JohnHowardReid The third, and in my opinion, the best of M-G-M's three "Nick Carter" movies, all starring Walter Pidgeon, this one also features Donald Meek (again as the nervy but totally eccentric Bee Man) who is actually billed second to Pidgeon and even receives a splash credit in the trailer! Kaaren Verne does a good job as the alluring but suspicious heroine, Tom Conway is perfectly cast as the two-faced, lecherous villain, Joyce Compton plays dizzy twins (alas, not both in view at the same time!), and Chill Wills makes a delightfully rustic sheriff. Although this picture runs 72 minutes (compared to 59 for the first entry and 70 for Phantom Raiders), it is so admirably fast-paced by director George B. Seitz (taking a well-earned break from the Andy Hardy series) that it seemed to this viewer to be the shortest movie of the three. Both action and comic interludes are put across with style, and it's well produced too with all the usual M-G-M frills. The plot may seem somewhat dated, but that's part of the joy of discovery. Louis B. Mayer had no love for the Nazis (vide The Mortal Storm) and was keeping up the pressure!

vawlkee_2000 This film is a real treat! People expect a major "film noir" edge and that was not the intent here! Whine all you want but this is for fun! One "critic" said it was fit for "eight year old boys". I disagree. It's witty, fast paced, well acted and directed! Perhaps some of these armchair Siskel and Eiberts should watch a similar film made a year later at Warner's, called "All Through the Night" with Bogie! A humorous spin on fifth columnists at work in the US. I find Donald Meek to be a real riot here. A goof who was remarkably resourceful. 1940 was a tumultuous time in the US, what with the war raging for a year in Europe. A film like this, while avoiding the usual flag waving makes it's point in a humorous light! Pidgeon has Bill Powell's easy going nature as he slowly gets to the bottom of the plot. A pity there weren't more in the series with Pidgeon at the forefront. A great cast of character actors makes this a stand out! Don't miss it!

mbmnow Funny, back in the 30s, 40s and into the 50s the B picture was still a feature that was many times better that the A feature. Not the case here, except for Walter Pidgeon the rest of the actors can't pull off a lousy script. Typical "5th column" stuff from just before the war, I think it was to get the US ready for war with Germany. I understand this purpose but couldn't the studio generated a more realist script? As this was the last Nick Cannon film, I guess they decided to skip a script and get something out. I am watching the film as I type this, fortunately the credits are rolling now and I can turn off this turkey. As my summary says, Mr. Tritten review was Right On.

bkoganbing Master detective Nick Carter as played by Walter Pidgeon tangles with fifth columnists in Sky Murder. During the course of the film a murder does take place in a millionaire's private plane and at the climax another is attempted, but foiled.United States Senator George Lessey tips the famous private eye to this nest of traitors, but the leaders are an illusive group. His Senate investigating committee is looking into this and he'd like Carter to work for them.Of course Walter Pidgeon does things in his own way with sidekick Donald Meek with his ever present bees. They key seems to be refugee girl Kaaren Verne who is being pressured and not quite leveling with Pidgeon or anyone else about her situation.Once again Donald Meek whom I usually love as a character actor is downright annoying in this as he was in the other Nick Carter films as the bee man. Sometimes he's more of a danger to Pidgeon than the bad guys.Take note of Dorothy Tree in this film, she plays a hardcore Bundist type and well. Tree who later had blacklist troubles saw the other side of the struggle as the underground leader in the famous camp classic, Hitler - Dead Or Alive.There's a little more MGM type gloss to these Carter films which is also a bit out of place. But MGM didn't know how to do it any other way in the days of Louis B. Mayer.