NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

Tyreece Hulme One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

MARIO GAUCI Although he had been brought to the cinema and TV screens before (in 1926 and 1927) and since (until the 1981 movie misfire virtually buried him), the classic "Charlie Chan" film series officially ran between 1929 and 1949 and saw four actors portray the character of the famed Oriental sleuth. Thanks to the same American friend through whom I obtained one of the entries in the "Mr. Moto" series, I also own the entire "Charlie Chan" franchise and have already, watched, enjoyed and reviewed a handful of them in the past. Together with the more popular CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA (1936; not least because of Boris Karloff's presence), the film under review is generally the best-regarded of the lot - both, in fact, are the only entries to rate a respectable ** in the esteemed "Leslie Halliwell Film Guide".Instead of Warner Oland and Karloff, here we have Sidney Toler (a Scotsman who inherited the role after Oland's untimely death and the one actor to slip into his investigating shoes the most – 22 times!) and Cesar Romero, plus a fine supporting cast that only adds to the fun: the ubiquitous Victor Sen Yung (as Chan's favourite, "No. 2" son), red-herring Douglass Dumbrille, reporter Douglas Fowley, police chief Donald MacBride, perennially-hungry waiter Wally Vernon, a little-seen Charles Halton, and ill-fated novelist Louis Jean Heydt. The film was directed by Norman Foster (his second of three Chans) who was more involved in the aforementioned concurrent "Mr. Moto" series, including the two entries I have watched from it so far.Toler's third stab at the role sees him land in San Francisco after waking up to the apparent suicide of his friend Heydt on the incoming flight (incidentally, I hazily recall these moments from a solitary Italian-TV broadcast of the film, along with others from the series, one Sunday morning during my childhood!). Suspecting unpleasant fellow traveler Dumbrille, Sen Yung clumsily follows him around while Toler is 'kidnapped' by MacBride's police. He is soon on the trail of the enigmatic occultist Dr. Zodiac who seems to have a stranglehold on much of the tourist resort's populace. Aiding him in unmasking the latter are rival Romero and pal Fowley…but, typically for these pulp thrillers, people and things are not to be taken at face value. Also involved in the broth are Dr. Zodiac's sinister Turkish attendant and an array of women who, however, often do more than just add local colour or provide eye candy. The plot wraps up with a lively finale depicting an eventful public challenge between prestidigitator Romero and the esoteric Dr. Zodiac.

Robert J. Maxwell A mind-numbingly simple murder mystery involving Sidney Toler, as Charlie Chan, investigating the killing of his best friend, Louis Jean Heydt, in San Francisco. I may be going mad but I kind of enjoyed it. Watching this cheap film after a day of coping with the usual stresses was like a long potation of cool beer from some microbrewery. There was an immediate, rather pleasant since of dizziness and a slight euphoria.Chan's friend Heydt is murdered aboard the China Clipper from Honolulu to the World's Fair on Treasure Island in San Francisco. Solemnly, Chan examines the body, finds a warning note from "Zodiac", and solemnly pockets the evidence and walks away with it to conduct his investigation. I don't think Chan bothers to tell his friendly colleagues in the SFPD but what the hell does it matter? The inquiry takes Chan and his son into a community of stage magicians and phony spiritualists. Toler as Chan is unfailingly polite, inquisitive, fatalistic, and filled with the wisdom of the East. "Man who find cat missing ought to skip General Tso chicken," or whatever.In the dark night club, the dark séance room, and the dark theater -- all the settings are dark, presumably to mask the tatty sets -- one murder follows upon another until, finally, all is revealed to the amazed assembly. It will come as a surprise.Cesar Romero is a legitimate illusionist, as magicians prefer to call themselves, and it's a little surprising to see some of the stage tricks revealed. Number Two Son is available to provide hysterical laughter as he dons a wig, a flat black hat, and a beard and apparently tries to pass himself off as a Lubavicher Rebbe. Donald MacBride is the cooperative Chief of Police. Douglass Dumbrille is an obvious suspect, if only because Douglass Dumbrille is ALWAYS an obvious suspect, even though he appears to be a genuine insurance investigator.Absolutely ludicrous. I think I'll buy the whole pack.

Lechuguilla On a plane headed to San Francisco, Charlie Chan and one of his sons witness the death of a famous writer. The man's death sets the film's plot in motion, as Charlie and company investigate the mysterious "Dr. Zodiac", a grim and extremely intimidating figure who is tall, wears a large mask, and has "psychic" powers.This is one of the better films in the Charlie Chan series. The story has some really good plot misdirection, consistent with the theme of magic. I correctly picked the killer, but only after a certain plot point toward the end. Up to that point, I was way off in my guess.But this film is superior to other Charlie Chan films mostly because of the terrific B&W cinematography. The lighting trends toward stark contrasts, with spooky shadows. Some good cross lighting and black curtain effects, together with great close-ups of eyes in the darkness, amplify the suspense. Overall visual styling is more complex, more artistic than in other Charlie Chan movies. The other-worldly persona of Dr. Zodiac combined with the striking visuals give the film real atmospheric character.I do have a couple of complaints. The suspect pool is not terribly exciting. I would have liked for the existing suspects to have more screen time; also, I would have preferred a larger number of suspects. Second, the way in which the whodunit puzzle is solved is not standard, to say the least. But maybe back in those days, people gave as much credence to mental telepathy as they did to logical deduction.The film uses San Francisco's "Treasure Island" as a backdrop to the story, which adds some contextual flavor to the film, though unnecessary to the plot. Overall, this is a fine film, one that will appeal especially to die hard Charlie Chan fans.

sabinalion48 Before history gets rewritten (incorrectly) on more of these comments, this movie was set at the Golden Gate International Exposition (sometimes erroneously known as the San Francisco World's Fair) which was held in San Francisco on what was known as Treasure Island in 1939 and 1940. (There is still a small museum of Expo artifacts in the horseshoe-shaped Administration Building.) It was not the "Century of Progress Exhibition" as some people have thought. That was the 1933 Fair held in Chicago! The real footage of this Exposition is terrific, especially the aerial views. I think the writers used the backdrop of the Expo to their advantage. The magic show was very entertaining and the clairvoyant was eerie. All in all, this is one of the best of the Chan series.