SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Konterr Brilliant and touching

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Janis One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

ksf-2 Melvyn Douglas and Flo Rice are Joel and Garda, owners of a rare book business. Similar to Thin Man series, they are a husband and wife team solving mysteries. In this case, the insurance company hires them to figure out whats going on in the book market. Soooo similar to Thin Man... husband and wife flirt relentlessly. they drink. they smoke. they bicker in a friendly fashion. They even have Joel playing tricks on wifey to make sure she goes home while hubby goes off to do some dangerous sleuthing. So much talking. Both film series made by MGM. CLEARLY they were trying to capitalize on a good formula! Shepperd Strudwich is "Ned", accused of moidah. Julia, the secretary seems to be playing a role in all of this, played by Claire Dodd. Dodd would only make films a couple years more, quitting to raise a family. Rice would also quit Hollywood just a couple years later. The plot here is in-consequential... its all pretty bland. they run circles around the police department and solve the big case. Whatever. No big deal. nothing new to see here. Its a fine film, just another copy of the original.

JohnHowardReid The first and best of the three "Fast" films featuring Joel and Garda Sloane turned out by M-G-M in 1938 and 1939, "Fast Company" features not only an intriguing mystery plot, but a most entertaining glimpse of the rare book business. Mind you, it helps immensely that Melvyn Douglas and Florence Rice make such a superb team as Joel and Garda. It makes me wonder why M-G-M didn't capitalize on this success and feature Douglas and Rice in follow-up movies. Douglas certainly went up and up the entertainment ladder, while Rice was handed smaller and smaller roles and quickly found herself – but still as the star – on Poverty Row! Her final film, "The Ghost and the Guest", was released by PRC in 1943. Getting back to "Fast Company", it also helped that the support players are all in such fine form, particularly Claire Dodd, Louis Calhern, Douglass Dumbrille and George Zucco. Nat Pendleton also distinguishes himself in a most unusual role as a comic hit-man. The character is amusing but at any moment we're aware that given the chance, he'll shoot our hero dead! A fine piece of acting, cleverly balancing stupidity and suspense! Watch out for silent star Barbara Bedford as the D.A.'s (Thurston Hall's) secretary. Available on an excellent Warner Archive DVD.

calvinnme This is one of several movies - more than just this one starring Melvyn Douglas as the husband/sleuth - that were made in the 30's trying to piggy-back off the success of 1934's "Thin Man". This one is pretty good, but it lacks what nearly all of the other Thin Man knock-offs lack - any perceived chemistry between the husband/wife sleuth team. In fact, I thought Douglas' scenes with Claire Dodd were more believable than the rather forced attempts at getting sparks to fly between Melvyn Douglas as rare book dealer Joe Sloane and Florence Rice as his wife Garda.Apparently the Sloane book dealing business itself isn't doing that well,so Joe has been picking up extra bucks by finding stolen rare books and getting a 10% cut from the insurance company on what they would have had to pay had the books not been found. A friend of the Sloanes, Ned Morgan, has just gotten out of jail for stealing some rare books that were never recovered. He has always proclaimed his innocence, but after he's out of jail it seems the Sloanes and Ned's girl Leah Brockler are the only people who believe him - he can't find a job anywhere. Plus Leah's wealthy dad Otto Brockler (George Zucco) is threatening Ned with more jail if he doesn't leave Leah alone.Well, next thing Otto is found dead, bludgeoned to death in his office by a statue on his desk. Joel gets involved because the police are already measuring a missing Ned for the electric chair. There are a multitude of suspects including Claire Dodd as Otto's secretary who dresses in expensive fashions considering her small salary, plus a couple of rare book counterfeiters played to perfection by Louis Calhern and Dwight Frye.The pace is fast moving, the characters interesting, and Joel seems to move effortlessly through his sleuthing paces, just dripping with self confidence. This had me wondering - where did a rare book dealer come up with all of these detective skills? With a mystery film, the question I ask at the end is - would I watch it again, now that I know who did what? The answer in this case is yes - because the characters and just not the twists and turns of the plot make it memorable. Recommended.

chank46 This is simply a terrific movie. Done in the "Thin Man" vein, it is not a cheap imitation, it has a life of its own. Florence Rice and Melvyn Douglas have some real chemistry going on as Garda and Joel Sloane. The entire cast look like they are really enjoying this one. Fast paced and slick, with just enough comedic touches, this movie succeeds in being very entertaining. Florence Rice has never looked more beautiful, as she dishes it out and takes it from Melvyn Douglas who is both witty and charming all the while putting together the clues to solve the murder. Louis Calhern gives a really solid performance as the villain, and veterans George Zucco, Douglas Dumbrille and Thurston Hall add to the drama and the mystery. Claire Dodd and Mary Howard give some more feminine charm to the proceedings, and Nat Pendleton makes an appearance for some comic relief. Throw in a young Shepperd Strudwick as the accused and you have a real find here in this movie. Florence Rice continues to impress as a truly gifted actress, this movie shows again the marvelous talent of this performer and the cruel twist of fate that has left her in obscurity. Hopefully this film will be available on DVD. Should have been the first of a series..........