Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat (1944)

Director:

Phil Rosen

Writers:

Earl Derr Biggers (characters)
George Callahan (story)

Release Date:

20 May 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

"MUST CONFESS. HONORABLE SON...This Is My Most Baffling Case!"

Plot:

Charlie Chan investigates the locked-room murder of a chess expert.

Plot Keywords:

Fog | Chess | Secret Passage | Duplicity | Secret Door

Cast

Sidney Toler	...	Charlie Chan
Joan Woodbury	...	Leah Manning
Mantan Moreland	...	Birmingham Brown, Taxi Driver
Benson Fong	...	Tommy Chan, #3 Son
Ian Keith	...	Dr. Paul Recknik
Sam Flint	...	Thomas P. Manning
Cy Kendall	...	George Webster Deacon
Weldon Heyburn	...	Detective Lt. Harvey Dennis
Anthony Warde	...	Catlen
John Davidson	...	Carl Karzoff / Kurt Karzoff
Dewey Robinson	...	Salos
I. Stanford Jolley	...	Gannet (as Stan Jolley)
Betty Blythe	...	Mrs. Manning
Jack Norton	...	Hotel Desk Clerk
Luke Chan	...	Wu Song

Also Known As:

Murder in the Fun House (USA) (working title)
The Chinese Cat (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

USA:66 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved

Company:

Monogram Pictures Corporation

Goofs:

Continuity: The character played by Cy Kendall is identified as Webster Deacon in dialogue, but George Deacon in a newspaper insert.

Quotes:

Charlie Chan: You are smart enough to keep eyes open?
Tommy Chan: You bet!
Charlie Chan: Do likewise - keep mouth shut!

Movie Connections:

Follows The Chinese Parrot (1927)

Hey, Charlie, Lighten Up On The Kid

These Sidney Toler "Monogram" Chan films, the last in the series, don't measure up to Warner Oland's earlier efforts but they are still very entertaining to me. Even with Mantan Moreland, who probably offends the sensibilities of a lot of people with his scared black-man routine. I can see where that's offensive, but if you just take him as a comedian and let it go, you can enjoy and even laugh with him.

The only thing I did NOT find funny in here, but I normally do, is Charlie's insults to his kid. In this film, Tolder insults "Number Three Son" (Benson Fong) so many times that it borders on downright mean-spiritedness.

Anyway, it was still a "decent" combination of mystery and comedy and the ending was cool, with Chan and his assistants chasing the bad guys around a "fun house." All the Charlie Chan movies are entertaining.