Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat (1944)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Phil Rosen

Writers:

Earl Derr Biggers (characters)
George Callahan (story)

Release Date:

20 May 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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:

Chess | Murder | Locked Room | Charlie Chan | Chess Piece

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

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 should get married and raise large family. Once you have large family, all other troubles mean nothing.

Movie Connections:

Follows Charlie Chan's Greatest Case (1933)

Old Monogram Chan Film Like Diamond in Rough

Sidney Toler again reprises most honorable interpretation of Charlie Chan. This time Chan is helping a former police detective(now just a cop) and a beautiful woman out to clear her mother's name in the murder case of her step-father many months ago. It seems he was murdered in his study grasping a bishop from a chess set in the shadow of an ebony Chinese cat statue. Well, this film has a neat and tidy mystery - not too terribly clever or hard to grasp - but highly enjoyable nonetheless. Toler does his best in bringing charm and grace to the role of Chan with always a generous dose of subtle humour. Toler perhaps has too many clichés to throw out, but most of them in this film are amusing and some even telling. Benson Fong is back as #3 son. He and Toler have good chemistry, but he is even better when paired with cab driver/later to be chauffeur Birmingham Brown(played by a great, sometimes forgotten Mantan Moreland). Moreland is just wonderful in his portrayal of a witty, sometimes very blunt/direct working man playing against the characters of Chan and #3 son. Add to this that Moreland is just plain funny. He had me in stitches more than once in this film and every one of his scenes is a real hoot. All the acting is solid if not dazzling in any way. Ian Keith does a particularly solid job as a naysayer to Chan's gift of detection and John Davidson has a good time playing some weird twins Carl and Kurt. While not one of the best Chan films, Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat is a very entertaining entry.