Donald Free (William Powell) works for the United States Diplomatic Service in France. When he is caught trying to steal secret papers he is deported to the U.S. Just before reaching New York City the captain of the ship receives a wire telling him to give Donald over to another ship that is to return him to France for additional questioning. Donald jumps over the side of the ship and swims to shore. He breaks into a house to dry off. Inside a man and woman, Mrs. Wright (Shelia Terry) and her lover (Eddie Phillips) are having a tryst. As he watches a private detective, Dan Hogan (Arthur Hohl) and his secretary, Amy Moran (Ruth Donnelly) burst into the room catching the couple off guard. Donald interrupts the event and turns the tables on the detective. Hogan apologizes and gives Donald one of his business cards.
Donald arrives back in New York City during the depression. With no jobs available he finds himself down and out. After pounding the pavement for some time, he finds the business card for Hogan and his Peerless Detective Agency in his coat pocket. At the agency he manages to double talk his way into a job and makes himself Hogan’s partner and vice president of the agency. The agency begins to pick up and the company becomes famous and quite well off. Part of the reason is that Hogan has gone into a business with a gangster named Tony Bandor (Gordon Westcott). Donald is unaware of the partnership and would not be involved with Hogan if he had known about it.
Bandor owns a casino. It seems that a wealthy woman, Janet Reynolds (Margaret Lindsay), has been winning a few thousand dollars at his casino every night. Janet has been holding off on cashing in, but her winnings are mounting up and Bandor doesn’t have the ready cash to pay her should she want her compiled winnings. Bandor goes to Hogan for help. Hogan gives Donald a fake story about finding something scandalous on the woman but not why. Don meets Janet but ends up falling in love with her. When Janet wants her winnings Bandor and Hogan come up with a scheme to fake Bandor’s murder and frame her for it. Hogan double crosses Bandor and has him killed in real life. In a panic, Janet goes to Donald for help, but he is out, and she ends up talking to Hogan about her dilemma. Hogan decides that he can still maneuver a little blackmail from the woman if he can keep her away from Donald.
“Private Detective 62” was released in 1933 and was directed by Michael Curtiz. It is a pre-code American thriller.
I’m not sure where the 62 in the title came from since it is never referenced anywhere in the movie. As for the movie itself, it’s OK. It is amusing in spots and somewhat charming in places. The thriller portion is a bit tepid but it’s an easy watch. The plot is a little complex in spots, but it is easy to follow and moves along pretty smoothly.
Debonair William Powell did a lot of detective style films. He was Philo Vance in four movies and Nick Charles in the Thin Man series of movies. This is one of his lesser-known films. The acting is good, and William Powell fans will enjoy it.