already worked together so many times. It's fun. shows on Turner Classics here and there.

Richard Claiborne 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.

whpratt1 Enjoyed this gem of an old film from the past with Robert Montgomery,(Joel Sloane) who deals with rare books and his business is rather slow and he is in need of trying to sell some of his rare books. Joel is married to his wife, Garda Sloane, (Rosalind Russell) and has to sleep in separate beds because of the Moral Code established in the 1930's. Joel finds a client who is interested in obtaining a very valuable manuscript of Shakespeare and needs Joel's assistance in this matter. This film then proceeds to become a mystery with Joel becoming a detective something like the "Thin Man Films" with William Powell and Myra Loy.

makeminegreen 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.