JohnHowardReid
Roland Winters (Charlie Chan), Mantan Moreland (Birmingham Brown, Chan's chauffeur), Deannie Best (Phyllis), John Alvin (Vic Armstrong), Victor Sen Young (Tommy Chan), Tim Ryan (Lieutenant Ruark), Pierre Watkin (Judge Armstrong), Russell Hicks (District Attorney Bronson), Philip Van Zandt (Tony Pindello), George Eldredge (Finley), Willie Best (Willie), Tristam Coffin (Ed Seward), Milton Parsons (Grail the undertaker), Edward Coke (Cartwright), Olaf Hytten (Bates the butler), Erville Alderson (Walter Somervale), Charlie Sullivan (Officer Murphy), Paul Scardon (custodian), William Ruhl (jailer), Lois Austin (landlady), Chabing (Miss Lee), John Shay (Stacey).Directed by WILLIAM BEAUDINE. Screenplay by W. Scott Darling and Sam Newman. Additional dialogue by Tim Ryan. Based on the character created by Earl Derr Biggers. Photographed by William Sickner. Production supervisor: Glenn Cook. Edited by Ace Herman. Supervising film editor: Otho Lovering. Musical director: Edward J. Kay. Art director: David Milton. Assistant director: Wesley Barry. Recorded by Frank McWhorter. Produced by James S. Burkett.Copyright 11 July 1948 by Monogram Pictures Corp. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 11 July 1948. U.K. release through Associated British-Pathé: July 1949 (sic). Theatrically released in Australia by British Empire Films. 7 reels. 5,884 feet. 65 minutes. Sydney opening as a support to Smart Woman at the Victory: 16 July 1949. . SYNOPSIS: A masked intruder fatally knives Judge Armstrong in his study, just before his nephew Vic arrives. Vic is knocked unconscious by the hidden murderer, who escapes. When Vic recuperates he finds his uncle's body, and is accused by Police Lieutenant Ruark. Ruark calls in Chan on the case, and Vic is released for insufficient evidence, though his girl Phyllis admits he had a quarrel with his uncle, who planned to have Attorney Lewis cut Vic out of his will. Fingerprints of Tony Pindello, supposedly executed six months prior at San Quentin, are found on the murder weapon. New evidence in the hands of the late judge, who presided at the trial, and district attorney Bronson indicates Pindello's innocence, but Bronson is killed by the same criminal, leaving Pindello's fingerprints. Cartwright, a Pindello juror, is also a victim of the killer. A masked man rifles the judge's safe for papers on the case and locks up Chan, Phyllis, Ruark and Lewis. Chan, his chauffeur Birmingham, and son Tommy discover Pindello's body missing from his grave.NOTES: Number 44 of the series.COMMENT: Average Chan mystery for the fans, slickly directed, with a good cast (including Milton Parsons in his customary role) and more gloss than is generally to be found in Monogram productions. The story also provides a rare opportunity to see the lovely Deannie Best, but what it has to do with a chest — any chest, Shanghai or otherwise, beats me!Some great performances highlight this otherwise mediocre entry in the series: Deannie Best (in her final — and only credited — movie appearance), Tris Coffin, John Alvin, Milton Parsons and Olaf Hytten. A great line-up, but, despite the promise of a plot variation on Agatha Christie's The A.B.C. Murders, too much footage is taken up with low comedy from the Mantan Moreland plus Victor Sen Yung team, and similar marking-time padding.
Hitchcoc
Roland Winters carries this off better than in his first couple efforts. There's a little more pizazz to this offering. Several men are killed who were associated with the conviction and execution of a hoodlum. Apparently, he was innocent of the crime. This brings into play someone who is seeking revenge. Since it is thought that he has no relatives or close associates, finding the guy is pretty hard. Once again, we have the poor guys, alone in their offices, with the windows open. They are attacked from behind and left to die. There is a red herring in the barrel that is never dealt with. A man who is the nephew of a judge is to be disinherited and becomes a suspect. He is cleared very quickly (a weakness in the plot--but then he is abundantly unattractive as a person) because of some findings. We pretty much never see him again. The problem with the whole thing is the circumlocutory mess that must be gone through to find our guy. There is an exhumation of a grave, done in about five minutes. It's hard to tell who is who in the fabric of things. When the solution comes my response was "Huh!" And, of course, the two hangers on are there again to participate.
mlraymond
This is one of the most entertaining of the later Charlie Chan films, with Roland Winters obviously enjoying himself in the role of the famed detective. The mystery is clever enough to hold up until the final revelation of who done it, with many humorous and atmospheric scenes leading up to the finale.The low brow Forties humor may not appeal to all modern viewers , but for die-hard Chan fans, such priceless moments as well meaning Number Two son Tommy and nervous chauffeur Birmingham ending up in jail, after attempting to apprehend a supposed crook ,who turns out to be a respectable citizen, are what make these Monogram Chan movies so much fun. Milton Parsons turns in one of his patented undertaker performances as an evasive mortician questioned by Chan, with a very funny bit by a pretty Asian receptionist, who responds to Charlie's polite greeting in his native language with a beaming, " I'm sorry, but I do not speak Chinese." The slightest hint of parody lurks beneath such classic moments as a suspect who had much to gain, being found over a dead relative ,holding the murder weapon; a faintly suspicious butler, and a mysterious figure in black creeping around the various murder scenes.This is a thoroughly enjoyable old mystery, with plenty of atmosphere and laughs for Charlie Chan devotees.
admjtk1701
Another great title let down by a poor script, low budget, and mostly bad acting. This film has Tim Ryan as police Lt. Mike Ruark, whom Chan calls, "Lt. Mike". Overall, it is annoying rather than endearing. Tim Ryan is credited with "additional dialogue". If only he came up with better words. Watch a Warner Oland Chan instead.
