Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Lucybespro It is a performances centric movie

Aiden Melton The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

MartinHafer 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.

sol ***SPOILERS*** The high flying Walter Piedgon is NYC ace detective Nick Carter who gets himself involved in an elaborate and deadly insurance fraud scheme engineered by US gangster Al Taurez, Joseph Schildkraut,south, way south, of the border in Panama.After having a number of ships's valuable cargoes, which are nothing but a bunch of sandbags, heavily insured Taruez has, from the comfort of his Colon Panama office, through high frequency radio singles set off bombs planted in the ships and have them blown up together with their crew on the high seas!It's Nick together with his side kick the Bee-Man Bartholomew, Donald Meeks, as well as his Panamanian girlfriend B-girl Delorous (Steffi Duna), who doesn't speak a word of proper English, who eventually solves the case. But not after some half dozen ships are sent to the bottom by Taurez and his hoods. Nick who at first didn't want to take on the case since he was on vacation at the time changed his mind when he spotted, after she had it out with him, pretty Cara Barnes, Florence Riuce, working at the local Morris Shipping Company. In fact it was Cora who was unknowingly used by Taurez in providing him with the information of what ships,and how heavily insured they were, were being sent out to sea. Where he then had his men plant explosives on so that he he could later,with high frequency radio waves, detonate them and collect, with an insider inside the shipping company, the insurance on them!***SPOILERS*** Nick in finding the contraption that Taurez is using to electronically blow up the targeted ships has it disarmed and tricks Taurez into getting on the one that's next to be blown up.Taurez, with Nick holding a gun on him, realizing that he's cooked if he doesn't get off the ship before midnight the time its set to explode breaks down and admits his crimes not knowing that the ship that he and Nick were on was no longer in danger of exploding! What he also should have realized is that Nick wouldn't have put his own life as well as everyone on board in danger if he knew that in fact would happen!

tedg In between the start of talkies and about the time of this, there were all sorts of experiments with the detective form. An amazing number, just absolutely amazing, of discrete types were invented. It was a heady time, much more ambitious and adventuresome than what we have today.Most of the experiments failed, or course. And that's true even of experiments that were profitable enough to spawn a series. Success in this way means more than just selling tickets, which is easy enough. Its knowing when you find the bones to something you can understand and rebuild over and over in different ways. Its the difference between copying and creating and the creators will always win.To win you need to understand and to understand you need to try and fail. This is a failure of an interesting type. It sticks to the normal three component model: the detective, the villain, the causal mechanism.We usually these days are presented with a cool detective, in part because we rely more on actors and personalities. Unfortunately that's not very cinematic usually, so it doesn't reward. This movie treats us to pretty uninteresting detective, pretty much a dope. And his assistant is too, both comic. Most of the attention — so far as character — is on the villain. He's supersmooth, always calm and anticipating the next move until towards the end. His weapon is the knife, which he can throw perfectly. At the beginning, he even throws a pen across a room and hits the center of the target.Incidentally, the causal mechanics of the plot are somewhat incomprehensibly complex. There isn't much complicated in the device, but it is peculiar in a way. Its a radio that sends a triggering signal to bombs concealed on ships. These are blown up for the insurance money. What's unsettling, strange, is that the bombs are concealed in radio receivers. There's no reason for this except to make it easier for us to read.But the business behind the scenes is what makes the plot work, all sorts of business about swapping cargo, forging inspection documents and manifestos. I admit that THIS was difficult to read because nothing could be shown. It could only be explained.An interesting fossil, but a bad movie, even though the director had some reputation.Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

chank46 Phantom Raiders portrays a crime that is all to possible today, blowing up ships set off by electrical devices. However this was 1940, the era of the wisecracking detective and his sidekick neatly wrapping up the mystery in a little over an hour. What sets this film apart from other movies of the same type is its crackling good dialog, an insidious villain,(Joseph Shildkraut),the suave Nick Carter,(a clean shaven Walter Pigeon), his assistant, Mr Bartholomew (beautifully played by Donald Meek), the innocent ingénue(the captivating Florence Rice). Speaking of Florence Rice, she literally lights up the screen when she is on. At the same time vulnerable, adoring. Listen to the way she says "I love him", talking about her boyfriend, it will melt your heart. Highly recommend!