Nick Carter, Master Detective

1939 "THE WIZARD OF CLUES!!! Nick Carter lives again in the fierce brutal...dangerous era of TODAY!"
6.1| 0h59m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 15 December 1939 Released
Producted By: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Country:
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Detective Nick Carter is brought in to foil spies at the Radex Airplane Factory, where a new fighter plane is under manufacture.

Genre

Crime, Mystery

Watch Online

Nick Carter, Master Detective (1939) is currently not available on any services.

Director

Jacques Tourneur

Production Companies

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime.
Watch Now
Nick Carter, Master Detective Videos and Images
View All
  • Top Credited Cast
  • |
  • Crew

Nick Carter, Master Detective Audience Reviews

Ehirerapp Waste of time
Raetsonwe Redundant and unnecessary.
CommentsXp Best movie ever!
ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.
Scott LeBrun Nick Carter was an extremely popular character in literature, that also spawned a successful radio series that ran about a dozen years. However, the so-called master detective never had much of a film career in the U.S., as only three Nick Carter movies ever got made (and they were based on original stories). Produced by MGM, they were definitely B movies, but were enjoyable enough.This is the first in the series, with Canadian born Walter Pidgeon cast as the dapper and intelligent sleuth. Here he is called into service when industrial espionage becomes a major problem at the Radex Aircraft Company; he poses as an executive with the organization. He finds no shortage of dubious individuals, and takes the time to fall in love with lovely and appealing nurse / stewardess Lou Farnsby (Rita Johnson).An early American credit for the celebrated Jacques Tourneur ("Cat People", "Out of the Past"), this has some well executed action sequences, and impressive aerial photography. It also goes a little too heavy on the comedy relief, with Donald Meek stealing the show as Bartholomew, a bee keeper who aggressively tries to sell Carter on the value of his services. While not exceptional in any way, it *is* fun, with Pidgeon making for a likable Carter. He's ably supported by a roster of top character actors such as Henry Hull, Stanley Ridges, Addison Richards, Henry Victor, Milburn Stone, Martin Kosleck, Frank Faylen, Sterling Holloway, and Wally Maher.Followed by "Phantom Raiders" and "Sky Murder".Six out of 10.
JohnHowardReid With a cast list as long as your arm, there's no denying that M-G-M's high-budget, introductory "B" casebook of Nick Carter, private detective, is either a movie you love or one you will hate. The reason for this gulf between admirers and detractors is a little actor with ultra-fussy mannerisms (topped by a penetrating voice) named Donald Meek. In fact, Meek was so popular with moviegoers that his Bee Man became a continuing character in both the sequel, Phantom Raiders and the third and final entry, Sky Murder. All three of course starred Walter Pidgeon as New York detective, Nick Carter. In this first entry, Nick is engaged to ferret out spies at an airplane factory – and highly ingenious are the methods in which spies manage to steal plans and specifications. But in addition to the spies and the Bee Man, the movie also manages to cram in a lovely if slightly suspicious heroine played here by the ultra-beautiful Rita Johnson. The support cast is full of familiar faces including Addison Richards, Henry Hull, Martin Kosleck, Frank Faylen and Sterling Holloway. And the director was none other than Jacques Tourneur, here making his second feature after graduating from M-G-M's shorts department (to which he returned briefly in 1942 and 1944). His best film, in my opinion, was Stars in My Crown (1950) – though most people would select Cat People (1942) or I Walked with a Zombie (1943) or Out of the Past (1947). He was most surprised – and pleased – when I told him that Stars in My Crown was my favorite. It turned out that Stars was his favorite too. "And it was a movie the studio had no faith in!" he told me. And yet that's what Stars was all about! Faith!
Paularoc Based on the popular Nick Carter pulp stories, this detective B movie should have been a real winner with Walter Pidgeon as Carter and a host of excellent character actors. But instead it's only average. The movie takes place a couple of years before America entered WWII and involves a plot to steal blueprints for a new aircraft design by foreign spies from an unnamed country (duh, maybe Germany?). There is an attempt to bring humor to the film with the role of Mr. Bartholomew, the master beekeeper played by Donald Meek. While the character is occasionally amusing, he is just as often irritating. What was nice was the Rita Johnson role of the stewardess/nurse who actually helps Carter in his investigation. While this is good enough that it makes one want to see the other two entries in the Nick Carter series, it is not in the top tier of B detective movie series entries.
Neil Doyle Walter Pidgeon is cast as detective Nick Carter, whose mission is to find out who is behind plans to steal blueprints for the enemy in this pre-WWII yarn. Rita Johnson is teamed nicely as leading lady. Her presence is so welcome that it's a wonder she never had a bigger career on screen.With a supporting cast that includes Frank Faylen, Henry Hull, Donald Meek and Stanley Ridges, it's a neat programmer that crams a lot of plot into a one hour time slot. The only sore spot is Donald Meek in his bumbling role as a bee-keeper who aids Carter. Usually a very reliable character actor, this time his role is so unlikeable, unlikely and annoying that it's more of a distraction than a help. Whatever humor is supposed to be gathered by his involvement in the plot, never quite makes its mark.But in its brief running time, this one passes the time pleasantly enough with the handsome Pidgeon marking his time at MGM before he became a big star.