At just under one hour running time, "Nick Carter, Master Detective" most likely was a second film of a double-feature showing. The major studios into the 1950s would sometimes bill double feature shows when a main feature film was relatively short - something in the neighborhood of under 75 minutes. Then they would run a second short film of lesser quality or billing with it. These were shorter films of 45 to 60 minutes, often serial mysteries, Westerns or comedies.
These films sometimes had major stars of the studios. Walter Pidgeon had been around for some time but had played mostly supporting roles with different studios. Since joining MGM in 1937, he was cast in a variety of roles, some supporting with major films, and others in lead roles., Here he is in the first of a series of short mystery features, Others like this would become very popular as full-length feature films into the 1940s. They included series of Boston Blackie, Philo Vance and Thin Man mysteries.
Here, Pidgeon's Carter goes undercover at an airplane development and manufacturing plant to try to discover and capture a foreign government ring that has been stealing plans for the latest powerful aircraft. Donald Meek plays Bartholomew, a would-be super sleuth who happens to be a bee-keeper. This is a strange little insertion in the story, all played for humor. Rita Johnson plays Lou Farnsby, Stanley Ridges plays Doctor Frankton and Henry Hull is John Keller.
The cast all are okay, and the story is somewhat interesting. But, as with many other lesser films, this one suffers from a poor screenplay, probably weak directing and terrible editing. The film is very choppy with very weak continuity between scenes. The technical faults are enough to bother one watching the film, so it may not hold the attention of many viewers these days. But the cast earns it the six stars.
One brief scene in the film makes one wonder just how sharp Nick Carter really is. He's supposed to be very alert and sharp in noticing details. Yet, when he goes to phone in the hotel room after telling Bartholomew (the bee man) to leave, he doesn't notice that Bartholomew goes into the closet instead of out the door that is close to the phone. So, after he phones, Nick goes out the door and closes it exposing Bartholomew who had crept back into the room to listen in on his phone call.
These films sometimes had major stars of the studios. Walter Pidgeon had been around for some time but had played mostly supporting roles with different studios. Since joining MGM in 1937, he was cast in a variety of roles, some supporting with major films, and others in lead roles., Here he is in the first of a series of short mystery features, Others like this would become very popular as full-length feature films into the 1940s. They included series of Boston Blackie, Philo Vance and Thin Man mysteries.
Here, Pidgeon's Carter goes undercover at an airplane development and manufacturing plant to try to discover and capture a foreign government ring that has been stealing plans for the latest powerful aircraft. Donald Meek plays Bartholomew, a would-be super sleuth who happens to be a bee-keeper. This is a strange little insertion in the story, all played for humor. Rita Johnson plays Lou Farnsby, Stanley Ridges plays Doctor Frankton and Henry Hull is John Keller.
The cast all are okay, and the story is somewhat interesting. But, as with many other lesser films, this one suffers from a poor screenplay, probably weak directing and terrible editing. The film is very choppy with very weak continuity between scenes. The technical faults are enough to bother one watching the film, so it may not hold the attention of many viewers these days. But the cast earns it the six stars.
One brief scene in the film makes one wonder just how sharp Nick Carter really is. He's supposed to be very alert and sharp in noticing details. Yet, when he goes to phone in the hotel room after telling Bartholomew (the bee man) to leave, he doesn't notice that Bartholomew goes into the closet instead of out the door that is close to the phone. So, after he phones, Nick goes out the door and closes it exposing Bartholomew who had crept back into the room to listen in on his phone call.