IMDb > Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936)

Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   961 votes
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Up 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Charles Belden (writer)
Earl Derr Biggers (character)
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Charlie Chan at the Opera on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
21 April 1937 (Denmark) more
Tagline:
A fiendish killer lurks at the opera! Weird! Thrilling! The Master Minds of Crime Match Wits Against Each Other!
Plot:
A dangerous amnesiac escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the opera house to wreak revenge on those who tried to murder him seven years earlier. full summary | add synopsis
User Comments:
One of the better Chans more (21 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
Warner Oland ... Charlie Chan

Boris Karloff ... Gravelle
Keye Luke ... Lee Chan
William Demarest ... Sergeant Kelly
Guy Usher ... Inspector Regan
Margaret Irving ... Mme. Lilli Rochelle
Gregory Gaye ... Enrico Borelli
Nedda Harrigan ... Mme. Lucretia Borelli
Frank Conroy ... Mr. Whitely
Charlotte Henry ... Mlle. Kitty
Thomas Beck ... Phil Childers
Maurice Cass ... Mr. Arnold
Tom McGuire ... Pop Morris - Stage Doorman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Bailey ... Detective (uncredited)
Charles Bancroft ... Soldier in Opera (uncredited)
John Bleifer ... Murdered Orderly (uncredited)
Stanley Blystone ... Backstage Cop (shoots Gravelle) (uncredited)
Myrna Bonillas ... Villager in Opera (uncredited)
Raymond Brown ... Guard (uncredited)
Carita Crawford ... Dancer in Opera (uncredited)
Patrick Cunning ... Villager in Opera (uncredited)
Zari Elmassian ... Mme. Rochelle (uncredited) (singing voice)
Jim Farley ... Detective (uncredited)
Larry Fisher ... Cop (uncredited)
Benson Fong ... Opera Supernumerary (uncredited)
Otto Fries ... Innkeeper (uncredited)
Bud Geary ... Cop (uncredited)
Milton Gowman ... Villager in Opera (uncredited)
Herschel Graham ... Villager in Opera (uncredited)
Harrison Greene ... Detective (uncredited)
Cliff Herd ... Stagehand (uncredited)
Charles Anthony Hughes ... Ambulance Doctor (uncredited)
Selmer Jackson ... Hudson, wire-photo technician (uncredited)
Gladden James ... Regan's Secretary (uncredited)
Jane Keckley ... 2nd Wardrobe Woman (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey ... Dugan, Policeman (uncredited)
Marc Lawrence ... Undetermined Minor Role (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Leonard Mellon ... Villager in Opera (uncredited)
Tony Merlo ... Villager in Opera (uncredited)
Dodo Newton ... Barmaid in Opera (uncredited)
Eddie Parker ... Cop (uncredited)
Richard Powell ... Cop (uncredited)
Enrique de Rosas ... Florist (uncredited)
Tony Roux ... Villager in Opera (uncredited)
Dick Rush ... Detective (uncredited)
Eddie Shubert ... Guard (uncredited)
Lee Shumway ... Sanatarium Guard (uncredited)
Mary Louise Smith ... Villager in Opera (uncredited)
Harry Strang ... Cop (uncredited)
Eddie Tamblyn ... Call Boy (uncredited)
Marjorie Timm ... Villager in Opera (uncredited)
Harland Tucker ... Private Detective (uncredited)
Hilda Vaughn ... Agnes - Wardrobe Woman (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan ... Smitty, Wire-photo Technician (uncredited)
Billy Wayne ... Electrician (uncredited)
Tudor Williams ... Gravelle's Singing Voice (uncredited) (voice)
Joan Woodbury ... Dancer in Opera (uncredited)
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Directed by
H. Bruce Humberstone 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Charles Belden  writer (as Charles S. Belden)
Earl Derr Biggers  character
Scott Darling  writer
Bess Meredyth  story

Produced by
John Stone .... associate producer
 
Original Music by
Charles Maxwell (uncredited)
 
Cinematography by
Lucien N. Andriot 
 
Film Editing by
Alex Troffey 
 
Art Direction by
Duncan Cramer 
Lewis H. Creber 
 
Costume Design by
Herschel McCoy  (as Herschel)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sol Michaels .... assistant director
 
Sound Department
Harry M. Leonard .... sound
George Leverett .... sound
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson .... wardrobe (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Samuel Kaylin .... musical director
Charles Maxwell .... orchestrator
 

Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Runtime:
68 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)
Certification:
Finland:K-16 | USA:Unrated

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Stage manager Maurice Cass vows that the opera will go on "even if Frankenstein walks in!" Audiences were well aware that this in-joke referred to star Boris Karloff, who was in the theater at the time. more
Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When they characters are all gathered in the dressing room after the murders and they are questioning Childers, he says he knew Madame Barelli well. What he actually meant to say Madame Rochelle (or Madame Lilli as she was being referred to). more
Quotes:
Charlie Chan: Honorable father once say, "Politeness golden key that open many doors." more
Movie Connections:
References Frankenstein (1931) more
Soundtrack:
Ah, Romantic Love Dream more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
4 out of 6 people found the following comment useful.
One of the better Chans, 16 March 2002
Author: Jeff (Inthegoodlife@Aol.com) from Jacksonville, FL

Charlie Chan at the Opera features a stellar cast, a great setting and some fine dramatic moments to go with a good mystery. Warner Oland as Chan solves the murder of an opera singer. Boris Karloff gives a typically stern and demonstrative performance as an escaped mental patient and top suspect while the rest of the cast is deep and talented. The plot has a lot of fun moments and is extremely dramatic. An opera score was created for the movie and provides a great backdrop to the action. Very tightly wrapped with very good performances, Charlie Chan at the Opera is one of the more entertaining Chan movies.

6.9/10

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