Jeanskynebu
the audience applauded
Libramedi
Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant
Marva
It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,
Cody
One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.
gridoon2018
Basically, this is just another Charlie Chan film. It moves relatively well and has some good lines for Chan, but not much of it stays in your mind afterwards, except for the climax involving a plane and a clever trap devised by Chan to expose a saboteur. This sequence is pretty exciting, but it would have been even more exciting if Mr. Chan wasn't so utterly calm throughout, signaling to the viewer that it is all, indeed, merely a trap. The last-minute revelation of the real-real villain has become so customary, at least in the films of the series I have watched so far, that it has lost some of its shock impact. And despite the fact that "New York" appears in the title, it plays practically no part in the film, the action could have been set almost anywhere. My favorite Chan line (the last in the film): "Confidence of favorite son like courage of small boy at dentist: only evident after tooth extracted!" **1/2 out of 4.
blanche-2
Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is full of clever sayings in Murder in New York, from 1940. Also starring is Sen Yung as Jimmy Chan. They make a delightful team. Jimmy shows up unexpectedly while Charlie is in New York to attend a conference. He and a friend of his want to attend the World's Fair.It's not long before both Chans are on a case, when a friend of Charlie's, a detective, is murdered. Soon they're in the midst of the investigation of a sabotage ring, people being killed by poison gas pellets, an airplane crash, and plenty of suspects. The police ask Charlie to stick around and help. I don't think he gets to his conference, and Jimmy doesn't see the World's Fair, at least not yet.Donald McBride, Ricardo Cortez, Kane Richmond, Robert Lowery, Marjorie Weaver, and Joan Valerie are all featured.It's a fair mystery, enlivened by Charlie's witty dialogue. Frankly, any one of these films that has something to do with the war basically have similar plots: sabotage, missing formulas, spies, that type of thing.Sidney Toler is in good form. I have to say I prefer Warner Oland, who seemed to exhibit more energy and was more upbeat. Toler's humor comes from his sardonic line delivery and good chemistry with the actors. Both brought something special to the role.Whether the story is bad, good, confusing, whatever, with stereotypes abounding, somehow these films are always enjoyable.
SanteeFats
There are many Charlie Chan movies out there. They are generally pretty good. Either of the two actors that played Charlie Chan did a good job even though neither was of Asian heritage by any stretch of the imagination. These movies used logic and some humor, usually provided by the number two or three son and some from Chan himself (watch his face at times during the films). As usual for these movies Chan solves the case using unorthodox means and by miss direction including asking questions that direct the suspects attention where he wants them to go. Charlie is in New York for a convention. His Scotland Yard friend is killed and the hunt is on for the killer. After the usual search the guilty party is apprehended and every thing is fine.
Michael O'Keefe
It appears the formula for Charlie Chan mysteries is wearing itself thin. Even this movie's title could have been better or more descriptive. The Honolulu detective Chan(Sidney Toler)is in New York for a police convention when a Scotland Yard inspector friend of his falls victim of toxic gas poisoning. The gas is relatively new and is also being used by saboteurs plaguing an airline. Number Two Son Jimmy(Sen Yung)offers aid to the investigation, but you know how that is going to work out. The plot seems to lack urgency and just isn't one of the better films in the Charlie Chan series. The supporting cast features: Marjorie Weaver, Robert Cortez, Melville Cooper, Donald MacBride and Joan Valerie.