They used to say that in the end, Samuel Goldwyn couldn't get arrested in Hollywood. Well the same is true here for "Donald Free" (William Powell). His government career went down in flames and now he can't get a job for love nor money. Until, that is, he alights on the dodgy "Peerless" detective agency where he is charged with a frame-up of "Janet" (Margaret Lindsay) who has fallen foul of a gambler who is the man behind the cheques at his new employer. What nobody (except the audience, that is) predicts though, is that the two will begin to fall for each other and his task becomes not only more difficult, but downright perilous. It's quite a fun, and quirkily plotted, thriller this with a degree of chemistry on screen and just enough wriggle-room with the story to keep it interesting for an hour. By now the studio was quite adept at eking out the budget and the aesthetic of the film works quite well too, before a lively ending that offers no surprises but entertains well enough for a standard, afternoon B-feature.
Review of Private Detective 62
