Fast and Furious (1939)

Director: Busby Berkeley
Starring: Franchot Tone, Ann Southern, Ruth Hussey

Synopsis:
A couple of rare book dealers/amateur detectives get caught up in a beauty pageant scheme that results in murder and a falsely accused friend.

Impressions:
I've seen enough of these 30s/40s mystery-comedies to pretty well have the formula down pat. This is actually the last entry in a series of three films. I haven't seen the earlier entries, so I can't commend on how the characters develop (if at all). I will say that Franchot Tone and Ann Southern have pretty good chemistry together, which is really necessary to make these detective couples work. I also liked Ruth Hussey as the victim's icy assistant Lily Cole. The movie's more subtle with its humor than many others of its type, with the exception of one particular sequence. All in all, it isn't bad. It's not a real standout piece, but it's entertaining enough. If you like this kind of movie, you should give it a watch.

Rating:
Watch It