''Phantom Raiders'' is a 1940 film, the second in the series starring

Walter Pidgeon Walter Davis Pidgeon (September 23, 1897 – September 25, 1984) was a Canadian-American actor. He earned two Academy Award for Best Actor nominations for his roles in '' Mrs. Miniver'' (1942) and ''Madame Curie'' (1943). Pidgeon also starred in ...

as detective Nick Carter. The film was part of a movie trilogy based on original stories featuring the character from the long-running ''Nick Carter, Detective'' literary series. In the heightened tensions prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Hollywood produced many films in the

spy film The spy film, also known as the spy thriller, is a genre of film that deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way (such as the adaptations of John le Carré) or as a basis for fantasy (such as many James Bond films) ...

genre such as ''Phantom Raiders''. ''Phantom Raiders'' followed the first film in the series, ''Nick Carter, Master Detective'' (1939) and led to ''

Sky Murder ''Sky Murder'' is a 1940 detective film starring Walter Pidgeon as detective Nick Carter in his third and final outing for MGM as Nick Carter. The film was part of a trilogy based on original screen stories starring the popular literary series ch ...

'' (1941), the last of the Nick Carter films.

Plot

While on vacation in

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

, international insurance firm, Llewelyn's of London approaches detective Nick Carter (

) and sidekick "Beeswax" Bartholemew ( Donald Meek) for a special assignment. After a Scotland Yard agent (John Burton) is killed investigating sabotage of merchant ships in the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a condui ...

, the insurance company become alarmed. Carter is, at first, apprehensive and turns down the contract. Once he discovers that lovely Cora Barnes (

Florence Rice Florence Davenport Rice (February 14, 1907 – February 23, 1974) was an American film actress. Early years Florence Davenport Rice was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the only child of the noted sportswriter Grantland Rice and Fannie Katherine ...

) works as a dispatcher for the Morris Shipping Company, one of the companies that is being attacked, his attitude changes. Assisted by Bartholomew, Nick soon learns who is behind the mysterious sinkings. Al Taurez (

Joseph Schildkraut Joseph Schildkraut (22 March 1896 – 21 January 1964) was an Austrian-American actor. He won an Oscar for his performance as Captain Alfred Dreyfus in the film '' The Life of Emile Zola'' (1937); later, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for ...

), an American gangster who has moved his operations to Panama, is running a marine insurance racket. When a ship is declared missing, Taurez collects the insurance on the ship's falsified cargo. After Nick learns that Cora is engaged to John Ramsell Jr. (

John Carroll John Carroll may refer to: People Academia and science *Sir John Carroll (astronomer) (1899–1974), British astronomer *John Alexander Carroll (died 2000), American history professor *John Bissell Carroll (1916–2003), American cognitive sci ...

), the rich son of a shipping company owner, he decides to quit then changes his mind, however, when he receives an anonymous threat instructing him to leave Panama at once or face certain death. Later, when Nick confronts Eddie Anders (

Dwight Frye Dwight Iliff Frye (born Fry; February 22, 1899 – November 7, 1943) was an American character actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his portrayals of neurotic, murderous villains in several classic Universal horror films, such as R ...

), one of Taurez' gang, forcing him to reveal Taurez is behind the murder plot. Nick learns that Cora is supplying information to Taurez on ships passing through the Panama Canal, and that Ramsell Sr. has also been coerced into signing indemnity claims for Taurez whenever one of his father's ships is sunk. With the help of Bartholomew posing as a maddened gunman, Taurez is held hostage and Nick searches the gangster's office to find a remote control detonator used to send high frequency radio signals that explode bombs hidden on ships. When Nick activates the device, the building next door, the explosives lab, blows up. Taurez and his partner, Dr. Grisson (Thomas W. Ross), who have taken over the Morris Company, attempt to force company owner, Franklin Morris (

Cecil Kellaway Cecil Lauriston Kellaway (22 August 1890 – 28 February 1973) was a South African character actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor twice, for '' The Luck of the Irish'' (1948) and '' Guess Who's Coming to Dinner ...

) to order Ramsell Jr., to send the next ship through the canal, Morris refuses, then is stabbed by a someone hidden in the shadows. Ramsell Jr., is arrested for the murder, but Nick soon unravels the racket making Taurez go aboard a ship as it is about to be blown up. With only moments to spare before Grisson will act, Taurez confesses to Nick, and, along with Grisson, is arrested.

Cast

as Nick Carter * Donald Meek as Bartholomew *

as Al Taurez *

as Cora Barnes *

Nat Pendleton Nathaniel Greene Pendleton (August 9, 1895 – October 12, 1967) was an American Olympic wrestler, film actor, and stage performer. His younger brother, Edmund J. Pendleton (1899-1987), was a well-known music composer and choir master ...

as "Gunboat" Jacklin *

as John Ramsell Jr *

Steffi Duna Steffi Duna (born Erzsébet Berindey; 8 February 1910 – 22 April 1992) was a Hungarian-born film actress. Hungarian dancer Born in the Eastern name order in Budapest of Czech extraction and nicknamed Stefi (Stefánia) by her friends and fam ...

as Dolores *

as Franklin Morris * Matthew Boulton as John Ramsell Sr *

Alec Craig Alexander Younger Craig (30 March 1884 – 25 June 1945) was a Scottish-born American character actor, particularly known for his roles in ''Mutiny on the Bounty'' (1935) and ''National Velvet'' (1944). He was particularly known for portraying ...

as Andy MacMillan * Thomas W. Ross as Dr Grisson *

as Eddie Anders * John Burton as Steve Donnigan *

Holmes Herbert Holmes Herbert (born Horace Edward Jenner; 30 July 1882 – 26 December 1956) was an English character actor who appeared in Hollywood films from 1915 to 1952, often as a British gentleman. Early life Born Horace Edward Jenner, (some sou ...

as Sir Edward * Harry Tyler as Waiter *

Hugh Beaumont Eugene Hugh Beaumont (February 16, 1909 – May 14, 1982) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Ward Cleaver on the television series '' Leave It to Beaver'', originally broadcast from 1957 to 1963; and as private detec ...

as Seaman *

Nestor Paiva Nestor Paiva (June 30, 1905 – September 9, 1966) was an American actor of Portuguese descent. He is most famous for his recurring role of Teo Gonzales the innkeeper in Walt Disney's Spanish Western series ''Zorro'' and its feature film ''The ...

as Inspector * John Burton as Scotland Yard agent

Production

Principal photography on ''Phantom Raiders'' began early April 1940. Scenes of Panama and the Panama Canal are incorporated into the final production.

Reception

According to MGM records, ''Phantom Raiders'' cost £217,000 and earned $285,000 in the US and Canada and $172,000 elsewhere, thereby making a profit. Film historian and reviewer

Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of fi ...

called ''Phantom Raiders'' " (a) slick, fast-paced Nick Carter detective entry." Film historian John Douglas Eames in ''The MGM Story: The Complete History Of Fifty Roaring Years'' (1975) described Pigeon's recurring role as sleuth Nick Carter in ''Phantom Raiders'', "a "melo" about sabotage at sea ..." Reviewer Dennis Schwartz in ''Dennis Swartz' Movie Reviews'', considered ''Phantom Raiders'' as the best in the series. He also noted that "taut and fast-paced enjoyable programmer", where "(Donald) Meek steals the delightful pic as the comical bee keeper who always pops up when his boss is in danger."Schwartz, Dennis
"Review: 'Phantom Raiders'."
''Dennis Swartz' Movie Reviews'', October 8, 2013. Retrieved: June 15, 2019.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Eames, John Douglas. ''The MGM Story: The Complete History Of Fifty Roaring Years''. London: Octopus Books, 1975. . * Quinlan, David. ''Quinlan's Film Stars''. Washington, D.C.: Brassey's, 2000. .

External links

*
''Phantom Raiders''
at

TCMDB Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of A ...

* * {{Nick Carter (character) 1940 films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films 1940s English-language films 1940 drama films Films directed by Jacques Tourneur American drama films Nick Carter (literary character) American black-and-white films 1940s American films