The Scarlet Clue (1945)

Director:

Phil Rosen

Writers:

Earl Derr Biggers (characters)
George Callahan (writer)

Release Date:

11 May 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Charlie discovers a scheme for the theft of government radar plans while investigating several murders.

Plot Keywords:

Radar | Government | Radio Station | Charlie Chan | Radio

Cast

Sidney Toler	...	Charlie Chan
Mantan Moreland	...	Birmingham Brown, Chauffeur
Virginia Brissac	...	Mrs. Marsh
Ben Carter	...	Ben Carter
Benson Fong	...	Tommy Chan
Robert Homans	...	Capt. Flynn (as Robert E. Homans)
Jack Norton	...	Willie Rand
Janet Shaw	...	Gloria Bayne
Helen Deverell	...	Diane Hall (as Helen Devereaux)
Victoria Faust	...	Hulda Swenson / Janet Carter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kernan Cripps	...	Detective (uncredited)
I. Stanford Jolley	...	Ralph Brett / Rolfe Braut (uncredited)
Charles Jordan	...	Nelson - Radio Actor (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Police Radio Expert (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Herbert Sinclair (uncredited)
Reid Kilpatrick	...	Wilbur Chester (uncredited)
Frank Mayo	...	Detective Hodge (uncredited)
Leonard Mudie	...	Horace Karlos (uncredited)
Tom Quinn	...	Chemist (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Sgt. McGraw (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan	...	Mr. Hamilton (uncredited)
Charles Wagenheim	...	Rausch (uncredited)
Crane Whitley	...	Cooper (uncredited)

Directed by
Phil Rosen

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Earl Derr Biggers		characters
George Callahan		writer

Produced by
James S. Burkett	....	producer

Cinematography by
William A. Sickner		(as William Sickner)

Film Editing by
Richard C. Currier		(as Richard Currier)

Production Management
William Strohbach	....	production manager (as Wm. Strohbach)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eddie Davis	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Tom Lambert	....	sound recordist

Music Department
Edward J. Kay	....	musical director

Other crew
Dave Milton	....	technical director

Production Companies

• Monogram Pictures

Distributors

• Monogram Pictures (1945) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anglo-American Film Corporation (1945) (UK) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Charlie Chan: The Scarlet Clue (Australia)

Runtime:

65 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #10732) | Australia:PG

Company:

Monogram Pictures

Trivia:

Leonard Mudie plays a horror actor called Horace Karlos. Ironically, when Boris Karloff was at Monogram doing his Mr. Wong series, he used a plot device similar to the method of murder utilized here.

Quotes:

Tommy Chan: You know Pop, I've got an idea about this case.
Charlie Chan: Yes, well?
Tommy Chan: Well, I had an idea, but it's gone now.
Charlie Chan: Possibly could not stand solitary confinement.

Movie Connections:

Follows The House Without a Key (1926)

Among the Better Monogram Chans

Loosely based on novels by Earl Derr Biggers, 20th Century Fox's Charlie Chan series proved an audience favorite--but when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor the studio feared audiences would turn against its Asian hero. This was a miscalculation: actor Sidney Toler took the role to "poverty row" Monogram Studios, where he continued to portray the character in eleven more popular films made between 1944 and his death in 1947.

20th Century Fox regarded the Chan films as inexpensive "B" movies, but even so the studio took considerable care with them: the plots were often silly, but the pace was sharp, the dialogue witty, and the casts (which featured the likes of Bela Lugosi and Ray Milland) always expert. The result was a kindly charm which has stood the test of time. Monogram was a different matter: Chan films were "B" movies plain and simple. Little care was taken with scripts or cast and resulting films were flat, mediocre at best, virtually unwatchable at worst.

Released in 1945, THE SCARLET CLUE is neither the best nor worst of the Monogram Chan films, certainly better than such dreadful entries as THE TRAP but a far cry from its 20th Century Fox counterparts. At the same time, however, the film has a certain interest due to its setting: a broadcast company. It would be a mistake to look to any Chan film for factual information, but the film does remind us--and quite effectively so--of that moment in time when radio still dominated even as television (which is repeated mentioned) began to make inroads with the public.

The story, such as it is, finds Chan (Toler) acting as a federal agent who is investing a murder involving radar secrets. When a stolen car leads him to a radio actress he soon finds himself in the middle of the broadcast company itself, where murderous communications are issued via teletype and elevators become instruments of death. It's all very flyweight stuff, but the details make the film watchable--as does the occasional actor, with Mantan Moreland a case in point.

In today's world the type of roles assigned to Moreland would be thought racist, but taken within the context of what was possible for an African-American actor at the time they remain remarkably charming. To it's credit, Monogram recognized Moreland's appeal, and always took care to give his name highly-placed credit in the cast lists. THE SCARLET CLUE is particularly interesting because it also allows us to see Moreland perform a few bits of his "interrupted talk" stage routine, performed here with Ben Carter--a bit of comedy that is every bit as clever as any thing you might find in Abbot and Costello's best work of the same period.

When all is said and done, THE SCARLET CLUE is indeed watchable, but it really is best left to hardcore Chan fans. Newcomers would do better to begin with the 20th Century Fox films, which are now at last becoming available on DVD.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer