A gangster conspires with the owners of a shipping freight line to collect insurance money by blowing up their own ships. But when they get too greedy and destroy 3 ships in 2 weeks (murdering their entire crews in the process), Scotland Yard tracks down private eye Nick Carter to get to the bottom of it. Insanely, his sometimes-annoying sidekick Batholomew ("the bee man") takes the case for him and then tracks him down in Panama... in fact, Nick's hanging out with a girl named Dolores (who doesn't speak a sensible word of English), in the VERY bar where the villains are operating from! I mean, really... WHAT ARE THE ODDS?
As portrayed by Walter, ehh, Pidgeon, Carter is more interested in chasing women than in stopping criminals or saving lives. What kind of "hero" is this? Until he sets his eyes on a pretty secretary, who almost violently brushes him off while failing to tell him she's engaged. (What is WRONG with some women?) The story is a mix of cleverness, suspense, humor and utter madness, as it seems half the cast is in on the crime, and those who aren't come across as unusually dim. From the start, Carter is suspicious of the bar-owner, who he knew running a racket back in San Francisco, but on getting beat up by Dolores' boyfriend, he wants only to resign the case and leave town... until Bartholomew forges a threatening "Get out of Panama" letter, wraps it around a rock and throws it thru a window at him. Batholomew repeatedly proves FAR more clever and helpful than he was in the previous picture, several times getting Carter out of dangerous or even deadly situations.
The literary character of Nick Carter actually predates Sherlock Holmes, and there were no less than 24 silent NICK CARTER films made from 1908-21. Following an 18-year break, MGM (of all studios) decided to revive the character, but only managed 3 installments, and frankly, I think I can understand why. On the other hand, the radio show with Lon Clark lasted 12 years (1943-55).
Joseph Schildkraut plays Al Taurez, gangster, bar owner, knife-thrower, and one of the most ruthless, cold-blooded murderous villains I've ever seen in any movie. I've also seen him in THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK, MR. MOTO TAKES A VACATION and THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER.
Nat Pendleton is "Gunboat Jacklin", Suarez' bodyguard, who's kept in the dark about his boss's illegal activities, and incessantly annoyed whenever anyone looks at "his" girl (but, does Dolores KNOW she's "his" girl?). I enjoyed him as the ambulance driver in the DR. KILDARE series, but in here, he takes thick-headed to a whole new level. (Pendleton was artist Don Heck's original model for "Happy Hogan" in the IRON MAN comic-book series in late 1963. Every time I see him in one of his films, I always wind up saying, "It's Happy Hogan!")
Cecil Kellaway is "Franklin Morris", the manager of the shipping company, who's horrified at what his business partners have talked him into, and eventually winds up with a knife in his back for it. (I'll always remember him for THE MUMMY'S HAND.)
Matthew Boulton is "John Ramsell, Sr.", the owner of the line, who tries to keep his son from taking command of a ship he knows will be blown up. A regular in the BULLDOG DRUMMOND series, I've also seen him in THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS, TARZAN'S NEW YORK ADVENTURE, COUNTER-ESPIONAGE, RANDOM HARVEST and THE WOMAN IN GREEN (as Inspector Gregson).
Alec Craig is "Randy MacMillan", an employee of the line who (as far as I can remember) knows nothing about the monstrous scheme. I've also seen him in THE LONE WOLF SPY HUNT, A DATE WITH THE FALCON, TO BE OR NOT TO BE, THE LOVES OF EDGAR ALLAN POE, RANDOM HARVEST, THE SPIDER WOMAN, and THE HOUSE OF FEAR (1945).
A real surprise was Dwight Frye as "Eddie Anders", who's paid to murder Carter in his bed, but is caught, interrogated and nearly knifed in the back by his employer. He's SO cool, takes SO much effort to talk, and emotes SO much tension with almost no words at all, it really shows what a fantastic actor he was, far more than just a "raving madman" that he was often typecast as. It's really a shame he didn't have a bigger career, and that he passed away far too soon.
The climax of this film is BY FAR the best part. Nick & Bartholomew manage to corral the main villain on board the latest ship scheduled for destruction-- with only a half-hour to go before it happens. The suspense builds and builds, as Taurez REFUSES to admit his guilt. The resolution was brilliant. I only wish Carter had been more on the ball for the rest of the picture.
My Philly Channel 3 copy of this is so fuzzy, no doubt at some point I'll happily get all 3 of Pidgeon's NICK CARTER films on DVD at some point. If nothing else, it'll be nice to be able to hear the dialogue a lot clearer than it was on this 80s broadcast. (I can but hope. You never know what you're gonna find on DVD when it comes to old "B" movies. Or, ehh, any other kind, for that matter.)
0 out of 0 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink