Private Detective 62 (1933)

A U.S. state department employee (William Powell) is deported from France for stealing state documents. In the U.S., he's unemployable due in part to the depression and partly because of the French scandal. So he cons his way into being a partner in a detective agency run by a shady gumshoe (Arthur Hohl). Directed by Michael Curtiz (CASABLANCA), this private detective drama is a stale piece of goods. Certainly not the fault of William Powell who brings a nice presence to the movie but in its lackluster screenplay and traffic cop direction by Curtiz. The most interesting aspect of this pre code film is the cocaine sniffing junkie played by James Bell. At a brief running time of one hour and 6 minutes, the movie's pacing keeps it from being dull but it's a forgettable film. With Margaret Lindsay, Ruth Donnelly, Natalie Moorhead and Gordon Westcott.