Private Detective 62

Plot

In France, United States State Department employee Donald Free (William Powell) is caught trying to steal French state papers. Free is released from his job and is deported. Back in the US, Free has a hard time finding another job due to the Great Depression. Free convinces Dan Hogan (Arthur Hohl), the crooked and incompentent owner of the Peerless Detective Agency, to partner with him. Without Free's knowledge, Hogan becomes financed with gangster Tony Bandor (Gordon Westcott) and business booms.

Bandor complains that a society woman, Janet Reynolds (Margaret Lindsay), is winning too much at his gambling tables and hires Hogan to find some scandal he can use to prevent her from collecting her winnings. Hogan assigns Free, without telling him the truth behind the request. But, while keeping an eye on Janet, Free falls in love with her. When Janet informs Bandor that she wants to collect her winnings, Hogan suggests to Bandor that they make Janet think she has killed Bandor under suspicious conditions. Hogan then double-crosses Bandor by hiring a thug to shoot him after Janet leaves the apartment. Janet not knowing what to do, asks Free to help her. Free learns the identity of Bandor's actual killer and traces him back to Hogan. Meanwhile, Hogan tries to blackmail Janet. After Free has Hogan arrested, he is offered his old job again, but tells Janet that it is not the sort of life he could ask anyone to share with him so he leaves. As he is leaving, Janet proposes to him and he accepts.

Cast

Charles Lane also in this film as the "PROCESS CLERK"

Production

The film's working titles were Private Detective and Man Killer. According to production records in the file on the film in the AMPAS library, the film was shot over twenty-one days at a cost of $260,000. Modern sources list Hal B. Wallis as supervisor.