Directed by James Tinling
1935/USA
Fox Film Corporation
First viewing
Charlie Chan: Hasty conclusion like hind legs of mule – kick backwards.
Master-detective Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) travels to Shanghai ostensibly to visit the land of his ancestors but really to assist in a secret investigation. But the British agent he was to assist is murdered at Charlie’s welcoming banquet and Charlie soon finds himself dodging murder and kidnapping attempts. An American agent arrives and he and Charlie start on the trail of a gang of opium smugglers. With Keye Luke as Lee, Chan’s “Number 1 Son.”
This is a competent, fairly standard entry in the mystery series. It is notable for giving Oland a chance to show off his rich baritone singing voice when he entertains some children. Number 1 Son, whom I had not encountered before, is somewhat silly but also comes to his father’s assistance in this one.
I don’t think I have seen this one, Bea. They all tend to run together after a while but I’m sure I never heard Warner Oland sing….I would have remembered that. This may have been one of the better Chan films because they just kept getting worse, until they fell to Poverty Row studios with Roland Winters in the lead role. But the early ones with Oland were kinda’ fun.
It’s OK though I have noticed that none of these really play fair at all. They set up a bunch of suspects with possible motives and then solve the crime at the last second through some fact that just pops up out of nowhere. I’m debating about whether to be a completist about these. There are so many every year and they all seem to be on DVD! (I just scratched Will Rogers, who had a couple more entries in 1935.)