INNER CIRCLE, THE(1946)
In the set: 100 Greatest Mystery Classics

This has the great William Frowley(I Love Lucy)
in it!! The story's an old one, man gets killed,
girl forces her way into a job for a P.I., P.I.
gets implicated in the murder, the new secretary
covers for the P.I., the P.I. has no clue what's
going on, etc. etc.!! This is pretty good!! The
"Inner Circle" has to do with the mob and the
P.I. getting involved with them! B+

A review from IMDb.com:

A radio gossip columnist is murdered and Johnny
Strange of Action Incorporated (yes, indeed...)
eventually solves the crime after being helped
and hindered by a new secretary, a police
lieutenant , a gangster, a gardener,a housekeeper
and a night club singer. Made on a small budget
on a few sets it starts out lively but becomes
increasingly sillier until the unconvincing
climax. It aspires to be Raymond Chandleresque
but falls short.

Johnny Strange is played routinely by Warren
Douglas. Adele Mara as the secretary and William
Frawley as the cop are much better. Ricardo
Cortez is the gangster and puts in a polished
performance but unfortunately isn't in it much.
The ubiquitous Edward Gargan plays 'Parking
Ticket Cop.'

And why the film is called 'The Inner Circle'
certainly escaped me. - J. Spurlin