Charlie Chan at the Circus (1936)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Harry Lachman

Writers:

Robert Ellis (writer)
Helen Logan (writer)

Release Date:

27 March 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

While visiting the circus with his family, Charlie is recruited by the big top's co-owner to investigate threatening letters that he's received.

Plot Keywords:

Circus | Threatening Letter | Murder | Contortionist | Gorilla

Cast

Warner Oland	...	Charlie Chan
Keye Luke	...	Lee Chan
George Brasno	...	Colonel Tim
Olive Brasno	...	Lady Tiny
Francis Ford	...	John Gaines
Maxine Reiner	...	Marie Norman
John McGuire	...	Hal Blake
Shirley Deane	...	Louise Norman
Paul Stanton	...	Joe Kinney
J. Carrol Naish	...	Tom Holt
Boothe Howard	...	Dan Farrell
Drue Leyton	...	Nellie Farrell
Wade Boteler	...	Lt. Macy
Shia Jung	...	Su Toy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Han Hsiang Li	...	Chan Son

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (DVD rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #1978) | USA:Unrated (video & dvd release)

Filming Locations:

El Monte, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Actor Keye Luke reportedly conflicted with director Harry Lachman over the latter's treatment of the circus midgets in the movie.

Quotes:

Charlie Chan: Curiosity responsible for cat needing nine lives.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Charlie Chan in Rio (1941)

This Chan Circus Should Have Been More Fun

I am a big fan of Charlie Chan, owning all the Warner Oland/Sidney Toler episodes I can find and enjoying them, but that doesn't mean they automatically are all wonderful. This one is okay, but disappointing considering how much better it could have been.

It did have its customary comic moments with Keye Luke as Number One Son and Charlie had a ton of proverbs, but they weren't particularly profound or humorous, just so-so. One thing different was the co-starring of real-life "small people" circus performers, George and Olive Branso, who were okay as actors.

With a setting like the circus, and with Chan's huge family all there (a dozen kids) they could have all kinds of interesting scenarios, but outside of a quick cobra scene and an ape making noise a few times, not much happened. This story was just plain flat overall until the final 10 minutes. The ending was pretty clever but it was a case of too-little, too-late.

Overall, it's not a bad film but there is an "edge" to this murder-mystery that is missing.