Charlie Chan in London

Charlie Chan In London Is the second oldest surviving film with Warner Oland in the role and is very entertaining. The story moves along at a pretty fast pace for this era in films. A young man is accused,and convicted of murder. He,s only days from execution when by chance his sister{portrayed by Drue Leyton} encounters Chan and convinces him to try and clear her brother. Charlie then begins a brisk investigation into the crime,which brings him to a country estate..there he is faced with the harrowing task of trying to

identify the real killer. With only about 48 hours to complete his investigation, Charlie moves quickly and eliminates several suspects... As he brings the case to a close..It is very surprising to find out the identity of the actual murderer..This is a film well worth

watching if you can get a copy..It,s never been released commercially. Also appearing in this entry are Alan Mowbray and Ray Milland, both give excellent performances...also included in the cast is E.E.Clive another great character actor of this era.

Chronologically it's the 2nd Chan film extant after Black Camel, 4 others remain lost - Charlie is either getting into his stride in this or had already done so previously! The formula was in place, all they had to do from now on was reprise it with variations a couple of times a year. Whenever on TV in the past it always appeared murky to me but the copy I've just seen was pristine, with an astonishingly clear soundtrack.

Paul Gray is incarcerated in Pentonville for murder but in a few days time is to hang – his sister believes him innocent, and apparently so does Charlie as he postpones his voyage to Honolulu to help them out. When arriving at the country house in Retfordshire where the deed was done he finds himself up against a wall of suspicious British stereotypes, ranging from Cockney idiots and brusque snobs to out and out racists, which of course he continually uses to his advantage in his unravelling of the case. And he unravels it perfectly, with a plethora of marvellous aphorisms and red herrings, but as so often had to happen also with a fool-the-murderer-into-finally-exposing-him/herself denouement.

Swedish Warner Oland gave a wonderfully urbane performance as usual as the Chinese detective. Sadly as time goes on it's shown less and less on TV, partly because the schedulers who may not want to offend Chinese sensibilities also prefer to show violent and deviant films to the public instead, and partly because the public want it that way too. Hunt a copy down and revel in it!

Paul Gray is going to die for a murder he has been sentenced for. Only one person believes he is innocent - his sister. His sister enlists the aid of honorable Honolulan detective Charlie Chan, who just happens to be in London for a brief stay. Chan is convinced to help the young lady secure her brother's freedom. This is a fine, creaky mystery with Warner Oland in top form as #1 detective Charlie Chan. The cast has several names in it with a very young Ray Milland as sister's boyfriend standing out the most. Veteran Character actor E. E. Clive gives a nice hammy performance as a police inspector unable to call Charlie Chan but rather Chang. Alan Mowbray also adds his distinguished persona to the mix. The mystery has a lot of red herrings, but I figured it out based on who had no herrings aimed at him/her. See if that helps you. Quite enjoyable!

I've been a Charlie Chan fan since the early 70s when, as a 9 year old, I can remember watching the movies on the Late Show. While I can find something to enjoy in every one of these films, Charlie Chan in London is one of my favorites of the series. In this one, Chan is in a race against time as he's only got three days to save the life of a man wrongly accused of murder. It's got everything a Chan fan could ask for - an interesting mystery, a boatload of suspects, actually good comic relief, nice production values, and, of course, Warner Oland. By the time Charlie Chan in London was made, Oland seems to have hit his stride playing the title role. He's confident, polite, and brilliant - all the personality traits I've always associated with Chan. The supporting cast is as good in this one as you'll find in any of the Chan films. Ray Milland may be the most recognizable name, but it's the performances of Alan Mowbray and the incredible, scene-stealing E.E. Clive that really standout. The mystery at the center of the plot is well thought and the clues lead to a logical conclusion. Charlie Chan in London is a good one to play along with. It doesn't "cheat" as much with the reveal as some of the other Chan films.

"Contradiction please." Warner Oland is clearly at the top of his game here as he attempts to save an innocent man from the gallows with only hours to spare.Truly one of the better films in this series with the Swedish actor.He is surrounded by a unique cast of English characters.There are a couple of amusing moments with Chan climbing through a window and crawling from beneath a desk in what otherwise is a serious "whodunit." Really well done and a must for a Chan fan.