Nick Carter, Master Detective (1939)
Directed by Jacques Tourneur
Genres - Mystery |
Sub-Genres - Detective Film |
Release Date - Dec 13, 1939 (USA - Limited), Dec 15, 1939 (USA - Unknown) |
Run Time - 60 min. |
Countries - United States |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Pulp-novel detective Nick Carter was created in the 1880s, but most film versions of the character have been updated to modern times. Such was the case with MGM's three-episode "Nick Carter" series, which got off to a good start with Nick Carter, Master Detective. Walter Pidgeon plays the title character, who in this episode gets mixed up with industrial espionage. Posing as one "Robert Chalmers", Nick gets the goods on a gang of foreign spies (no country names, please!), bringing them to heel during a serial-like waterfront chase. Rita Johnson essays a rare sympathetic role as stewardess Lou Farnsby, while Donald Meek steals the show as Bartholomew the beekeeper (a character who would grow increasingly annoying as the series went on). Nick Carter, Master Detective was coscripted by Bertram Millhauser, who also penned several of the Rathbone-Bruce "Sherlock Holmes" films.
Characteristics
Themes
Keywords
aerial, agent [representative], assignment, chase, clue, design, detective, espionage, industrial-espionage, investigation, investigator, killing, love, plans, private-detective, pursuit, robbery, romance, secret-plan, tracking [following]
