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hyped garbage

Absolutely Fantastic

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Tiny studios like Monogram, PRC and First National made tons of B- movies--short, quickly written and generally super-cheaply made. However, the big studios also made Bs--and despite slightly bigger budgets and bigger named actors (in some cases) they also were super-cheap and looked an awful lot like their poverty row versions. In the case of "Phantom Raiders", the prestigious MGM has made a B-- starring their A picture leading man, Walter Pidgeon. And, not surprisingly, it's just as goofy and entertaining as many of the cheapo B detective films.This is the second Nick Carter film and it's plot is very goofy. It seems that lots of merchant ships are being blown up and Nick and his weirdo sidekick Beeswax (Donald Meek) are sent to investigate. But HOW are these ships being blown up? Here's where it gets REALLY goofy. An oddly named Al Taurez (Joseph Schildkraut) has some sort of weird electronic device that causes bombs on the ships to explode...and he can activate these bomb via remote control many, many miles away! Plot-wise, this is as goofy as any of the wild plots in the Charlie Chan films from Monogram--way out, for sure.So is it any good? Well, despite the silly plot, the film IS entertaining. It also features one of the strangest Donald Meek performances you'll ever see--with him pretending to be a psychopath. The bottom line is that the film is silly, breezy entertainment but something that doesn't make a lot of sense or is for an audience who isn't willing to cut the film a lot of slack. You like B detective films, you'll like this one...otherwise, it's easy to skip.

The second of the three "Nick Carter" movies all starring Walter Pidgeon, also features Donald Meek (again as the Bee Man), who is not only a little more subdued than usual, but plays a vital role in the fast-paced plot. This one was written by Jonathan Latimer who was soon to work closely with John Farrow on many of his films including The Big Clock, Beyond Glory, Night Has a Thousand Eyes, Alias Nick Beal, Copper Canyon, Botany Bay, Submarine Command, Plunder of the Sun, Back from Eternity, etc. Support players including smooth-talking, neatly attired Joseph Schildkraut as the villains' villain, Nat Pendleton as his brain-dead offsider, Steffi Duna as a language twister, John Carroll as the heroic guy, and Florence Rice as a Clayton's heroine. (She's the heroine you have when you're not having a heroine). True, this vast assembly – and I haven't listed even half the actors with important support roles including Alec Craig, Matthew Boulton, Cecil Kellaway, Charles Coleman, Holmes Herbert – do divert our attention from Walter Pidgeon's Nick Carter, but I, for one, am not complaining.

The other two entries in the Nick Carter detective series focused on spies or Fifth Columnists; this one is about an evil insurance scam whereby cargo ships, with their crews, are blown up. Llewelyn's of London, the insurer of the ships, hires Carter to investigate. Joseph Schildkraut as the suave but vicious gangster leader behind the bombings easily outshines the rather uninspiring performance of Walter Pidgeon as Nick Carter. The most striking scene in the whole movie is the brief scene showing the crew of the cargo ship amiably chatting with one another moments before their ship is blown up. An incredible scene. As with the other two entries in the series, this one has an excellent supporting cast with Florence Rice, John Carroll, Nat Pendleton, Cecil Kellaway, and Schildkraut. Donald Meek is on hand as Carter's sidekick, the wacky Mr. Bartholomew. It's a matter of taste whether one finds the Bartholomew character annoying or welcome comedic relief. Either way, he certainly is a memorable character. I think this is the best of the Nick Carter movies and certainly worth a watch, but the series itself is not as good or entertaining as many another B detective series.

Phantom Raiders was the second (the first being 1939 Nick Carter - Master Detective) and the last film directed by Jacques Tourneur about the adventures of a popular detective Nick Carter whose character was created still in the end of the 19th century and who served as a protagonist of several films before this one during the silent era. Here yet again Walter Pigeon plays the main part of invincible detective and is joined once more by his peculiar assistant Bartholomew known as the Bee-man (hilariously played by Donald Meek). They were destined to reunite only once again the same year as Phantom Raiders to film Sky Murder but this time under the direction of George Seitz. In Phantom Raiders Nick Carter answers the duty call while on vacation and is sent to Panama to investigate the mysterious sinking of several cargo ships near the Panama coast where he is joined by his eccentric assistant Bartholomew who as usually provides sometimes a valuable help and on other occasions creates havoc though always remaining handy. Soon they discover that a nightclub owner Al Taurez is involved, but very soon our heroes discover to their disappointment that he's a bit tougher then appears to be at first sight. A little weaker than its predecessor - Nick Carter-Master Detective, The Phantom Raiders is still a decent viewing experience. 6/10