Nick Knattertons Abenteuer - Der Raub der Gloria Nylon (1959) Online

Nick Knatterton was a successful comic in the 50s; the success led to this big screen adaption which is an ok movie but suffers from being too faithful. The comic was a firework of visual gags and wordplay (on top of being a spoof of the superhero genre as well as agent and spy stories). But it was appearing as a weekly installment, so the storylines were always rather jumpy and erratic, and the characters stayed very flat.

So, while the ingredients of the comic are all in place - stupid criminals, trussed-up low-cut girl victims, dangerous low-cut ladies, techical gadgets and the (more or less) all-knowing, cynic and invincible (in the end) hero - it's too little to make the 90 minute film really gripping. Another drawback is the low budget: the actors were mostly B material and there's a very limited amount of sets.

At least it's not boring, most gags are ok, the pace is not too fast but relentless, many scenes even felt a few sentences short. Recommended for fans of the comics or completists of 50s german cinema.