Charlie Chan à Londres

Warner Oland may work best under pressure as Charlie Chan In London shows. About to leave London he is moved by the pleas of Drue Leyton who is trying to save her brother Douglas Walton from the hangman. She has used her appeal up with the Home Secretary David Torrence and even Ray Milland, Walton's lawyer says he thinks his client probably did it. But apparently Charlie Chan is moved by a woman in distress.

The murder was of an RAF officer and it took place in the stables of Alan Mowbray's estate during fox hunting season. Oland who is without the assistance of any of his kids, starts turning up clues and another murder of the groom Perry Ivins and an attempt is made against Mona Barrie and twice on Oland himself.

To say Charlie Chan was under the gun in this film was putting it mildly. He has about 65 hours to find the real killer. Do you doubt he will succeed.

The original motive if Walton were the killer is said to be personal, but it turns out to have far reaching implications when the real killer is apprehended.

Charlie Chan In London is one of the best of Oland Charlie Chan films and holds up nicely today.

Chan is in London returning a suspect he has captured to British authorities when he receives an appeal from Pamela Gray concerning her brother Hugh, who has been condemned to hang in three days for a murder she believes he did not commit. Chan takes the case and goes to the estate of Geoffrey Richmond (Alan Mowbrey), where the murder was committed. People at the estate say that Hugh and the victim, who never liked one another, were heard arguing about some unknown issue, and then later the body of the victim was found near the stables and Hugh was found walking from the stables towards the house. Does Charlie Chan solve the case? Of course he does! What a downer if he did not!

On top of the usual red herrings tossed into such detective films - the one person sneaking around menacingly, another protesting too loudly about the entire follow up investigation being a waste of time and so on, the maid is a piece of work. She's a shrieker plus she likes to hover over people even when they make it clear they want to be left alone. This film would have been more enjoyable without the barbaric practice of fox hunting being central to the plot, but then hindsight is 20/20.

The tension of the time ticking down to Hugh's execution is an added boost, and then there is a very young Ray Milland in a supporting role and E. E. Clive as a befuddled police inspector. And you have to wonder why law enforcement didn't ask the same basic questions that Chan asks during his investigation. Recommended.

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.

This movie set in London has some great actors including Alan Mowbray whom I had first seen in Abbott and Costello Meets The Killer Boris Karloff and I love the way he plays very posh characters. In this outing, Charlie had already brought a criminal to justice when he is asked to take on the murder case of Paul Grey by Paul's sister Pamela. One of my favorite characters was Bunny Fothergill. Charlie reenacts the crime with the help of E.E. Clive and Ray Milland and there was tense moments because Charlie had to find the real murderer within 65 hours or if not, Paul Grey would be executed. The solving of the murder by a person whom you would least expect added more mystery plus some persons that were at the country estate were not whom they say they were. This is definitely a must see!!!!

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!