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Charlie Chan in Egypt
USA 1935
produced by Edward T.Lowe for Fox Film
directed by Louis King
starring Warner Oland, Pat Paterson, Thomas Beck, Rita Cansino (= Rita Hayworth), Stepin Fetchit, Jameson Thomas, Frank Conroy, Nigel De Brulier, Paul Porcasi, Arthur Stone, James Eagles, Frank Reicher, George Irving, Anita Brown, John Davidson
screenplay by Robert Ellis, Helen Logan, based on a character created by Earl Derr Biggers
Charlie Chan, Charlie Chan (Warner Oland), Charlie Chan at Fox
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) is coming to Egypt to investigate
allegations of smuggling of archeological artefacts concerning
archeologist Professor Arnold's (George Irving) expedition - only to find
out the professor is no more, he has been killed and his body hidden in a
sarcophagus. Shortly after, the professor's son (James Eagles) is killed
as well, by a rare poison, and his daughter Carol (Pat Paterson) is
drugged. With the help of Carol's fiancé Tom (Thomas Beck) though,
Charlie finds out what whoever-it-is is after, a hidden treasure chamber
in the tomb Professor Arnold had been investigating, and even though he
cannot keep John from catching a (non-fatal) bullet or two, he has long
figured out who is really behind all the killings - not the religious
fanatic (Nigel De Brulier) who has attracted the police's suspicion, not
the family doctor (Jameson Thomas) who has repeatedly tried to sabotage
Chan's investigations, but professor Arnold's seemingly benign
brother-in-law Thurston (Frank Conroy), who tried to get his hands on the
hidden treasure even at the cost of lives - but in the end, Chan sees to
it that justice prevails ... A young Rita Hayworth (then named Rita
Cansino) can be seen in an early role in this one, but while she looks
gorgeous, she has no significance for the actual plot at all, while Stepin
Fetchit provides the comic relief, but is pretty much reduced to a racial
stereotype. Mediocre entry in the Charlie Chan-series:
Sure, the whole thing is far-fetched to the point of implausibility,
convoluted enough that you're at times not often sure what's going on, and
the killer gives himself away to the audience way too quickly by acting
way too unsuspicious, but a certain light-footed approach sees to it that
the whole thing still remains entertaining at least.
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