Phantom Raiders (1940)

A mysterious rash of cargo ship sinkings in Panama leads insurers Llewellyns of London to hire vacationer Nick Carter and his eccentric associate Bartholomew to investigate. Nick recognizes... See full summary »

Director:

Jacques Tourneur

Writers:

William R. Lipman (screen play), Jonathan Latimer (original story),

Stars:

Walter Pidgeon, Donald Meek, Joseph Schildkraut

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Walter Pidgeon	...	Nick Carter
Donald Meek	...	Bartholomew
Joseph Schildkraut	...	Al Taurez
Florence Rice	...	Cora Barnes
Nat Pendleton	...	'Gunboat' Jacklin
John Carroll	...	John Ramsell, Jr
Steffi Duna	...	Dolores
Cecil Kellaway	...	Franklin Morris
Matthew Boulton	...	John Ramsell, Sr (as Mathew Boulton)
Alec Craig	...	Andy MacMillan
Thomas W. Ross	...	Dr. Grisson (as Thomas Ross)
Dwight Frye	...	Eddie Anders
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hugh Beaumont	...	Seaman (scenes deleted)
William Lally	...	Port Inspector (scenes deleted)
David Newell	...	Man in Cafe (scenes deleted)

Storyline

A mysterious rash of cargo ship sinkings in Panama leads insurers Llewellyns of London to hire vacationer Nick Carter and his eccentric associate Bartholomew to investigate. Nick recognizes influential nightclub owner Al Taurez as a shady operator, but getting the goods on him depends on slick diversions involving the heavyweight champ of the Pacific Tuna Fleet, a Panamanian bombshell armed with American slang, a young couple in love and a whole raft of crooks and cutthroats.

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Plot Keywords:

ship | cargo | cargo ship | panama | nightclub | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 June 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Attentat i Panama

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

There is a quick shot of a ship's engine order telegraph, but the words are all printed backward.

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Connections

Follows Nick Carter, Master Detective (1939)

User Reviews

Nick Carter in the zone

Walter Pidgeon is back in the second of three Nick Carter films he made for MGM's B picture unit until he started getting leads in A films, a lot of them with Greer Garson. He's called in as a consultant by none less than Scotland Yard after one of their operatives is murdered and on US territory.

Said territory being the Panama Canal Zone where several British ships have gone down without warning. Being wartime a U-Boat is suspected, but they can't find hint of one operating in the area.

Not much suspense in this film since we know right away it's Joseph Schildkraut who is playing one of his best and most epicene villains, something Schildkraut did with aplomb. He's a former union organizer in America and he and Pidgeon have history. Of course he doesn't believe that Nick Carter is just in the Panama Canal Zone for a vacation. I never heard of it being a vacation place when we did lease it from Panama.

As usual Donald Meek is more annoying than entertaining as the 'bee man' who inflicted himself on Pidgeon in the first Carter film. But Schildkraut lifts this one a notch with his performance.