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8 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Solidly Establishes The Series, 3 April 2005 Author: gftbiloxi (gftbiloxi@yahoo.com) from Biloxi, Mississippi
Of the first four Chan films in the Fox series, Charlie Chan Carries On (1931), Charlie Chan's Chance (1932), and Charlie Chan's Greatest Case (1933) have been lost; only the 1931 THE BLACK CAMEL remains to show the series in its early developmental stage. By the time of CHARLIE CHAN IN London the series has reached the standards that made it so widely beloved, a neat mixture of comedy and mystery, good production values, and solid acting.As is typical of the Chan series, the cast is first rate, offering an early glimpse of future Oscar-winner Ray Milland as well as a memorable performance by character actor E.E. Clive, who graced such films of the era as THE INVISIBLE MAN and DRACULA'S DAUGHTER. In this episode, Chan has traveled to England to bring a criminal captured in Hawaii to British justice--and is on the point of departure when he asked to intervene in a notorious murder case. With a man already convicted, Chan has but sixty-some hours to unmask the real killer before the wrongly convicted Paul Gray (Douglas Walton) is sent to his death.In some respects the film shows its era: it is very distinctly of the early sound period, and the camera is static and the performances often broad. But it captures all the essential elements of the Chan series as it starred Warner Oland, and (like THE BLACK CAMEL before it) it very specifically sets up Chan to use the racist attitudes of others to crime-solving effect. Warner Oland's Chan, and to a lesser extent Sidney Toler's Chan, would often encourage others to dismiss him as a "stupid Chinaman" all the better to trick the killer into carelessness--and the plot device is particularly apparent in the earliest Chan films.While CHARLIE CHAN IN London will never make a critic's short list of great films, it is quite a bit of fun, and Chan fans will enjoy it. Unfortunately, the film is not available on either VHS or DVD in the United States, and since it is considered "politically incorrect" it is rarely broadcast; Chan fans will have a hard time tracking it down.Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
5 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Good Chan, 10 March 2002 Author: Jeff (Inthegoodlife@Aol.com) from Jacksonville, FL
Charlie Chan in London has a great old world feel to it that keeps it from becoming boring, even while the plot meanders along. Chan is hired by the sister of a murder suspect to try to find the real killer before her brother is executed. The strength of the movie is the atmosphere, which is decidedly thick, and the strong plot which builds slowly but with a purpose. Chan is at his methodical best here and the mystery is fun, if you like the rather sedate pace and style. A good story that has a calm and stable feel to it.6.7/10
6 out of 7 people found the following review useful: No London fog here...., 2 July 2000 Author: pbalos from Panama City, Panama
"Contradiction please." Warner Oland is clearly at the top of his game here as he attempts to save an innocent man from the gallows with only hours to spare.Truly one of the better films in this series with the Swedish actor.He is surrounded by a unique cast of English characters.There are a couple of amusing moments with Chan climbing through a window and crawling from beneath a desk in what otherwise is a serious "whodunit." Really well done and a must for a Chan fan.
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: "Murder not very good joke - quite unfunny.", 23 June 2006 Author: bensonmum2 from Tennessee
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I've been a Charlie Chan fan since the early 70s when, as a 9 year old, I can remember watching the movies on the Late Show. While I can find something to enjoy in every one of these films, Charlie Chan in London is one of my favorites of the series. In this one, Chan is in a race against time as he's only got three days to save the life of a man wrongly accused of murder. It's got everything a Chan fan could ask for – an interesting mystery, a boatload of suspects, actually good comic relief, nice production values, and, of course, Warner Oland. By the time Charlie Chan in London was made, Oland seems to have hit his stride playing the title role. He's confident, polite, and brilliant – all the personality traits I've always associated with Chan. The supporting cast is as good in this one as you'll find in any of the Chan films. Ray Milland may be the most recognizable name, but it's the performances of Alan Mowbray and the incredible, scene-stealing E.E. Clive that really standout. The mystery at the center of the plot is well thought and the clues lead to a logical conclusion. Charlie Chan in London is a good one to play along with. It doesn't "cheat" as much with the reveal as some of the other Chan films.
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: another really good mystery, 7 January 2004 Author: mike battles (monsterlover58@sbcglobal.net) from modesto ca.
Charlie Chan In London Is the second oldest surviving film with Warner Oland in the role and is very entertaining. The story moves along at a pretty fast pace for this era in films. A young man is accused,and convicted of murder. He,s only days from execution when by chance his sister{portrayed by Drue Leyton} encounters Chan and convinces him to try and clear her brother. Charlie then begins a brisk investigation into the crime,which brings him to a country estate..there he is faced with the harrowing task of trying toidentify the real killer. With only about 48 hours to complete his investigation, Charlie moves quickly and eliminates several suspects... As he brings the case to a close..It is very surprising to find out the identity of the actual murderer..This is a film well worthwatching if you can get a copy..It,s never been released commercially. Also appearing in this entry are Alan Mowbray and Ray Milland, both give excellent performances...also included in the cast is E.E.Clive another great character actor of this era.
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Wonderfully ancient, 2 October 1999 Author: lousvr from NYC
Early Warner Oland 'Chan'. Atmospheric and wonderfully ancient. Plenty of charm. Wonderful example of early film making. Check out Ray Milland with that full head of hair!! Taken on it's own, an early little gem.
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful: Charlie Chan After The Fox, 17 February 2008 Author: Gary170459 from Derby, UK
Chronologically it's the 2nd Chan film extant after Black Camel, 4 others remain lost - Charlie is either getting into his stride in this or had already done so previously! The formula was in place, all they had to do from now on was reprise it with variations a couple of times a year. Whenever on TV in the past it always appeared murky to me but the copy I've just seen was pristine, with an astonishingly clear soundtrack.Paul Gray is incarcerated in Pentonville for murder but in a few days time is to hang – his sister believes him innocent, and apparently so does Charlie as he postpones his voyage to Honolulu to help them out. When arriving at the country house in Retfordshire where the deed was done he finds himself up against a wall of suspicious British stereotypes, ranging from Cockney idiots and brusque snobs to out and out racists, which of course he continually uses to his advantage in his unravelling of the case. And he unravels it perfectly, with a plethora of marvellous aphorisms and red herrings, but as so often had to happen also with a fool-the-murderer-into-finally-exposing-him/herself denouement.Swedish Warner Oland gave a wonderfully urbane performance as usual as the Chinese detective. Sadly as time goes on it's shown less and less on TV, partly because the schedulers who may not want to offend Chinese sensibilities also prefer to show violent and deviant films to the public instead, and partly because the public want it that way too. Hunt a copy down and revel in it!
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful: CHARLIE CHAN IN London (Eugene Forde, 1934) ***, 5 May 2006 Author: MARIO GAUCI (marrod@melita.com) from Naxxar, Malta
I had watched CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA (1936), considered the best of the series, sometime ago on Italian TV - mainly due to the involvement of Boris Karloff, but which I enjoyed a great deal. Last year I managed to get 5 other titles in the long-running series and did get to watch BEHIND THAT CURTAIN (1929) which, incidentally, also featured Karloff in a minor role. I next tried THE BLACK CAMEL (1931) - co-starring another great horror star, Bela Lugosi - but, unfortunately, the disc froze permanently around the 50-minute mark and, consequently, I never bothered with the rest of the films on the disc! However, my interest rose again after the upcoming Fox DVD (containing some of these very titles) was announced...This is a very enjoyable entry in the series with Warner Oland the quintessential Charlie Chan, delivering a plethora of his trademark witticisms. Though we've seen many a murder mystery with this setting, the plot twists still come off as fresh and quite unpredictable - and the limited time-frame in which it all happens (and around which hangs, no pun intended, the life of Douglas Walton, a convict awaiting execution) makes for a genuinely suspenseful little thriller. The film also features a vivid - and thankfully not too stereotyped - recreation of the aristocratic British way of life, a surprising villain, and an early role for Ray Milland (whose character functions more or less as a red herring).
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: "Thoughts are like noble animal, unchecked they run away causing painful smashup.", 19 January 2005 Author: classicsoncall from United States
Having just completed a successful investigation for the British Government, Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) finds himself confronted by a frantic Pamela Gray (Drue Leyton) who urges him to help clear her brother of murder. Paul Gray's only appeal has been rejected, and he faces execution in three days if his sister fails to convince Chan to take the case. Adding to Chan's concern is the belief of Paul Gray's attorney Neil Howard (Ray Milland) that Gray is guilty, and that does not bode well for his relationship with Pamela, to whom he is engaged to be married.Paul Gray's alleged victim was Air Force Captain Hamilton, the hunt secretary for Geoff Richmond, and a weekend guest at the Richmond summer estate in Retfordshire; the victim's body was found in the stable. Chan makes his entrance in rather uncommon fashion, climbing through the window of Pamela Gray's guest room at the Richmond home, having been rebuffed by a suspicious butler when he came calling in the normal manner. Practically crashing a Richmond dinner party in progress, Chan gathers all the party members who had testified at the original Gray trial. Two of the dinner guests relate how they heard Hamilton and Gray quarrel strongly on the evening of the murder. Some time later, Gray was seen walking from the direction of the stable where the victim was found. With time a factor, the detective intends to recreate the crime - "No time to expose lies, must expose truth."Upon first entering the stable, a horse reacts quite violently until calmed by the stable groom named Lake. This curious fact was never mentioned at the trial, and is the first real clue Chan has to work with - no one heard any commotion from the stable on the evening of the murder, suggesting that the horse was familiar with the murderer. This casts some suspicion on Lake, until Lake himself is found dead in what appears to be a suicide. However Chan convinces the local constable Sergeant Thacker that a bullet in the forehead would not have been possible unless fired with a thumb. Lake's dead hand held a pistol, but with his right index finger on the trigger.Another curious fact not brought up at the trial was Hamilton's penchant for inventing gadgets. Chan learned of this by interviewing a major of the Royal Air Force at the Farnwell Aerodrome. It seems Hamilton had a scheme for silencing warplanes, those plans having been stolen by the murderer. With a motive now firmly established, Chan is convinced that the plans are at the Richmond home, and cleverly engages Geoffrey Richmond's help in searching his study. Alone with Chan, Richmond sees an opening to remove the detective from the scene, as he is now perilously close to revealing the real murderer. Not to be outdone, Chan had already prepared to expose Richmond, with the local police stationed outside the study to make their apprehension at the appropriate time.As far as Charlie Chan mysteries go, "In London" is one of the better ones. With Warner Oland in his second outing as the Chinese detective, it's a cleverly told story, revealing clues in a well thought out manner and leading the viewer down a number of different paths before the murderer is finally revealed. The formidable list of suspects included the new hunt secretary Jardine, the previously mentioned stable groom, and suspicious butler Phillips (revealed to be Captain Seton, a military intelligence plant in the Richmond home), along with Paul Gray himself. Repeated references to the number of hours left before Gray is to be executed adds to the suspense, with Gray contemplating his gruesome fate with only four hours to go before the case is finally solved.It was the very next Charlie Chan film that introduced other members of the Chan family to the screen. "Charlie Chan in Paris" brings Keye Luke aboard as Number #1 Son Lee. In an interesting scene from "London", Charlie Chan warmly looks at a picture of his family in the hotel room he occupies; the family count in the picture shows eleven offspring, with an additional single baby picture that could be number twelve. The very early Chan films establish a strong continuity, and the growing family size is referred to often. It's these little nuances that make the Chan series of films as interesting for me as the mysteries they tell.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: After the Fox...Who Is the Fox?, 31 December 2004 Author: BaronBl00d (baronbl00d@aol.com) from NC
Paul Gray is going to die for a murder he has been sentenced for. Only one person believes he is innocent - his sister. His sister enlists the aid of honorable Honolulan detective Charlie Chan, who just happens to be in London for a brief stay. Chan is convinced to help the young lady secure her brother's freedom. This is a fine, creaky mystery with Warner Oland in top form as #1 detective Charlie Chan. The cast has several names in it with a very young Ray Milland as sister's boyfriend standing out the most. Veteran Character actor E. E. Clive gives a nice hammy performance as a police inspector unable to call Charlie Chan but rather Chang. Alan Mowbray also adds his distinguished persona to the mix. The mystery has a lot of red herrings, but I figured it out based on who had no herrings aimed at him/her. See if that helps you. Quite enjoyable!
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