Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936)

Charlie Chan at the Opera
Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone
Written by Scott Darling and Charles Belden, based on a story by Bess Meredyth, based on a character created by Earl Derr Biggers
1936/USA
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
First viewing

[box] Mr. Arnold: I’m stage manager here and this opera’s going on tonight even if Frankenstein walks in.[/box]

This Charlie Chan movie is taken out of the routine by the performance of Boris Karloff.

Karloff plays a patient at an insane asylum who has amnesia.  Distant memories are awakened when he sees a picture of an opera diva.  He throttles the attendant and escapes.  The police ask Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) to assist in the manhunt.  Karloff heads straight for the opera where he goes on for the baritone in a scene in which his character stabs the diva.  When the diva and her lover turn up dead Karloff’s character is naturally the prime suspect.  What can Charlie Chan add to the case?  With William Demerest as a blundering detective.

This is probably my favorite in the Charlie Chan series so far.  It follows the formula but Karloff is so good that it kept my interest.