The Master Detective (1933) Review: Lots of Yodeling, Not Much Sleuthing

Should you watch The Master Detective tonight? Honestly, probably not unless you have a deep, slightly worrying obsession with 1930s German regional comedies.

It is a very loud, very Bavarian slapstick movie that will make modern audiences either laugh at the sheer absurdity of it or turn it off after ten minutes of yodeling. If you enjoy old-school, silly chaos like Innocent Husbands, you might find some charm here. Otherwise, it might just give you a headache. 🪕

The plot is pretty thin, to be honest.

We got this clerk played by Weiß-Ferdl who thinks he is literally Sherlock Holmes. He is always snooping around, sticking his nose where it does not belong and driving everyone crazy.

His niece gets so annoyed that she and her boyfriend invent a fake kidnapped heiress just to keep the old man busy. It is basically a 1930s prank video but with more accordion music.

The whole thing takes place in Bavaria, so expect lots of leather shorts, big beer mugs, and scenic mountains. The outdoor scenes are actually quite nice to look at, even if the film quality is a bit grainy.

At one point, there is this dance scene that goes on for what feels like an eternity. People are spinning around, spilling beer, and the camera just... sits there. I think the director might have fallen asleep. 😴

But then Fritz Kampers shows up and things get a bit more lively. He has this great, expressive face that belongs in a silent film like The Sleep Walker.

Actually, a lot of the humor feels like it was written for a silent movie and they just slapped sound on top of it. Like, there is a bit where a guy trips over a chair and the crashing sound effect is so loud it startled my cat.

Some of the jokes do not translate well today, or maybe they were just never funny. There is a gag about a dog that I did not really get, and some of the dialogue feels very stiff.

The actress Ery Bos is cute, though she does not have much to do besides look worried. She has that classic look, similar to the leads in The Amateur Wife.

It reminded me of the simple setups in Sailor's Holiday where the plot is just an excuse for people to act silly. *The Master Detective* is exactly that—dumb, cozy, and harmless.

Just do not expect a real mystery. The "detective" work is mostly just a guy falling into bushes. 🌳

Odd little things I noticed:

• The main character's mustache looks like it was glued on sideways.
• There is a background actor who keeps staring directly at the camera during the tavern scene.
• The beer foam looks suspiciously like soap bubbles. 🧼

If you have seen The Fishing Fool, you know how these early comedies can be a bit of a mixed bag. This one is no different, but it is a neat time capsule if you are in the right mood.