Charlie Chan in the Secret Service

This movie has some of the best film noir photography I have seen in all the Charlie Chan entries. This is one I am still waiting to have issued on DVD, so I can enjoy those visuals.

Storywise, it's a decent story with an interesting cast of suspects. My complaint is fairly minor: it is a little below-average in the amount of humorous Charlie Chan proverbs that we Chan fans love so much. Otherwise, I enjoyed the movie.

Although not Charlie's official chauffeur-assistant in here as he was in most of these Monogram Chan films, Mantan Moreland ("Birmingham Brown") plays his usual role as a guy helping out and adding humor. He's a likable guy as are all of Charlie's kids, two of them joining in this mystery. We get Number Three Son "Tommie" (Benson Fong) and daughter "Iris" (Marianne Quon. Chan's kids are always nosy, goodhearted and, in the latter-day films, not that helpful.

A few quick action scenes help keep things rolling and, as usual, we get Charlie's summary of the case at the end in which our hero exposes the crook. Overall, is this a great Charlie Chan film? No, it's average....but just average is still good to me. I love these films and hope all of them eventually are available on disc.

I'll say one thing for these Charlie Chan films. There's never a shortage of murder suspects and the clues are always readily apparent to the master sleuth but not to the audience. At least, that's the usual pattern, even when Sidney Toler joined forces with Monogram for several B-picture entries in the series.

CHARLIE CHAN IN THE SECRET SERVICE follows the pattern precisely, even giving us a final gathering of suspects from which to venture our own guess as to the identity of the murderer. As usual, it's at your own risk for it seldom turns out to be the most obvious.

Once again, Toler plays it close to the vest without giving the audience much of a hint as to which suspect he's onto. The story gets off to a fast start with the murder of an inventor of a torpedo plan murdered in his own home being guarded by secret service bodyguards.

Chan gets the call to solve the case and discovers that the inventor's plans are missing. "No one leaves until case ends satisfactorily," he tells the police. Chan is soon joined by two of his eldest children, who are no help at all in solving the crime. Nor is MANTAN MORELAND as Birmingham Brown, wild-eyed with fear as still another murder occurs.

The explanations are strictly a wild concoction by the screenwriter who has left no stone unturned to make sure that the old cliché about "the least obvious suspect" is once again a truism.

Summing up: Good for a few chuckles, but it doesn't play fair with the clues.

This was Monogram Pictures very first Charlie Chan movie, and for a first attempt you expect better. This is basically a "locked room" mystery with the suspects all in a house and Chan is brought in to find the murderer of an inventor. This was in 1944, World War II was still in full swing and the inventor is a sort of Oppenheimer who is in the process of developing bigger and better bombs. Mantan Moreland is there as comic relief and this is his introduction to the Chan series as Birmingham Brown. The movie is just okay. There is inappropriate and somewhat distracting uses of music here (especially in a scene where Chan is seen merely walking around, getting into a cab and then getting out of the cab and walking into the murder scene mansion..why did they need to add driving, suspenseful music here?). There is a typical suspicious looking cast and the solution will seem, as in many Chan movies, far-fetched, but you go into a Chan Movie almost expecting this. Worth watching if you are a fan of the Chan series, if you are not familiar with the Charlie Chan movies, don't be discouraged if this is your first .. there are much better movies in this series.

I'm pretty sure there wasn't a Chan film made that I didn't like: I preferred Oland to Toler and Fox to Monogram but am more than happy (maybe even keen!) to watch a Toler Monogram effort. They all transported you to a world of more or less cultured baddies, each hiding a thousand secrets which Charlie (and us of course) has to work his way through. Usually, as in this case, to find the murderer from a roomful of shifty twitching eyes.

Electrical scientist murdered and the secret plans stolen, Charlie with a little ... help from offspring Tommie and Iris has to decide which of the house guests did it. The Monogram house's hanging drapes and thick carpets lend a nice atmosphere to the mystery. Only gripes: the incongruously brash and childish music track and the continual visual reference to a Watching Evil Eye from a Dark Place.

Watched from the Chanthology DVD and with the widescreen TV set to mild zoomview meant it was like the first time again for me seeing this, an experience I'd have to recommend and one I want to repeat with the other titles in the set.

Good WWII concept for a mystery story and the script is not bad except for a bit of routine mystery-movie padding typical of the era. This film is crisply and professionally edited, better than most low-budget films. And there are a few surprisingly good cinematography highlights.

The discount supporting cast does a good job although you may not recognize some of them, and you will notice that Sarah Edwards develops a watchable odd character who has custody of all the keys to the house. Mantan Morland has some poorly written throw-away dialog but his comedy timing is perfection and his performance is very polished as he does a great job.

Sidney Toler gives us a first rate Charlie Chan. The remarkable 70-year old is vigorous, keeping the proceedings moving as he strides briskly and confidently through all the scenes.

Moves at a good pace and held my attention throughout. What more can you ask for in a murder mystery?