La croisière meurtrière

Now this is a movie RIGHT after every real murder mystery fan's heart - no wonder, because it's based on one of Earl Derr Biggers' original novels, "Charlie Chan Carries On" (which had already been adapted in 1931 as the - now lost - first film starring Warner Oland in the role, bearing the book's title), and can clearly be identified as a crime novel brought to the screen. A plot with so many twists and knots that it's almost impossible to follow, a whole bunch of suspects to 'choose' from, dark connections with the past...

And it was adapted in a really MASTERFUL way, with a perfect direction (the atmosphere on board the ship is wonderfully genuine, and the foggy night scenes on deck are pretty creepy), an illustrious cast including mystery specialist Lionel Atwill, Leo Carroll, Robert Lowery (who later would become famous in westerns), Marjorie Weaver (the heroine of many a good B movie), and Cora Witherspoon, and many gags included to lighten up the murderous atmosphere - as usual, mostly provoked by, or involving poor Jimmy Chan.

It all starts in Charlie Chan's office in Honolulu, where he is visited by his old friend Inspector Duff from Scotland Yard, who tells him about a strange case he's on incognito: a cruise ship started four months ago on a world tour from New York, and on the first night one of the passengers, a judge, was strangled. In Liverpool, Duff joined the cruise, and he's convinced that among the passengers must be a dangerous criminal, and it's very probable that he'll strike again. And so he does: Charlie's superior next door is informed over the telephone that a Mr. Kenyon, another one of the passengers, was murdered in his hotel room - and when Charlie gets back to his own office, he finds his friend strangled; and that makes him feel obliged to take on the case himself...

He goes on board, and is introduced to the passengers by group leader Dr. Suderman: there's archaeologist Professor Gordon, Dick Kenyon, the nephew of the murdered man, Paula Drake with whom he's in love and who's the secretary of slightly hysterical Susie Watson, Susie's admirer Freddie Ross, the strange spiritualist couple Mr. and Mrs. Walters - and Mr. Pendleton, who seems to be afraid to death that HE's the intended victim! Then there's a mysterious beggar with a huge beard creeping around, there are stories from the past involving Mrs. Pendleton, there are little bags containing exactly 30 silver dimes (...) - and of course, there's a stowaway: who else but... Jimmy Chan?

And then unfolds a plot before our eyes which is not only almost too complicated to describe, but it would also be a shame to give away too much of it - because it really has to be SEEN to be believed! An absolute 'must' for every mystery fan, equal (if not superior) even to many of the very best 'whodunits' that were ever brought to the screen!

Investigating the murder of an old friend puts Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) on the trail of a strangler, which leads to a cruise ship where he encounters more murders. Well, the title's accurate. It's kind of amusing that several people get knocked off before Charlie can solve the case. Doesn't exactly look good on a detective's résumé.

Toler's fine but his yellowface makeup seems especially exaggerated in this one. Maybe it's me but it just looks different. Always fun to see Victor Sen Yung as Jimmy Chan. Layne Tom, Jr. appears here but not as Charlie Chan, Jr. as in his previous appearances. This time he's "Number Seven Son" Willie. Cora Witherspoon is terrific comic relief as Susie Watson. Great supporting cast that includes Lionel Atwill and Leo G. Carroll, among other familiar faces.

This one's a remake of an earlier Charlie Chan film, Charlie Chan Carries On. Unfortunately that's one of the lost Warner Oland Chan films from the early '30s so I can't really compare this to that. But this one's good, with a solid cast and healthy doses of humor.

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.

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.

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.