Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo

USA 1937
produced by
John Stone for 20th Century Fox
directed by Eugene Ford
starring Warner Oland, Keye Luke, Virginia Field, Sidney Blackmer, Harold Huber, Kay Linaker, Robert Kent, Edward Raquello, George Lynn, Louis Mercier, George Davis, John Bleifer, Georges Renavent
story by Rogert Ellis, Helen Logan, screenplay by Charles Belden, Jerome Cady, based on characters created by Earl Derr Biggers

Charlie Chan, Charlie Chan (Warner Oland), Number One Son Lee Chan, Charlie Chan at Fox

review by
Mike Haberfelner

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During a stopover in Monte Carlo en route to Paris, Charlie Chan (Warnder Oland) and Numbe One Son Lee (Keye Luke) stumble upon a murder victim - and after being temporarily arrested for the murder themselves thanks to Lee's poor grasp of the French language, they help the local inspector Joubert (Harold Huber) to solve the case. The whole thing revolves around a bag of bonds which the murdered man, a money courier (Georges Renavent), was to deliver to the stock market for his boss Victor Karnoff (Sidney Blackmer). Needless to say, the bonds were stolen in the process.

The suspects include Karnoff's wife (Kay Linaker), who has stolen some of the stolen bonds (before they were stolen) to pay her ex-husband/blackmailer Al Rogers (George Lynn), who is of course also a suspect. Then there's also Karnoff's adversary Savarin (Edward Raquello) and his moll Evelyn (Virginia Field), whom he uses for spying purposes. The last two even admit to having been at the scene of the crime but claim they have found the courier already dead.

Soon everybody zeroes in on Al Rogers, but then he is found dead, an obvious suicide, with the bag of stolen bonds besides him. Now this looks as good as a confession, but Chan has his doubts, proves that Rogers has not killed himself, finds part of the stolend parts in Karnoff's own safe (the last place they're supposed to be), and eventually figures the killer can be but one man - Karnoff's own aide Gordon Chase (Robert Kent), who's also the brother of his wife. Chase manages to make a successful getaway, but is then hit by a car and killed ...

The last Charlie Chan film starring Warner Oland in the title role is a somewhat routine murder mystery - but as much had to be expected considering the film was already the 16th entry in a series running for 6 years (only counting the Oland-Chans here). However, as a routine mystery featuring familiar characters, this one works quite nicely, as the whole film is told in a light-footed way, Oland and Keye Luke display wonderful chemistry without overdoing their routine (as they have in some earlier movies), Harold Huber is pretty funny without ever becoming annoying, and the rest of the cast is at least competent.

All this results in nothing great, but nice entertainment nevertehless.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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