Funny Axis?

NAZTY NUISANCE-1943-Bobby Watson returns as Hitler in this WW2 comedy sequel to THE DEVIL WITH HITLER. The Fuhrer visits a mythical middle eastern nation to sign a peace agreement. Joe Devlin is Mussolini and Johnny Arthur is Sukiyuki, the Japanese counterpart. Frank Faylen is a shipwrecked seaman who poses as a local island tribe's magician. There's a lot of politically incorrect and outright racist humor and slapstick gags involving magic and an orangutan. Jean Porter plays a native girl who helps Faylen out. Henry Victor (WHITE ZOMBIE) is one of Hitler's emissaries. The stupid trio wind up on a German sub (which Americans hijacked) trapped at the bottom of the ocean. The axis partners get shot out head first into a sand dune at the end. Ian Keith and Emory Parnell are also in it.

Though it was directed by Glenn Tryon who also did THE DEVIL WITH HITLER this isn't nearly as good. Star Watson played Hitler in at least 10 features!

Lost Film Found (well half anyway...)

THE WHITE SHADOW-1924-Although Graham Cutts is the credited director, the assistant director, editor, set designer and scenarist are all credited to one man: Alfred Hitchcock, a year before he directed his first film.

This film was long thought to be lost but an incomplete print (only 3 of it's 6 reels were located) was found in New Zealand. A lot happens and this new version uses title cards to explain what's missing (most importantly the ending!). It's a tale of two sisters, one bad and one good both played by American actress Betty Compson. Murder, a case of mistaken identity (deliberately caused by the twins) and a gambling hall called "The Cat That Laughs" figure in the plot. Clive Brook (who played Sherlock Holmes in 3 early sound films) and Henry Victor (WHITE ZOMBIE) are also in it.

I found it ironic that I watched this after posting ESCORT GIRL which Compson (at the time of SHADOW a box office star) starred in many years later!

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Watching The Detective!

NICK CARTER-MASTER DETECTIVE-1939-In his first starring role Walter Pidgeon plays Nick Carter, a NYC detective. He's hired by the owner of a defense plant (Addison Richards ) where a new kind of plane is being tested to prevent anymore sabotage by foreign agents. Henry Hull plays the scientist who invented it. After he's killed Carter suspects a nurse (Rita Johnson) but it's really the seemingly nice guy doctor (Stanley Ridges. who was in BLACK FRIDAY with Karloff &Lugosi the next year).

Martin Kosleck and Milburn Stone are spies who pretend to be injured and smuggle out microfilm. Henry Victor (the strong man in FREAKS) is the head of the spy ring. Donald Meek plays a comical private eye/bee keeper who shows up at various times to try and help. The climax takes place at sea with Carter in an aerial duel with the spies' boat. Sterling Holloway and Frank Faylen have small roles.

There's nothing special about this little mystery but it moves along quickly. In fact it almost seems like a an overlong TV show. Oh wait, I forgot TV hadn't been invented in 1939!

The first Nick Carter story appeared as a "dime store" novel in 1886! The persona of Carter was revised several times (like becoming more of a Pulp hero in the early '30's to compete with THE SHADOW and DOC SAVAGE). Several silent films made in France first featured the detective.

After an MGM trilogy Columbia made a serial featuring Nick's son Chick! The character was later again revived in for two movies featuring Eddie Constantine in the lead role. Robert Conrad played him in a made for TV movie in 1972. A radio series ran from 1943 to 1955.

NCMD was only the second full length feature for French born director Jacques Tourneur who in 1942 would direct the classic CAT PEOPLE.

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Zombies Rule Ok-Part 1

KING OF THE ZOMBIES-1941-Hokey horror fun from Monogram. The three man crew of a small plane crash lands on an island where the mad scientist Dr. Sangre (Henry Victor) is using voodoo and black magic to raise the dead. Actually he wants to transfer the mind of a US admiral into the body of his niece to obtain secret government information!

Dick Purcell (who’d play the lead in the Captain America serial 2 years later) and John Archer try to figure it all out. Mantan Moreland is Purcell’s (usually sacred) butler but despite the racial stereotype Moreland’s character is the only one who actually knows what’s really going on, has the funniest lines and helps save the day! Victor had played Hercules the strong man in FREAKS.

Thanks for reading!