Dangerous Money

When a murder takes place on board ship, it's a good thing that Charlie Chan is there to solve it!

It's Sidney Toler's next to last appearance as the detective, and it's a pretty good entry in the Monogram series. Victor Sen Yung is present again as #2 son, Jimmy, and his comic timing with assistant Willie Best. The cast is well filled out, with Dick Elliott, Joseph Crehan, and Gloria Warren. Toler is looking tired, and the movie is directed to have him move as little as possible. He was suffering from the cancer that would eventually kill him. Longtime cast member Mantan Moreland told him he should be in the hospital, but Toler worked on; "Manny, if I go, all these people are out of a job."

And so he soldiered on. It's good that this one is a better mystery, and the cast was up to higher standards.

Definitely, one of the more ambitious Chan mysteries made by Monogram in the 40s, which relied more on deadly devices and chemicals to do in our hero, and just about anybody else. Film historians have long said the difference between Warner Oland and Sidney Toler is the fact Oland was a more methodical, thoughtful actor while Toler came off a tad more serious, slightly mysterious at times, matching the dark characters he was up against. Accordingly, the writers surrounded Toler with more atmosphere and, yes, innovative weapons.

The villain here employs a razor sharp knife gun. You have to admit, it's one insane weapon. For a welcome change of pace, Charlie, assisted by Number Two Son Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung) and Chattanooga (Willie Best) board an ocean liner bound for Somoa, trailing a counterfeting ring, and the MAIN man is a crafty killer. Appropriately, one of Charlie's colleagues is knifed in the back (catch the knife flying through the air!) and the hunt begins. The special effects ain't too bad, either.

Enough suspects to go around, and love all the brooding and guilty faces. Take your pick. The cast features some fine talent; Gloria Warren co-stars, known for her beautiful singing voice, also Rick Vallin (who would turn up many times on tv's SUPERMAN), Dick Elliot (as Burke), always looking guilty, Joseph Crehan as the police captain (a natural in this type of role) and John Harmon (Freddie), often cast in tv westerns, like BONANZA.

Special nod to comedian Willie Best as Chatanooga. Willie actually came to Hollywood and worked as a chauffeur. A staple in many classics, like GHOST BUSTERS opposite Bob Hope, who had nothing but praise for him.

Terry Morse directs this with style, and it shows, boasting some excellent sets to match. Looks like this production had a slightly higher budget. Morse was a well known film editor for years, nicknamed "the doctor," later gaining fame for directing GODZILLA.

Best dvd box is through Warner Brothers, the TCM Spotlight Charlie Chan Collection. 4 dvds, also featuring DARK ALIBI, THE TRAP and THE CHINESE RING. Released 2010. Thanks much to RETRO TV for running Charlie Chan Friday afternoons, and all the memories attached.

Charlie is on board a cruise ship. While there he is approached by a government agent. He represents the Treasury Department. After confiding to Chan that there have been threats on his life, he is killed. Tommy and Chattanooga are on board as his assistants (I thought he was on vacation, but). There are several plots at work. A young couple is keeping some sort of secret. There is a blowhard who is driving everyone crazy with his invasive behavior. People are being killed with knives that are thrown with amazing accuracy. To complicate things, there is a knife thrower on board. Anyway, it's typical Chan. There is the obligatory scene where the lights are turned off and chaos ensues. The writers really couldn't let go of some obviously tired plot elements.

There's a small turtle with a torch on his back in "Dangerous Money," but that's never explained.

Well, we never do find out about that turtle...

"Dangerous Money" takes place on board ship, where a treasury agent investigating the movement of counterfeit money tells Charlie (Sidney Toler) that two attempts have been made on his life.

Finally, one succeeds, thanks to a flying knife, which plays into other parts of the film as well.

Charlie investigates, with the "help" of Jimmy Chan (Victor Sen Yeung) and Chattanooga Brown (Willie Best). This time around, Charlie actually has a couple of real assignments for them. The film also features Gloria Warren as Rona Simmonds.

Jimmy and Chattanooga supply some of the humor and play off of one another well. The best is Chattanooga playing sick so that Jimmy can get the doctor's fingerprints.

Entertaining.

Ocean-going steamships and trains make great settings for 1940s mysteries. Charlie didn't have any adventures in a train, but this is the second on a ship--the third if you count the docked sailing ship in one of his outings. Toler is outstanding as always, in one of the greatest ongoing screen characterizations of an ideal film detective: clever, humane, with a sense of humor and of justice. It's his ability to make Chan so very likeable which really elevates these films, putting them, on the whole, on about the same level as the great Universal Sherlock Holmes films with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. And Toler never had the support of a truly first-rate, all-pro actor, as Rathbone had in Bruce. This movie is pure fun. Lots of action. The humor is sometimes very corny, but that's part of the charm. Highly recommended!