Dangerous Money

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.

Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) investigates when a treasury agent is murdered aboard an ocean liner. Penultimate Toler Chan film has some pros & cons. The pros: Jimmy Chan (Victor Sen Yung) is assisting his father. Jimmy breathes life into the Monogram series which, with the exception of the one movie with Frances Chan as Charlie's daughter, saw Charlie saddled with lifeless sidekick Benson Fong and bug-eyed comedian Mantan Moreland. Another pro is the decent supporting cast that includes Dick Elliott, Richard Vallin, Joseph Crehan, and pretty Gloria Warren. The cons: typically cheap Monogram production, as well as the inclusion of stereotypical comic relief Chattanooga Brown (Willie Best). This is the second and final appearance of Chattanooga in the series. Thankfully, he's overshadowed by the likable personality of Victor Sen Yung. Not a particularly strong Chan film, but helped by the presence of Jimmy.

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.

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.

I was always a big Charlie Chan fan. I saw most of them as I was growing up and I liked Sidney Toler over Warner Oland. I had never see this one before, and it must be one of the few clinkers in the Charlie Chan canon. It is a stagebound film with no exterior shots and suffers from a very weak screenplay and spotty direction. And none of the Warner Oland's were this low in quality.

Now, I understand Monogram's predicament as a Poverty Row studio and the financial problems involved, but they should have been able to find a better script writer than the one who wrote this misfire. Cast was good, and they substituted Willie Best for Mantan Moreland in the Pop-Eyed comic relief role. But the film bites off more than can be chewed and the result is a slap-dash product which tries to squeeze in too much, and results in my rating above.