That was an excellent one.

Sorry, this movie sucks

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The Black Camel (1931) *** (out of 4) Hollywood actress Shelah Fane (Dorothy Revier) is in Hawaii filming a new movie and she's also been asked by a man for her hand in marriage. Before she can commit she calls on her personal psychic Tarneverro (Bela Lugosi) for a reading. Not long afterwards the actress is found dead in her room and Inspector Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) is soon on the case, which contains a number of possible suspects.This here was Oland's second time playing Chan but sadly the first film CHARLIE CHAN CARRIES ON is now lost. THE BLACK CAMEL is the earliest surviving film from Oland's series and it's also a terrific way for one to be introduced to the character, the actor and the series. This here is certainly a very good mystery that has some terrific lines, an excellent cast and of course the character of Chan is just so good that it's really hard to mess it up.The film benefits from having a pretty good mystery. We're given a good amount of screen time to get to know the eventual victim and I think this makes the viewer have a stronger interest in finding out those guilty of her murder. The screenplay not only gives us the victim to like but we're also treated to a terrific amount of suspicious characters including the psychic, the man the victim turned down for marriage as well as others who might surround another mysterious death. The screenplay is at least written well enough to where you are kept guessing at who the killer might be right up to the conclusion.These characters are brought to life thanks in large part to the wonderful performances with Oland clearly leading the way. Having come off playing Dr. FuManchu, you have to wonder why Oland wanted to jump into another Asian character but thankfully for film buffs he did. He's really terrific here and there's not a single second where you don't believe him as this character. Lugosi is also excellent in his supporting role and his chemistry with Oland makes you disappointed that they didn't team up in further outings. I also thought Revier was very good in her early scenes as were Sally Eilers and William Post, Jr.. Horror fans will also enjoy seeing Dwight Frye in a good supporting role.THE BLACK CAMEL has some flaws including the incredibly annoying assistant Kashimo but this here doesn't take away too much of the film's charm. The terrific cast, strong characters and good mystery makes this film very much worth checking out.

Early Charlie Chan film notable today for being the only one of the first five Warner Oland Charlie Chan films to survive. The other four are sadly lost. Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) investigates a movie star's murder and how it connects to an unsolved murder from three years earlier. The suspects include Bela Lugosi as a psychic, Dwight Frye as a butler, and Robert Young, in his film debut, as an annoying guy who keeps coming up with lame slogans.Interesting early non-horror work from Lugosi. At times, he seems so different from the Lugosi we know -- more at ease and not at all hammy. At other times he is the Bela we expect -- mid-sentence pauses and exaggerated facial expressions. Oland is good but he would get better as the series goes along. There are no sons for Charlie here, but he does have a rather unfunny sidekick named Kashimo (Otto Yamaoka). Very nice direction and a script based on Earl Derr Biggers' book of the same name. A must for Chan fans.

This is more interesting than some of the other entries in the series. In 1931 Fox seemed to be hitting its stride with Warner Oland. The plot isn't very different, but the director, Hamilton MacFadden, handles the story with zip. It must have cost more. When Charlie is interrogating a suspect, the others stand around in a semi circle although they have nothing much to contribute except expressions of concern or scowls of disapproval. There aren't many atmosphere people because there's little need for them, but they're managed nicely too. It all adds visual texture.And, as far as I can remember, this is the only Charlie Chan movie I've ever seen that was actually shot on location. We see the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Diamond Head, the Punchbowl, all tourist spots. And especially impressive are the first opening scenes of a movie being shot on Waikiki Beach, right about the spot from which I once stole a towel belonging to the Moana. There's something about that old black and white film stock. The white sand practically glows in the sunlight. The breeze blows, the curtain of the dressing-room tent billows, and the sea scintillates with diamonds.It's also kind of neat to see both Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and his hapless victim Renfield (Dwight Frye) in subordinate roles. There is also an extraordinarily young Robert Young as a gay vacationer in love with one of the female suspects. As Charlie, Warner Oland is jowly and shabby but quick on his mental feet. He practically toe dances across everybody else, including his superiors in the Honolulu Police Department.The plot? Oh, that. A beautiful young actress is murdered. There are at least half a dozen suspects who seem to be hiding something. No old houses or trap doors or mechanical tricks though. They weren't really needed. When one of those raggedy but devoted artists is shot in the back, it's done in the great outdoors, among the coconut palms. Did I say that good use was made of locations? I think I did. Scenes that could readily have been done back at the Fox Studio -- a contretemps on the lanai, a brief exchange over lunch al fresco -- are photographed in the actual settings instead of a sound stage.The dialog is what we've come to expect from Charlie Chan. "Harder to keep murder secret than to bounce egg on sidewalk." "Use lie detector? I already have one -- called wife." And "If it walk like duck and talk like duck, then need few more minutes in microwave." (Well, not that one.) It's 1931, folks. The movie looks a little contrived in many ways, but consider its era. And its place in history. These mostly inexpensive little features were cash cows for the studios of the time. Most of these series are almost forgotten now -- Deanna Durbin, Shirley Temple, The Three Mesquiteers, Mister Wong and Mister Moto -- but they kept people working during some hard times.

This is the first in a series of Charlie Chan films I'll be reviewing in the next several days. It's also the earliest surviving one of the official series entries, not to mention the only one that's actually based on one of creator Earl Derr Biggers' novels that's still in existence (unless the other four are eventually found, that is). In this one, a movie starlet gets it after her past gains on her. As one expects, Chan rounds up the suspects and ...oh, just watch. Anyway, among the supporting cast are Bela Lugosi and Dwight Frye, both of whom would become familiar to audiences for their work on Dracula the same year. Also on hand is Robert Young-years before "Father Knows Best" and "Marcus Welby, M.D."-as part of a young loving couple. Incidentally, his character's name-before playing Jim Anderson on FKB-is Jimmy. Also, I have to mention he's another show biz veteran native to my birthtown of Chicago, Ill. In contrast to his young adult sons in subsequent films, here Chan has to tolerate a goofy Japanese-American assistant named Kashimo (Otto Yamaoka) who, while extremely annoying, does inspire some funny wisecracks from Chan. The actor playing Charlie, Warner Oland, does quite well with his part even this early in the series. A mix of beautiful Hawaiian backgrounds and atmospheric shadows at night provide just the right balance of entertainment especially when a bunch of children sing a native song that I automatically recognized from an instrumental that played during a honeymoon scene in my favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life. And how amusing was it seeing Charlie sitting with his offspring at the dinner table where his children's slang of the time confuses the hell out of him? So on that note, I highly recommend The Black Camel.