La croisière meurtrière

From 1940, "Murder Cruise" sports a nice cast, with Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan, Sen Yung as his son Jimmy, Leo Carroll, Lionel Atwill, and Cora Witherspoon, who is very funny.

Charlie seems to have a tough time with this one -- after his friend from Scotland Yard is killed, he joins a cruise from Honolulu to San Francisco to help find a suspected murderer. There are no less than four more.

The murderer is obvious the second he's introduced for reasons having nothing to do with the plot.

Inspector Duff has been on a case case undercover. He's a passenger on a cruise ship going on a world tour from New York. One of the passengers was strangled the first night.

Duff joined the cruise in Liverpool, and he is sure the criminal is on board, and he's afraid that he will strike again. You can say that again - he strangles Duff right in the office while Charlie takes a call about another of the passengers being murdered.

Jimmy shows up, naturally, and gets into all kinds of trouble. Charlie puts up with it, Toler's Chan always being on an even keel and exhibiting dry humor.

Very enjoyable. The young Chan, Willie, is played by Layne Tom, Jr. Tom is on a 2006 interview about the Chan films and became a very well known architect, dying at age 87.

Good fun.

A little more than ten years ago, I read the novel "Charlie Chan Carries On" when I was also watching various Charlie Chan movies and reviewing them here on IMDb. Because it's been so long since then, all I really remember from the book was that Chan didn't appear in it until it was in the middle of it. So while watching this movie version (the second, after the previous filmed version which was the first time Warner Oland played the role. That version is lost), I didn't remember the characters that were now depicted from that novel. Anyway, this was another enjoyable film in the series with Sidney Toler doing fine in the role of the famous detective. Ditto Victor Sen Yung as his son Jimmy who's always in over his head but also always well meaning. So that's a recommendation for Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise.

Producer John Stone and Director Eugene Forde's last Chan films. By now Stone had done over a dozen and Forde had directed four. Sidney Toler (who appears to be ill in portions of the movie) is supported by #2 son Jimmy and #7 son Willie (Layne Tom, Jr. who was once cast in `Charlie Chan at the Circus' as #2 son Charlie Jr. and in `Charlie Chan in Honolulu' as #5 son Tommy). Lionel Atwill and Leo G. Carroll both add to the drama but Charles Middleton is best remembered in the Flash Gordon films as the Emperor Ming. Cora Witherspoon provides great comic relief. Don Beddoe is credited as playing `James' Ross but introduces himself to Chan as `Frederick' Ross, weight 168 lbs, 5'10', and he will admit to being 35.

Fast-paced who-done-it set primarily aboard a ship bound between Honolulu and San Francisco. A 'round the world cruise by ten travelers has been beset by a series of deaths by strangulation. It is clear from the beginning of the film that the guilty party is a man dressed in a dark hat and raincoat with dark classes and a full beard. But none of the passengers look like that.

Scotland Yard Inspector Duff is sent to investigate only to die as the film opens. Interesting subterfuge will keep the viewer off balance and probably unable to keep up with Chan until all is revealed at the end. `Man can more safely search for gold if world think he dig ditch.' Recommended.

Plenty of people would vote Treasure Island the best, but for my money, this one takes the prize. The film is 76 minutes long and gives us good plot turns, lots of the humor fans like, and a standout cast. Lionel Atwill and Leo G. Carroll in particular, are excellent, but all the players are good. And, much of the story is set on an ocean liner, going from Honolulu to San Francisco! I really like the old mysteries that are set on a train or an ocean liner. Sidney Toler is simply masterful in his role as Charlie Chan. He's the equal of Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes, which is the highest praise I can give. He gives the character tremendous intelligence, moral force, and a quiet humor, that are most appealing. The plot is very clever and involving, and that helps to elevate the movie. This is a classic that you can enjoy seeing more than once. You get to see Charlie in a real battle of wits with the killer. Plus, our hero looks great in a dinner jacket! Highly recommended.

An old Scotland Yard Inspector friend Montague Shaw drops in on Charlie Chan in Honolulu asking for his help in catching a murderer whom he believes is on a cruise bound for San Francisco. Shortly afterward Shaw is strangled and Sidney Toler now has a personal reason for taking over Shaw's investigation.

Also coming along is Number 2 son Victor Sen Yung as usual providing his unwanted assistance to Pop. Number 2 son as a stowaway earns his passage as a steward's assistant, but does prove useful in being able to search cabins of cruise passengers.

With such worthy villainous types as Lionel Atwill, Leo G. Carroll, Charles Middleton, and Leonard Mudie in the cast it's going to be difficult to tell who the perpetrator can be. All have been cast as villains in many films. Jewelry salesman Don Beddoe also winds up dead before the cruise is over.

With a really good cast to provide believable red herrings Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise is a top drawer feature of the Charlie Chan series. Captain Stubing never saw things like this going on with the Love Boat.