CHARLIE CHAN IN PANAMA 1940
Charlie Chan In Panama was the fifth Chan movie that Sidney Toler made for 20th Century Fox.
It was a mystery film with the normal humor provided by Charlie's son Jimmy Chan, an aspiring detective.
It is an unaccredited remake of Jacques Deval's novel entitled Marie Galante which was a Fox film produced in 1934.
The film was directed by Norman Foster and produced by Sol Wurtzel.
The cast included:
Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan
Victor Sen Yung as Jimmy Chan
Jean Rogers as Kathi Lenesh
Lionel Atwill as Clivedon Compton
Mary Nash as Miss Jennie Finch
Kane Richmond as Richard Cabot
Chris-Pin Martin as Sgt. Montero
Lionel Royce as Dr. Rudolph Grosser
Frank Puglia as Achmed Halide
Don Douglas as Captain Lewis
Jack La Rue as Emile Manolo
Addison Richards as R. J. Godley
Edwin Stanley as Governor Webster
The plot involves a spy plot to destroy the Panama Canal and trapping with the destruction the U. S. Fleet on way to maneuvers in the Pacific.
It seems with this activity Panama City becomes rife with all kind of spies which includes among the suspects novelist Clivedon Compton, school teacher Miss Jennie Finch, scientist Dr. Rudolph Grosser, lounge owner Manolo, singer Kathi Lenesh, cigarette salesman Achmed Halide and government engineer RichardCabot.
The main spy is a person known as Reiner. It is not known at the time whether this person is male or female.
However agent Godley knows the real identity of Reiner and when he goes to disclose this fact to Charlie Chan he falls dead from a poisoned cigarette leaving Chan to expose this crafty villain.
Other suspects are murdered namely Compton and then Manolo.
With the help of the governor, Chan sequesters the remaining suspects at the Panama Canal's locks plant and it is at that time the real Reiner is exposed being the matronly teacher Miss Finch.
Thus another case is solved by the great Oriental detective Charlie Chan.
The IMDB rates this one a 7.8 out of 10 and is one of the best if not the best of the Toler's Fox entries in this series.
There is mystery and intrigue as well as the additional humor provided by Charlie's son Jimmy.
All of the actors are good and are known actors from that time period.
Lionel Atwill, who often plays in horror movies and as villains is a good red herring in this film. But he is not the villain this time as he often is.
Toler, as usual, gives a fine performance and is in his prime in this film as the great Oriental detective.
I have always loved the Chan films all the way from Warner Oland to Roland Winters. All are good, especially Warner Oland, but Toler to me is my favorite. He, like Oland, tended to have oriental features ( though he was of Scottish ancestry) and needed little makeup.
This film is available on DVD for you collectors and is a good choice for a mystery-detective library and a great entry in the Charlie Chan series.
Louie The Movie Buff