This movie has an interesting opening that will lead one to wonder how the leading star's character will wind up. William Powell is Donald Free, an American undercover agent in the diplomatic corps. He is on a secret mission in Paris but when he is caught with some stolen secret papers, the American embassy denies any knowledge of him. He claims to represent a newspaper syndicate but won't name it. So, the French revoke his Visa on April 17, 1932, and deport him as an undesirable alien.
He is sent back to the U.S. aboard a French cattle boat. That in itself is a little strange. The U.S. was the leading export nation of beef even in the 1930s, but this may have been some breeding stock or cheap beef. Free is the sole passenger and appears to be under some sort of house arrest - maybe even working as part of the ship's crew. When the ship reaches New York harbor, the captain gets a radio message from Paris that Free is wanted for further investigations. So, the captain is to turn him over to the captain of another French ship heading back to France.
Well, Free will have none of that. He socks the crew member guarding him in the captain's cabin and then jumps ship and swims ashore. After trying to find work in the field of police, security and investigation, and being turned down, he finds an opportunity with a private eye whom he had tricked right after he jumped ship and came ashore.
The rest of this story is an interesting drama and romance with some intrigue. Free exposes crooks, including his detective partner, and saves his sweetheart from a murder conviction. He eventually gets reinstated in the secret service of the diplomatic corps. All the cast give fine performances. Arthur Hohl is particularly good as Dan Hogan, original owner of the Peerless Detective Agency, whom Free attaches himself to.
Powell shows the class, wit and charm that made him a leading man for many years in Hollywood. He created the model for comedy mysteries that few have been able to match.
My favorite line in the film is from Ruth Donnelly as Amy Moran. She says, "It takes a whole crew to wreck a house, but boy, how one many can wreck a home." For more funny dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the movie.
He is sent back to the U.S. aboard a French cattle boat. That in itself is a little strange. The U.S. was the leading export nation of beef even in the 1930s, but this may have been some breeding stock or cheap beef. Free is the sole passenger and appears to be under some sort of house arrest - maybe even working as part of the ship's crew. When the ship reaches New York harbor, the captain gets a radio message from Paris that Free is wanted for further investigations. So, the captain is to turn him over to the captain of another French ship heading back to France.
Well, Free will have none of that. He socks the crew member guarding him in the captain's cabin and then jumps ship and swims ashore. After trying to find work in the field of police, security and investigation, and being turned down, he finds an opportunity with a private eye whom he had tricked right after he jumped ship and came ashore.
The rest of this story is an interesting drama and romance with some intrigue. Free exposes crooks, including his detective partner, and saves his sweetheart from a murder conviction. He eventually gets reinstated in the secret service of the diplomatic corps. All the cast give fine performances. Arthur Hohl is particularly good as Dan Hogan, original owner of the Peerless Detective Agency, whom Free attaches himself to.
Powell shows the class, wit and charm that made him a leading man for many years in Hollywood. He created the model for comedy mysteries that few have been able to match.
My favorite line in the film is from Ruth Donnelly as Amy Moran. She says, "It takes a whole crew to wreck a house, but boy, how one many can wreck a home." For more funny dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the movie.