Strange title and one of the things left unexplained by the film’s conclusion. Was his badge number 62? Did this title have something to do with Donald Free’s previous undercover occupation before he was deported? Was this the case number assigned by his boss? I suppose it doesn’t matter and has no bearing upon the plot, just a confounding title to a meandering and Free-association (pun, get it, free as in Donald Free?) narrative that doesn’t properly begin until the second act!
Donald Free (William Powell) is a spy who gets kicked out of France and deported back the good ole’ USA on a steamer ship full of cattle. Once in NYC harbor, the crew get orders to take him back to France for further investigation, but you can’t detain Free without a fight! He jumps ship, swims to shore, and finds himself deep-sixed in the gutter with a bad reputation and resume to match. But his smooth talking soon lands him an opportunity as a gumshoe (he must dry his own shoes out first) and partner in a sleazy little PI practice. Soon, the agency moves up in the world (and skyscraper) because local gangster Tony Bandor (Gordon Westcott) funds their enterprise...but not for free. Or Free. Their petty caseload of cheating spouses and runaway pets takes a backseat to a woman, Janet Reynolds (Margaret Lindsay) who is grifting Bandor of $50,000 by winning roulette every night at his illegal speakeasy. Free is on the case but falls for Janet and must duel with both Bandor and his “snow white” coke-head henchman Whitey (James Bell) (no subtlety in that character name!) to save her from a false murder rap and murder trap!
Michael Curtiz’s direction is haphazard in the first reel with more stock footage of Paris and slow dissolve establishing shots than actual shots of William Powell to propel the narrative. The film doesn’t find its way until the second act, when the plot with Bandor and Janet begins. But once Free bumps into his mark, the story is like a gunshot quick and deadly. This proto-film noir has all the earmarks of the genre that wouldn’t be recognized for decades: fast talking protagonist: a good guy with flaws, femme fatale (possibly?), drug use, low key lighting, low angle and interesting compositions using reflections, pistol threat to the groin, and an overly complicated robbery that frames the femme. Well, some of those are pretty specific but you get my drift: existential cynicism. The work by DP Tony Gaudio is exceptional! But one question is never answered (other than the title): how does Janet win every time at roulette? Is it an inside job as she steals from the gangster? Or is it, as she says, pure luck? It’s an important question because her moral compass is never revealed. She’s a wealthy socialite, so why is she single and gambling? Why does she carry a pistol? Free is revealed to be an honest guy, so is the ending a happy one? Or will he become a victim too?
Final Grade: C