Fast And Furious (1939)

A husband (Franchot Tone) and wife (Ann Sothern) are rare book dealers in Manhattan. They also do some sleuthing on the side. When the husband is coerced into judging a beauty contest, the murder of the unscrupulous promoter of the pageant pulls him into solving the crime. Directed by Busby Berkeley (BABES IN ARMS), this was the third and final film in a trilogy of movies about the crime solving couple (with different actors playing the couple in each movie), a sort of bargain basement THE THIN MAN. Unfortunately Franchot Tone is miscast in a comedic murder mystery like this. He's rather charmless and no William Powell. Alas, the murder mystery aspect isn't very interesting either and the comedy falls flat. While the appealing Ann Sothern is bouncy and lively, it's not enough to save the movie. With Ruth Hussey, Lee Bowman, Mary Beth Hughes and Allyn Joslyn.