The Jade Mask

This is my ninth review of a Charlie Chan movie in series chronological order on these consecutive days. In this one, a scientist working for the government is murdered in his house. As usual, Charlie rounds up the suspects there...Instead of his usual "No. 2 Son" Jimmy, Chan has "No. 4 Son" Eddie (or Edward as he prefers to be called) on board assisting him. He is played by Edwin Luke, younger brother of "No. 1 Son" Lee who was played by Keye Luke in the earlier Warner Oland entries. Unlike the other Chan sons, this one is not so bumbling since he wears glasses and is a bit intellectual though he's also not as charismatic. Good thing there's still Mantan Moreland's Birmingham Brown to provide the charms especially since his "scared stiff" stereotyped role is a little subdued though he does provide a quite funny ending due to that. Another funny comic relief character is provided by the slow talking Sheriff Mack who provides his own wisecracks when talking to Chan and is played by Alan Bridges who I just found out here is another player from my favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life, as he played another sheriff that was supposed to arrest George Bailey. Anyway, I very much liked this Chan entry, even the reveal of the murderer at the end, so on that note, I highly recommend The Jade Mask.

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 films made between 1944 and his death in 1947.

20th Century Fox had 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, usually mediocre at best, virtually unwatchable at worst.

Released in 1945, THE JADE MASK is one of the very few Monograms that approaches the quality level of the 20th Century Fox series. This largely due to the expert cast and witty script, both of which are a bit unusual for Monogram. In this particular tale, Chan--who now works for the government during World War II--is called upon to investigate the murder of a scientist working with potentially beneficial but distinctly deadly gasses. Sidney Toler's Chan is always enjoyable, and he is aided in this by the local sheriff (Alan Bridge, who has the best lines in the film) and the inevitable Birmingham Brown (Mantan Moreland.) Fans of the 20th Century Fox series are likely to find Monogram's Chan a significant disappointment and newcomers who like the Monogram films will probably consider them third-rate after encountering the Fox films. Even so, THE JADE MASK is unexpectedly good, and I think most Chan fans will find it enjoyable.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

A scientist who no one can stand is experimenting with gasses. He is killed and because the formulae for a certain type of gas is important, Charlie Chan is sent to the case. Later, he is joined by Number Four Son and Birmingham Jones, who were unable to find a hotel room. Since everyone in the house hated the professor, there is little cooperation when it comes to investigating. There are three women who move almost mechanically. When one goes up the steps, the other two follow and so on. Soon there are more murders. The house is filled with secret passages and protected areas. The problem is that many of these passageways are only known to the deceased. I liked that Mantan Moreland was treated with greater respect in this film instead of the usual treatment as a buffoon.

"The Jade Mask" was made in 1945 and, as was often the case during the war years Charlie Chan movies, there's a McGuffin, some formula or process that will help the war effort. Here, the nutty inventor is paranoid about security so no one in his household knows anything. When he's killed, Chan is brought in, his number four son (Edwin Luke) dragging along behind him.

This film moves slowly, but is brightened by some good dialogue from Sidney Toler and Mantan Moreland, who was always a riot. I know his is a stereotyped character in a way, but in another way, it isn't, as he is treated as an equal by Chan. Frankly without Moreland, a good many of these films would be very boring.

I am a sucker for a mystery with a spooky house, strange characters, poison darts and secret panels and this nifty Chan has all this and more. It keeps ones attention from beginning to end. The only gripe is the ending. The denouement is a bit confusing. I don't mind if it's far fetched as the Chan series is meant to be that way. Great humour, too