Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditsAwards & Reviews
user reviewsexternal reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guidemessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsmemorable quotesDid You Know?
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
box office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsReviews & Ratings for
Radar Secret Service More at IMDbPro »
| Index | 10 reviews in total |
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
The Wonders Of Radar, 10 July 2011
Author:
bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York
Not that anything in Radar Secret Service will tell you this is a
futuristic drama because everybody drives cars and dresses in fashions
of the present day of 1950, but the fact is even the movie-going public
was aware that radar did not have the capabilities so described in that
time. It still doesn't. But the premise around the film that radar was
an all purpose crime fighting and detecting tool was way in the future.
Two futuristic cops, John Howard and Ralph Byrd, ride around in a car
equipped with radar detection and they're on a case involving some
stolen uranium. The gang has all kinds of layers within it with your
typical gangster's moll Adele Jergens supposedly gunman Tom Neal's
woman, but really two timing him with mastermind Tris Coffin. In fact
this whole film is proof positive of the premise there is definitely no
honor among thieves.
Something tells me that the Radar Secret Service was not used in
tracking down two bit stickup men and that the public was supposed to
feel good about radar keeping us safe. This film really plays to Cold
War paranoia.
On the plus side Adele Jergens and Myrna Dell playing a waitress are
always good to look at and perennial Lippert Pictures regular Sid
Melton is once again in this for comic relief. Sid was really needed
here.
1 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Fun enough, but crazy ideas about radar, 9 December 2012
Author:
drystyx from United States
This is a Dragnet style show of cops and robbers, in this case G Men vs
Dick Tacy style crooks who steal a radioactive element used for high
tech energy or for warfare.
"Radar" is very overrated in its properties here. People from this era,
that I knew of, never spoke this highly of Radar in its properties, so
I don't think it was ever really as overrated as this movie makes it
look.
So much for the bad Science being a product of its generation. It was
Mickey Mouse Science then, as well as today.
However, since there are at least two heavily used comic relief
characters in this movie, it isn't likely that it was ever meant to be
"realistic". This was meant to be tongue in cheek, and a good time.
The comedy would be better if the writing was better. The actors are
actually pretty good, especially the comic relief ones, but their lines
are not good, even for 1950.
Still, this movie flows very well, and is easy to follow, making it
much more entertaining than most modern action movies.
One can look at it as "equal time" as well, a polar opposite of what
the industry tries to use for propaganda today.
Today, propaganda is very Republican, it's "don't mess with the mob"
that makes most movies today, "unless you're Rambo". Most people don't
have any illusions about being Rambo, so the modern movie is propaganda
to keep organized and disorganized crime safe. Today's movie is meant
to show that the mob is perfect.
So, it's good to have "equal time" for a change, even if one has to go
back over half a century, to find equal propaganda against mobs. It
certainly is more interesting this way.
6 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
The Banality of Banality, 29 July 2006
Author:
amosduncan_2000 from United States
My rating would be zero as a movie, but ten as an MST3K show. It's so dull that your attention wanders, and you can sort of get the plot after you watch the bots go after it a couple of times. These movies do have have a certain fascination, and I'd like to know more about the bland, bland cinematic world of Robert Lippert. The lives of people who went to Lippert films must have tasted like stale wheat. You can't help but wonder if the relationship of Blackie and his gal had a least some spark. While the damned "Pillbox" (Melton, dear God, it's Melton) is in a hell of his own partaking. Note the cameo of Ed Wood actor at the end. I could look up his name, but, ah... it's just too boring.
2 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Without radar, life just has no meaning, 6 November 2010
Author:
planktonrules from Bradenton, Florida
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
The film begins with a long-winded discussion about the wonderful
miracle of radar and all the wonderful ways it makes like better for
government agents. Unfortunately, most of the information is false, as
radar was old hat by the time this film came out and had very little to
do with spies. For example, you can see people at great distances like
TV--and without even a camera--all thanks to this 'radar'!! Whatever. I
personally think the film makers just happened to come up with some
stock footage of radar operators and equipment and that is THE reason
for the film's title!
The film is about g-men and I was amazed that such a subject was so
boring and poorly written. The dialog was often pretty lame and I loved
how they had a character named 'Blackie'--and he was a g-man actually
working on the side of evil--what a HUGE surprise!! Who'd have thought
that a guy named Blackie would be bad?! Well, that's the sort of lame
writing this film had throughout.
I also knew it would be a bad film because Sid Melton is in it. While
today he's most likely to be recognized as 'Al Monroe' from "Green
Acres", Sid was a terrible comedian. And, every time I have seen him in
a B-movie, the film has been just awful. I am sure he was a lovely
person in real life, but on film....yuck--a sure sign of a crappy film!
Overall, the film is dull and stupid. And those are only some of the
GOOD qualities!
3 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Scanners picking up severe boredom, 12 November 2003
Author:
InzyWimzy from Queens, NY
Once you see Lippert, you know you're in for a slab of cinematic
torture.
Radar is your friend. It is responsible for everything good and sacred in
society. No evil intentions can be hidden from the pervasive eyes of the
almighty radar.
RADAR THIS!!!
Instead of a story, you get lots of black and white shots of guys standing
around, inane conversations, bleak settings and even bleaker faces. You
can't even tell the good guys from the baddies....oh wait, EVERYBODY was bad
in this one. I knew my eyes were viewing this horrific monstrosity despite
the periods of coma induced blackouts and the experience can be compared to
vacationing on the sun without SPF 5,000,000. Why the pointless scenes of
helicopters flying over open roads? I cannot recall one character from this
poopiefest except for inappropriately named Blackie. Oh, remember that
hilarious comedian guy, Sid Melton? Because I DON'T!! Instead, his
attempts at humor left scarring impressions and hopes of his quick sniper
death.
You see, this one just hurts...on so many levels. Nothing happens, there's
no interesting story so the useless dialogue serves no purpose. This was
only an hour long! I swear Father Time was yawning during this drivel.
Even Mike and the bots reel from the effects of this one. Damn that Hypno
Helio Static Stasis!
3 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Radar can do anything!(except save this movie), 2 November 1999
Author:
GeneralB from Sanford, FL
This movie seems to think radar is some super weapon that can do absolutely anything. I mean, it begins with quick scene on how radar was important in World War II. While this might seem fair enough, the movie takes radar's importance to ludicrous levels. When a truck is hijacked, the government uses radar to track it down. Radar mounted on a vehicle can apparently deliver TV quality images that follow the truck like a camera (I wonder why?). You can't say a bad thing about radar in this film. Don't worry, though. The guys from MST3K came to the rescue, and made it quite enjoyable (like they always do with bad movies) with their running commentary.
0 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
So Bad it's Funny!, 3 December 2008
Author:
Gunn from Minnesota
I can definitely understand why MST3K chose this film to mock. It seems it was aimed at kiddy matinees back in the 1950s. The dialog seems as if it was written by an eighth grader back then. This film along with 8 others is included in a set titled Forgotten Noir Vol. 4. Now I realize why that title! The second film in the set is "Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard" and this one is a few notches better and has a more familiar cast including Amanda 'Miss Kitty' Blake. As historical film documents of a simpler era they make sense. However, it is pretty difficult to keep a straight face while watching this film. I never watched ST3K but I can imagine they had a "field day" with this one. I will be reviewing more from this series as I view them.
1 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
We don't care about radars., 20 October 2000
Author:
lartronic from Akron, Ohio.
This movie was just plain stupid, they probably believed radars would end up being the first things on mars, or saving the human race, or something heroic. But this movie is beyond help, even worse most cheap 50's flicks. Of course, MST3K did a good job on it, but some people haven't seen that episode, I feel sorry for them.
3 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
Oh, those Golden Grams! Oh, those Golden Grams!, 14 June 2003
Author:
Dan Mudd from USA
Very strange movie that deals with g-men obsessed with RADAR. As we all know, radar is a fantastic piece of technology, but the movie doesn't seem to really be about it. It's more about long-winded speeches about a robbery and nothing more. It's quite funny, but I don't think that's how the director originally intended it to be!
4 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Can't watch this without RADAR!!, 11 February 2005
Author:
Michael H from Coastal Maine
Radar Secret Service is a service to nobody unless watched with MST. Wow what a film, slightly more action than Starfighters but not by much. More script than action here, men in gray suits and hats stand around and talk about what they are A: Going to do, and B: What they plan to do. In between there's a couple of gals who look exactly alike yet are different characters who are somehow involved and a boss who talks to the main radar operations guy on how wonderful radar is. Nothing really is accomplished even though the movie claims something did happen. Mike and the bots make this film enjoyable. Oh yes, Sid Melton is thrown in for comedy relief, but this is not apparent. Enjoy!!
Related Links
| Plot summary | Ratings | External reviews |
| Plot keywords | Main details | Your user reviews |
| Your vote history |
Copyright © 1990-2013
IMDb.com, Inc.
Conditions of Use | Privacy Policy | Interest-Based Ads
An 
company.