Dark Alibi

A well done opening scene features a bank break-in and a murdered guard. A suspect is quickly arrested because his fingerprints are found at the scene. Though the suspect's daughter insists he is innocent, he is quickly convicted and the case seems hopeless--until Charlie Chan agrees to investigate, even though the execution is only nine days off.

Mantan Moreland and Benson Fong--as chauffeur Birmingham Brown and number three son Tommy Chan--assist Pop Chan as usual. Sidney Toler drops wisecracks at their expense, also as usual:

Toler: "You two not afraid?" Fong: "Afraid of what, Pop?" Toler: "That you sit down so often you get concussion of brain."

There's plenty of plot, some of it involving the real murderers' ingenious method of planting fake fingerprints. Chan's investigation roams from the rooming house where his client lives to the local prison (where Birmingham and Tommy lock themselves into a cell with gleeful convict Tim Ryan).

It's really not particularly exciting or memorable, but it's easy to watch and doesn't take itself too seriously.

Chan's best line is probably when he is grilling rooming house residents about their pasts: "Skeletons in closets always speak loudest to police."

This is my twelfth review of a Charlie Chan movie in series chronological order on these consecutive days. In this one, a man who's been out of prison for twenty years is suddenly arrested for a recent robbery at a bank he claims he's never set foot in. His daughter and lawyer are on the verge of giving up until Charlie overhears and offers his services...Directed by Phil Karlson who had previously helmed The Shanghai Cobra, he once again provides an exciting beginning and ending sequence for a Chan entry. While I admit to not understanding everything that is going on concerning the case, it was still interesting to hear Charlie's analysis, as always. And despite the now-not-very-acceptable stereotype of a scared black man with bulging eyes in these modern times, Mantan Moreland is still funny to me when he does what he does here. His comedy is perfectly aided, once again, by Benson Fong as "No. 3 Son" Tommy, and Ben Carter in a reprise of his and Mantan's "interrupted talk" from The Scarlet Clue. Even Charlie joins in this routine at the end. Incidentally, Carter would pass away not long after appearing here. Good atmospheric touches throughout. So on that note, I recommend Dark Alibi. P.S. Joyce Compton, who's Emily Evans here, was a native of Lexington, Ky. where I lived as a child from 1974-75 during which my youngest sister was born. Ray Walker, who's Danvers here, was another character actor who appeared in my favorite movie-It's a Wonderful Life-as Joe, a luggage handler who gives the adult George Bailey his suitcase with his name on it as we see James Stewart as the lead character for the first time. Also, on a personal note, I started watching these Monogram Chan movies (usually starring Roland Winters) on my local station here in Baton Rouge on Channel 2, WBRZ-TV, in the late '70s during the late night lineup of movies on Saturday morning on "Charlie Chan Cinema". The wraparound open and closing sequence had someone banging a gong before we dolly to a silhouette of a Chinese man speaking in Pidgin English introducing the movie and mentioning the next week's title, respectively, while the country's type of music played in the background. Actually, since we only see his shadow, I don't know if he was actually Asian or some other race but that was my memory of that sequence...

Another enjoyable mystery fused with comedy. This time Charlie is hired by the pretty Teala Loring ( sister of Debra Paget and Lisa Gaye) to prove that her father is innocent of a bank job. There's nine days left before he goes to the electric chair, but if there's anyone can prove his innocence it's Charlie Chan. Great surprise ending. Never expected it to be that person ( the main culprit)

I was a fan of Charlie Chan when the films were first released. I did not realize Sydney was past 70 when he made this movie. There is a lot of humor in the prison scenes. There are a couple of big scenes that come as a surprise for a film that had a shoestring budget. One is the interior of a real prison with the convicts going into their cells in unison. That scene is melded into a stage copy of the same action but slightly more modest. Another scene has a big moving camera set as the cast enters a police lab. There are a lot of familiar faces in the supporting cast. Everyone does a great job with their role. There are some exterior shots of the old cars and trucks which were not that old when the movie was made. This is a good old movie to watch to get a glimpse of what the world was like right after World War II. While watching it you will want to check the ladies hair styles and the interior of the old rooming house and telephones.

A nice bit of fluff from the Chan series, but not much to dig your teeth into. No one in law enforcement seen anything in the coincidence of three bank robberies solved in the exact same way - the only evidence is fingerprints - with the money never discovered. Of course, Charlie knows that something is going on. The fun cliché of this Chan episode is the warehouse full of theatrical props - like the fun house and the séance, a great setting for a movie mystery.

Prison is never so wacky as when Tommy Chan and Birmingham Brown are let lose - don't fight it, just go with the silliness. Birmingham's brother Benjamin shows up - as a convict, and the duo repeat their stage act for a bit of comic relief.

No dramatic lighting in this one - Monogram wasn't going to pay for fine cinematography. This episode in the series also suffers from a weak female cast - none of the beauties in gowns that fill earlier efforts. The biggest failure is at the very end - the final reveal comes out of nowhere and is over before you can scratch your head. Still, it's a workmanlike Chan, and that's good enough for an hour's fun.