when the film was released the film critic for "the new york times" panned the film writing, "except for a lively and colorful series of mardi gras sequences in new orleans, which are introduced quite late in the picture, "two smart people" is an otherwise dreadfully boring hodgepodge about love and the confidence racket ... john hodiak and lucille ball are the principals and they are painfully defeated by the script at almost every turn. lloyd nolan as the patient sleuth fares a little better, however. but in addition to its pedestrian plot, "two smart people" also suffers from lack of competent direction."