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This very good Charlie Chan mystery was made at 20th Century Fox. At this time the series still had the backing of a major studio and so the production values, acting, script, camera work, etc. were of good quality. Later, when Fox dropped the series and it found a home at Monogram, the Chan films got pretty bad with the look of cheapness in abundance. But, this film had some very good actors, such as Ricardo Cortez, Robert Lowery, and the always funny Slim Summerville supporting Sidney Toler as Chan. There seemed to be just the right amount of comic relief to keep the story moving at a good pace. Later Chan entries would go overboard with comedy with Mantan Moreland and company trying to avert the viewers from realizing what lame plots and bad acting they were watching. Of course, as in all Chan mysteries, there is no shortage of suspects in the case of a murder that is committed on a thoroughly unlikeable woman who seemed to go out of her way to alienate everyone. With several characters having a motive to kill the woman, Chan must sort out the clues and unmask the killer while continually being harassed by an inept (but very funny) sheriff, portrayed by Summerville. Victor Sen-Yung, as number two son, helps out when it counts while enduring the usual number of affectionate insults from his detective father. All in all, this movie is great fun.

Although this story got a bit confusing early on and was impossible to figure out with so many suspects, it still was very enjoyable to watch because of the humor.

Between Charlie's proverbs and just some humorous remarks - many by Charlie's Number Two Son "Jimmy" (Sen Yung) and "Sheriff Tombstone Fletcher" (Slim Summerville) - it's a very entertaining Chan episode. Summerville played a pretty funny lawman.

The movie also had a couple of very pretty women, most notably Phyllis Brooks.

Overall, here's another Chan mystery just crying out for DVD packaging. Hopefully, we'll get it soon.

Sweet but sorrowful Pauline Moore arrives in Reno for her divorce. At the hotel she quickly meets Ricardo Cortez, suave doctor, and Phyllis Brooks, a kind of "social director" at the hotel, who urges her into the lounge for a drink. Also on the scene are Robert Lowery, earnest young socialite, and Kay Linaker, a more serious-minded guest—and the vulgar and tipsy Louise Henry, the would-be future husband of Moore's current spouse, who manages to insult all of the other characters within the space of about two minutes. Not surprisingly….

The nasty woman is shortly thereafter found murdered in her room. Pauline Moore is—unfortunately for her—found standing over the still-warm body; on the plus side for Moore, however, is her old friendship with the great Charlie Chan—who on hearing of her arrest immediately drops everything in Honolulu (he has been working in the police lab on an Easter egg) and flies over to Nevada to assist. He is accompanied by Kane Richmond, Moore's estranged—yet basically solid—husband.

It's a nice ensemble cast, a good mix of suspects. Keeping an eye on them all is Sheriff Slim Summerville, who goes by the name of "Tombstone," is suspicious of everyone, and is pretty much clueless. He is good comic relief, as is—

Sen Yung, back as Jimmy Chan, now a student at USC who borrows a car and sets out for Reno when he gets word that there's a case on. Along the highway, he gets highjacked and loses his car and his clothes….And one of the funniest scenes in the Chan series has got to be the moment when Jimmy, picked up by the cops, walks out under the lights in a police lineup wrapped in a blanket—and his recently-arrived pop is in the audience with the Reno chief.

Once released, Jimmy has a cute romance with hotel maid Iris Wong. "Does honorable father think you're too young to smoke?" she asks as he (amateurishly) lights up a cigarette. "Oh no, I'm no kid," Jimmy insists. "I help him solve his cases." Of course, he has a few ideas on this case as well….

Sidney Toler is fine at the center of it all, bantering with suspects, flattering the sheriff, tut-tutting Jimmy. Eventually, he gathers all of the suspects together for a climactic scene that is quite suspenseful and nicely satisfying.

Very enjoyable. It may be a formulaic series entry—but at this point they sure had the formula down right.

Unlike most of the Warner Oland Chan films, those featuring Sidney Toler as Lieutenant Charlie Chan, Honolulu Police Department, often include sufficient clues that the viewer can play detective along with the hero. Charlie Chan in Reno is one of those films. Released prior to a first-class film with a similar main storyline (`The Women' in 1939) this Chan film also has a group of females waiting their time in Reno before a divorce decree can be granted. Chan has an eye for these ladies: `Charming company turn lowly sandwich into rich banquet.' Norman Foster takes over from a series of Mr. Moto films to direct the first of three good Chan films.

Good supporting comedic cast with Victor Sen Yung as No. 2 son Jimmy - a USC undergraduate, former Keystone Kop Slim Summerville as Sheriff `Tombstone' Fletcher, and Eddie Collins as the ever-talkative cab driver (until it is suggested that he might appear in court). Ricardo Cortez is smooth as the suspicious doctor with a motive for murder. Some racial slurring as a hood from the lineup pulls up on the corners of his eyes and tells the detective that he also is one of Chan's sons.

Most of the story takes place at the Hotel Sierra or Police Headquarters. Jealousy, possible robbery, and other motives and a number of obvious suspects complicate the solution. `When searching for needle in haystack, haystack only sensible location.' A keen eye for details will lead the viewer to see what Chan sees and to anticipate his every move. Good luck, the Sheriff could not figure it out and storms out of headquarters heading for Tonopah in disgust at the end.

Could have moved faster. Recommended.

Mary Whitman seems to be a logical suspect in the murder of Jeanne Bentley. After all, she was found standing over the body. And Jeanne was the "other woman" and the reason Mary was getting a divorce. On the surface, there seems to be little doubt of Mary's guilt. But Charlie Chan sees it all quite differently. He sees a hotel full of suspects who wanted Jeanne out of the way. Can he find the real killer before Mary is convicted of a crime she didn't commit?

Sidney Toler's second outing as Charlie Chan is a solid effort and an improvement over his first. I'm not exactly sure how to put this, but Charlie Chan in Reno is just more interesting. The plot, suspects, and setting all appealed to me. The pacing is nice with very few dull moments. I particularly enjoyed Chan's visit to the ghost town. The supporting cast is strong with Phyllis Brooks and Ricardo Cortez being the standouts. And Iris Wong as the dead woman's maid and Jimmy Chan's love interest is a delight. But one thing I really enjoyed about Charlie Chan in Reno is the way the finale is handled. I've often complained about the "cheat" endings of Chan films (and I should probably stop and just accept it as a given), but the ending here is played much straighter than some of the other entries in the series. If you're sharp enough, you actually have a chance to spot the killer before Chan's big reveal. Unfortunately, I am not that sharp.

An enjoyable whodunit, this film stars Sidney Toler as the formidable but good-natured sleuth on the trail of the killer of an annoying Reno socialite. Usually, I can guess correctly who the killer is, but this time I was wrong.

The story is much more complex than it first appears. And it's not entirely believable. But the puzzle is what's important. The plot includes a nighttime visit to a ghost town, and some genuine humor in the form of a loquacious taxi driver.

B&W lighting contributes to suspense, especially at the ghost town. Casting and acting are fine, though I could have done without irritating number two son, Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung). The actors all seem to be having a good time with their roles.

Despite a weak story premise, the film gets an overall positive review from me, owing to effective B&W lighting, humor, and a surprise ending. "Thank you so much".

After a poor start with "Charlie Chan in Honolulu", Sidney Toler made a good come back with this, his second Chan film. This one is set in the divorce mecca. It has a particularly effective, atmospheric sequence in a ghost town. Ricardo Cortez is good in a supporting role. And Sen Yung is fun as Jimmy. Toler was just warming up for his masterpiece, the next film in the series, "Charlie Chan at Treasure Island."

An entertaining film as Charlie heads over to Reno to help a friend. Mrs. Bentley would have been interesting to hang around with for a while. The film drags in a couple of spots but only briefly. I personally didn't find the Tombstone' character to be all that funny. Other than Charlie's sons,the attempts at humor in the Chan films tend to fall flat. Eddie Collins is annoying as the cab driver and it's nice to see Charlie put him in his place. Phyllis Brooks gives a good performance as Ms. Wells. I love the way Pauline Moore speaks and acts in this film. Iris Wong is great as usual.The interplay between Charlie and his #2 son is priceless!

When an old friend's wife, on the eve of their divorce, is accused of stabbing her rival to death, Chan flies by China Clipper to solve the case.

But the scene of the crime, a hotel catering for divorcees, is full of suspects such as Wally Burke, whom the victim had rejected and humiliated in public, the mysterious Dr. Ainsley, who seems to share a dark secret from the past not only with Jeanne, but also with Mrs. Russell.

Matter of fact, there's plenty of suspects, which makes things a mite confusing as is the whole thing about the acid bottle, but maybe it's just me and I am no different from the slow-witted Wild West Sheriff (Slim Summerville) who keeps on saying, "horse feathers," and is the typical useless policeman you find in these mysteries for the sake of humour - the overly eloquent cab driver (Eddie Collins) is another comic relief.

It's a good Charlie Chan entry with the murder happening in the capital of divorce. It's quite fun and engaging with Number two son getting romantic with Iris Wong.

This was a great movie with mystery and little comedy sprinkled in!!! Slim Summerville was great as Tombxtone and if you are a real movie buff you will know that the end theme was the same music that was used for the Crackly Grain Flakes song from Rebecca of Sunnybrook farms in which Mr Summerville and Phyllis Brooks both starred with Shirley Temple. Whan Charlie saw Jimmy in the police line up, his facial expressions were like he was seeing a mirage but it was a great second and third take that only Sidney Toler could deliver. I would definitely add this to any Charlie Chan collection or just if you like old movies period!!!

Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) rushes to Reno when a friend (Pauline Moore) is accused of murdering her soon-to-be ex-husband's new fiancée. "Number Two Son" Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung) also shows up to investigate with comical results. Not the best Charlie Chan movie, even for the Toler series. Still enjoyable though. Supporting cast includes Ricardo Cortez, Robert Lowery, Morgan Conway, and Phyllis Brooks (who has noticeably poor posture). Slim Summerville plays a hick sheriff that's supposed to be funny but comes across as annoying. The killer in this one seemed fairly obvious to me. The mystery's weak but Toler and Sen Yung are good.

The films Charlie Chan films that Sidney Toler made for Fox were very good--much better than the later cheaper series from Monogram Pictures. In fact, these Fox films were good enough that the public warmly embraced the actor who took over the role following Warner Oland's death. Now this doesn't mean that Toler was exactly like Oland--there were definite differences in the characterizations. First, there were less of the wise Chinese sayings and more cranky comments (usually directed at #2 Son, Jimmy). Second, Toler seemed less passive and more like a real detective. Still, I missed Oland but must admit that Toler was the right man to fill in for him.

As for this film in particular, Toler and Jimmy are just fine and I have no complaints about their acting or characters. However, when it comes to the murder plot, this one was much more convoluted and tough to believe than most. When they find the actual murderer at the end, you are left feeling like they just picked that person at random--especially since the motivation this person had seemed tenuous at best. Still, not a bad film at all--enjoyable throughout.

The second of the Sidney Toler Charlie Chan movies made by 20th Century Fox. A young woman seeking a divorce in Nevada is suspected of murder when she is seen hovering over the dead body of "the other woman" in the triangle. Charlie and his son Jimmy work together to iron out the mess and figure who is responsible. What I liked about this entry was the way Sidney Toler and Sen Yung (as Son #2) play off each other, and there's also some good comical touches in this one, including Slim Summerville as a clueless sheriff trying to make sense of the goings-on.

***/****

Charlie Chan in Reno is one of my favorite films in the series. However, one thing does not ring true and disturbs me. Recall that Charlie is called into the case by Curtis Whitman, whose estranged wife Mary has been arrested for the murder of Mrs. Jeanne Bentley. (Mary was reluctantly getting a divorce at Curtis' request because he wants to marry Mrs. Bentley instead.) When Charlie asks him whether his concern is for the living or the dead, Curtis speaks only of Mary's predicament, showing no sign of grief at the loss of his fiancée; nor does Curtis ever say a word about her in subsequent scenes. (She is always referred to in the movie as "Mrs. Bentley," never "Jeanne.") This is the woman he had dumped Mary for and was intending to marry, but she might as well have been a perfect stranger, the way that Curtis behaves. We later find out that Jeanne Bentley was a wrong 'un with an unsavory past in addition to her atrocious bad manners, so Curtis is right to forget her and go back to Mary, but this still does not explain his behavior.

Maybe some dialogue or scene was cut from the print of the film we have, but as it stands Curtis Whitman has proven to be such poor husband material that Mary ought to continue with her divorce action against him. Curtis was unfaithful, ready to abandon Mary for another woman who was clearly her inferior in manners and morals-what lack of discrimination and judgment! Moreover, Curtis was so shallow in his affections that he could forget his current love as soon as her body was cold. I know I am over-thinking something that is not a fit subject for psychological analysis, and CC movies required a happy ending, but still . . . .

P. S.: A 1957 Perry Mason TV episode, "The Case of the Nervous Accomplice," features another happy ending to a similar romantic triangle in which a woman plotting to get her unfaithful husband to return to her becomes a murder suspect defended by Perry. One suspects that in real life the wayward husband would sooner or later stray again, this time discarding her for a younger new wife.

When an old friend's estranged wife is accused of murdering an evil woman, Charlie finds himself in Reno on the case. Of course, Jimmy can't keep his nose out of things and borrows his friend's car to go to Reno. On the way his car is stolen, as are his clothes. Everything now takes place in a posh hotel with Slim Summerville as an uninspired Western sheriff who has no respect for our Mr. Chan. Ms. Whitman, the accused, was found standing over the corpse and has been charged with the murder. Still, there are many other suspects, people who had reason to kill her. On is her husband, who works at a mine. Another, a slick doctor, who seems to slim his way out of any charge brought against him. One always has to weight the value of Charlie's son because he is impulsive and often on the make. Here he enlists the help of a lady's maid to investigate. The problem with him is that while he often finds interesting things, he is also a loose cannon, jumping to false conclusions. Charlie seems awfully tolerant of him. There are times here when I find too much tongue in cheek stuff. Still, it's vintage Charlie Chan and I was glad to see that none of his other kids got involved here.

Pauline Moore comes to Reno staying in a hotel specializing in divorces owned by Kay Linaker in which Phyllis Brooks is the social director. Pauline is divorcing husband Kane Richmond, who is engaged to be married to Louise Henry. While at the hotel lounge, Henry is escorted by Ricardo Cortez to Moore's table to rub her nose in the fact that she is marrying her husband. Robert Lowery, also present during the confrontation, is stunned that Henry is engaged since he thought that Henry was his girl. Brooks is jealous that Cortez is escorting Henry since she has a thing for him! Later that evening Moore is found in Henry's room standing over Henry's dead body. Charlie is enlisted by Richmond to fly with him to Reno to clear his wife of the murder. It's hard to believe but the plot gets even more complex and convoluted the more the movie goes on! Sen Yung falls for Iris Wong, in the role of Henry's maid, and the two of them hinder more than help the investigation. Aside from the aforementioned actors and actresses who were marvelous, Slim Summerville is wonderful as the local sheriff who is always several steps behind Chan in the investigation. Charles D. Brown as the Chief of Police and Sidney Toler keep a lid on the insanity and were very good also. The ending will remind you of a Thin Man finale. Very enjoyable entry in the series.

In the 21st Charlie Chan movie, Sidney Toler is sent to Reno by the husband of Pauline Moore. Miss Pauline Moore was discovered standing above the corpse of Louise Henry (in her last screen appearance). Since she is a friend of the detective, we can rule her out as a suspect, but there are plenty of people up for the role, including Ricardo Cortez, Phyllis Brooks, Kane Richmond, Kay Linaker, and Robert Lowery. Victor Sen Yung s present for comic relief, as is Slim Summerville.

It's a pretty good mystery, although the useful clues only show up near the end. Director Norman Foster keeps things moving along at a good clip, and movie's budget has been kept down by using only half a dozen sets. Toler has settled into the role, with some nice, drily delivered humor at Yung's expense, and Summerville is at his lugubrious best. There's no msitaking this for anything but a B movie, but 20th Century-Fox knew how to turn them out.