'Master Detective' is a German comedy filmed on a small budget, but the film makes splendid use of stock footage and some beautiful shots of the Bavarian countryside and a ski resort. (All of the exterior sequences in this movie look like Bavaria, as far as I can tell.)
The Bavarian comedien Weiß-Ferdl, who reminds me of the American-born 'Swedish' comedian El Brendel, stars here as a Walter Mitty-ish filing clerk who fantasises about being a detective. His workmates nickname him 'Schnauzer' due to his prominent nose, his nosey-parker behaviour and his pet dog. 'Schnauzer' is always on the lookout for crimes or suspicious behaviour. His niece (Ria Waldau) has got a new boyfriend (Rolf von Goth), so Schnauzer is busy investigating the situation as a self-appointed private eye. The niece and her boyfriend want to keep Schnauzer busy with a distraction, so Rolf's friends plant a fake story about a kidnapped Chicago heiress, and they post a (fake) large reward for her safe return. Lured by the reward, Schnauzer goes off in search of the heiress. Of course, he blunders into a real crime...
What is it about Germans and comedy? Every culture has its own perceptions about humour, but this usually isn't a problem for me. I laugh heartily at many foreign-language comedies which have cultural references vastly different from my own. Yet German comedy films so often leave me cold. 'Master Detective' isn't very funny, and most of its gags are predictable. Much of this movie is like a very, VERY bad 'Inspector Clouseau' rip-off. Yet the photography and editing are excellent, and several actors give good performances in this film. I'll rate 'Master Detective' 4 out of 10. Nice try.
