The Worst Film Ever

That was an excellent one.

Sadly Over-hyped

Please don't spend money on this.

Associate producer: John Stone. Executive producer: Sol M. Wurtzel. Copyright 22 October 1937 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation. New York opening at the Central: 18 September 1937 (ran one week). U.S. release: 22 October 1937. 6,125 feet. 68 minutes.SYNOPSIS: A gangster's moll is murdered at the Hottentot Club. Charlie suspects foul play.NOTES: Number fifteen of the sixteen pictures made by Warner Oland in the series, and the third of five (four with Oland and one with Toler) directed by Eugene Forde.COMMENT: A lively entry with a great cast that will particularly delight Harold Huber's vast legion of fans. Harold has almost as much dialogue as Charlie himself in this one. In fact, all the players deliver solidly with the one notable exception of the player who is finally unmasked as the killer. Oddly, said player is happily convincing up to that moment but is then totally unable to strike the right murderous attitudes. Fortunately, the rest of the cast line-up more than compensates for this lapse, particularly Louise Henry (a charmingly vivacious catalyst), Joan Woodbury (who performs a torrid dance number with eye-catching dexterity), and the wonderfully perky heroine, Joan Marsh.Director Forde's staging varies from happily out-of-the-box (the cortege of welcoming police cars speeding off to the blaring strains of "Chinatown, My Chinatown"), to the reasonably stylish (Miss Woodbury versus the camera hounds) to the inconspicuously incompetent (a couple of wrong angles here and there that edit none too smoothly).As for the mystery itself, it's not only quite intriguing but fast paced and most lavishly (by "B"-picture standards) presented. Harry Jackson's lustrous photography deserves a special commendation.

***SPOILERS*** Warner Oland in his next to last film as Hawaiian master detective Charlie Chan gets involved in a double murder while attending a banquet in his honor by the New York Police Department as it's gust of honor. This has to do with mob moll Billie Bronson, Louise Henry, who after coming out of hiding in Europe was found gun down at the notorious mob hangout the Hottentot Club that her mobster boyfriend Buzz Moran, Leon Ames, ran.Charlie as usual is hampered by hi #1 Son Lee, Keye Luke, who among other things that made pop's job difficult was looking through the keyholes at the hotel, The Cartlon, that the two were staying at. It's a wonder he didn't get his head slammed by someone in the place opening up a door or being arrested by the hotel detective as a peeping Tom or Lee. As Charlie soon discovered the murder victim Billie Bronson's body was moved and evidence stolen when he was shown a photo of the murder scene. This lead Charlie #1 Son Lee as well as NYPD Police inspector Nelson, Harold Huber,to Billie Bronson's hotel room where there was discovered the body of murdered hoodlum Thomas Mitchell, Marc Lawrence, who's been following Billie all the way to NYC from far off Europe.***SPOILERS*** As it soon turned Billie had an explosive diary that she was going to use to blackmail members of the New York city police as well as well placed New York politicians and businessmen who were involved with the town's criminal element who was paying them off to look the other way. It's was one of those involved who, seeing the writing on the wall, cracked and exposed the entire operation by trying to gun down Charlie in front of a dozen witnesses including Inspt. Nelson and #1 Son Lee. It was #1 Son Lee who saved his dad from being shot and killed by running interference and body slamming the gunman before he could get a shot off.

A nightclub singer with a diary full of other peoples' secrets gets bumped off and her diary is stolen. Charlie Chan gets to work investigating all the suspects with (mostly unwanted) help from "Number One Son" Lee. This is a fun entry in the series helped by a great cast. Keye Luke is a treat, especially in his scenes with the lovely Toshia Mori. Each of the Chan films he was in is better just by his presence. Harold Huber plays the obligatory baffled police inspector. Donald Woods, J. Edward Bromberg, Joan Marsh, Leon Ames, Marc Lawrence, and Douglas Fowley all offer good support. Lon Chaney, Jr. has a quick cameo. Avoid reading too much about this one before you see it or the identity of the killer might be spoiled for you. I was taken by surprise!

Warner Oland and Keye Luke star in "Charlie Chan on Broadway" in this 1937 film also featuring Donald Woods, Joan Marsh, Louise Henry and Harold Huber. Chan (Oland) is on board ship with #1 son Lee (Luke). A woman (Henry) in another cabin hides something in one of Chan's drawers. Therein lies the plot hole - how is that Chan or Lee didn't find it? Assuming they never went into that drawer, which had unpacked clothing in it, wouldn't they have found it when they packed? Anyway, the woman turns out to be Billie Bronson, whom the mob got out of town because she knew too much. Now she's back, this time with her diary, and everybody wants it. Murders are the result, and Chan and Lee are on the case.There's not much of Broadway in this film except a couple of shots of Times Square, but it's fun nonetheless. Oland is a good Chan; he's younger than Sidney Toler, another Charlie, and Keye Luke is very likable as Lee.These movies are politically incorrect today, but they're entertaining and a great reminder of what ethnic populations had to endure if they were involved in films or even watching them. Despite some remaining problems, and there are some, things have improved.Good movie, fast moving.