Although he had been brought to the cinema and TV screens before (in 1926 and 1927) and since (until the 1981 movie misfire virtually buried him), the classic "Charlie Chan" film series officially ran between 1929 and 1949 and saw four actors portray the character of the famed Oriental sleuth. Thanks to the same American friend through whom I obtained one of the entries in the "Mr. Moto" series, I also own the entire "Charlie Chan" franchise and have already, watched, enjoyed and reviewed a handful of them in the past. Together with the more popular CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA (1936; not least because of Boris Karloff's presence), the film under review is generally the best-regarded of the lot - both, in fact, are the only entries to rate a respectable ** in the esteemed "Leslie Halliwell Film Guide".
Instead of Warner Oland and Karloff, here we have Sidney Toler (a Scotsman who inherited the role after Oland's untimely death and the one actor to slip into his investigating shoes the most – 22 times!) and Cesar Romero, plus a fine supporting cast that only adds to the fun: the ubiquitous Victor Sen Yung (as Chan's favourite, "No. 2" son), red-herring Douglass Dumbrille, reporter Douglas Fowley, police chief Donald MacBride, perennially-hungry waiter Wally Vernon, a little-seen Charles Halton, and ill-fated novelist Louis Jean Heydt. The film was directed by Norman Foster (his second of three Chans) who was more involved in the aforementioned concurrent "Mr. Moto" series, including the two entries I have watched from it so far.
Toler's third stab at the role sees him land in San Francisco after waking up to the apparent suicide of his friend Heydt on the incoming flight (incidentally, I hazily recall these moments from a solitary Italian-TV broadcast of the film, along with others from the series, one Sunday morning during my childhood!). Suspecting unpleasant fellow traveler Dumbrille, Sen Yung clumsily follows him around while Toler is 'kidnapped' by MacBride's police. He is soon on the trail of the enigmatic occultist Dr. Zodiac who seems to have a stranglehold on much of the tourist resort's populace. Aiding him in unmasking the latter are rival Romero and pal Fowley but, typically for these pulp thrillers, people and things are not to be taken at face value. Also involved in the broth are Dr. Zodiac's sinister Turkish attendant and an array of women who, however, often do more than just add local colour or provide eye candy. The plot wraps up with a lively finale depicting an eventful public challenge between prestidigitator Romero and the esoteric Dr. Zodiac.
Instead of Warner Oland and Karloff, here we have Sidney Toler (a Scotsman who inherited the role after Oland's untimely death and the one actor to slip into his investigating shoes the most – 22 times!) and Cesar Romero, plus a fine supporting cast that only adds to the fun: the ubiquitous Victor Sen Yung (as Chan's favourite, "No. 2" son), red-herring Douglass Dumbrille, reporter Douglas Fowley, police chief Donald MacBride, perennially-hungry waiter Wally Vernon, a little-seen Charles Halton, and ill-fated novelist Louis Jean Heydt. The film was directed by Norman Foster (his second of three Chans) who was more involved in the aforementioned concurrent "Mr. Moto" series, including the two entries I have watched from it so far.
Toler's third stab at the role sees him land in San Francisco after waking up to the apparent suicide of his friend Heydt on the incoming flight (incidentally, I hazily recall these moments from a solitary Italian-TV broadcast of the film, along with others from the series, one Sunday morning during my childhood!). Suspecting unpleasant fellow traveler Dumbrille, Sen Yung clumsily follows him around while Toler is 'kidnapped' by MacBride's police. He is soon on the trail of the enigmatic occultist Dr. Zodiac who seems to have a stranglehold on much of the tourist resort's populace. Aiding him in unmasking the latter are rival Romero and pal Fowley but, typically for these pulp thrillers, people and things are not to be taken at face value. Also involved in the broth are Dr. Zodiac's sinister Turkish attendant and an array of women who, however, often do more than just add local colour or provide eye candy. The plot wraps up with a lively finale depicting an eventful public challenge between prestidigitator Romero and the esoteric Dr. Zodiac.