Charlie Chan in Honolulu

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Movie
German title Charlie Chan in Honolulu
Original title Charlie Chan in Honolulu
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1938
length 67 minutes
Rod
Director H. Bruce Humberstone
script Charles Belden
production John Stone ,
Sol M. Wurtzel
music Samuel Kaylin
camera Charles G. Clarke
cut Nick DeMaggio
occupation

Charlie Chan in Honolulu is a 1938 crime film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone about a case of Charlie Chan , a Chinese-born police officer invented by Earl Derr Biggers . It is about the murder of a passenger freighter lying in the port of Honolulu . The film was produced by 20th Century Fox with Sidney Toler in the title role and Phyllis Brooks and Eddie Collins in other leading roles. In the film, Toler embodied the character of Charlie Chan for the first time after the death of the previous actor Warner Oland and Victor Sen Yung also played the role of "Son No. 2" and assistant Jimmy Chan for the first time, after Keye Luke also played the previous one "Son No. 1" and assistant Lee Chan left after his contract was not renewed.

action

At dinner with his extended family, Charlie Chan receives news of the impending birth of his first grandchild from his son-in-law Wing Foo. After he, Wing Foo, and most of the other family members rush off to the hospital, a phone call comes in that the detective has committed the murder on board the passenger freighter Susan B. Jennings . Chan's "son # 2" Jimmy Chan, who wants to open his own detective agency, is convinced by his younger brother Tommy to take the call to prove to his "pop" Charlie Chan that he is a good investigator.

Tommy secretly follows Jimmy as he goes to the freighter that has just arrived in Honolulu from Shanghai . Captain Johnson believes Jimmy is the famous Charlie Chan, explains that the murdered man's identity is a mystery, and that secretary Judy Hayes is the only eyewitness to the fatal shots. Jimmy decides to interview the rest of the passengers on the freighter, which include animal keeper Al Hogan, Mrs. Carol Wayne, psychiatrist Dr. Cardigan, the criminal Johnny McCoy, and the criminal investigator Joe Arnold, who brought McCoy back to the USA from Shanghai.

Judy Hayes reports that her employer, who works as a lawyer in Shanghai, has ordered a package containing US $ 300,000 to be given to a man who will meet her in Honolulu. The man, who identified himself through a previously agreed sign, was shot dead by an unknown attacker before the transaction was completed. The helmsman George Randolph, who has fallen in love with Judy Hayes, accompanies Jimmy on deck to interrogate the rest of the crew. Jimmy's questioning infuriates the rough bunch, and when Joe Arnold appears and explains that Jimmy is no more Charlie Chan than he is, the crew grab the snoop to throw him overboard. At that moment, Charlie Chan appears on board the ship as a quiet witness and with a reserved smile after hearing the news of the murder from his superior inspector in the hospital. He stops the crew members by saying: “The Honolulu police frown at the clogging of the bay with corpses” ('Honolulu police frown on choking bay with bodies').

Charlie Chan then interrogates Carol Wayne, who testifies that she had sought rest and relaxation on the freighter and that she had recently become a widow. But she admits that she filed for divorce. As he continues his investigation on the freighter, Chan finds a box containing some of the missing money in Dr. Cardigan. The detective suspects Judy Hayes when she sneaks off the ship to tell her employer about the stolen money, taking advantage of a temporary disturbance during the appearance of the lion "Oscar" on the gangplank.

Carol Wayne reveals that Randolph gave Judy Hayes the gun to protect himself. Upon examining the weapon, Chan discovers that a shot has been fired. Randolph explains that he would have used the pistol earlier to shoot a shark that had followed the ship. Judy then protests to Randolph that she felt harassed when he asked about the missing money that was found hidden in her cabin.

Charlie Chan and Jimmy Chan later find Carol Wayne strangled with a scarf in her cabin and the missing money is found in the possession of Johnny McCoy, who hid it in a lifeboat. Charlie Chan announces that Joe Arnold is really Mike Harrigan, McCoy's accomplice who murdered the real police officer Arnold after he escaped from prison. The detective then asks everyone to gather in Captain Johnson's cabin.

Before the meeting, Chan, with the help of Dr. Cardigan, however, set a trap for catching the killer. After the group gathers, Chan reveals that Carol Wayne is really Mrs. Elsie Hillman, the murdered man's wife. Judy Hayes explains that she did not know anything about Carol Wayne and that she gave the money to the man so he would not have to declare it in his divorce proceedings. Chan's trap works: when the killer turns off the lights and tries to grab the murder weapon, a hidden camera with a flash is triggered. After Dr. Cardigan developed the film, the photo reveals Captain Johnson as the killer. Chan explains that Johnson murdered Mr. Hillman to get the money. When Carol Wayne later suspected him, he murdered her too.

A little later, Charlie Chan receives a call from Wing Foo that he has become a father. Tommy Chan, now in the hospital, holds the phone near the newborn baby, and the proud detective hears his grandson screaming into the phone.

background

The film, which premiered on January 13, 1939 in the USA, was directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, who previously directed the films Charlie Chan at the horse race , Charlie Chan at the opera and Charlie Chan, which were made with Warner Oland as Charlie Chan had led at the Olympics .

Sidney Toler first played the role of detective after Oland's death on August 6, 1938 in Charlie Chan in Honolulu (1938). He had prevailed against 34 other actors in a previous casting, including Cy Kendall , Walter Connolly , J. Edward Bromberg , Noah Beery Sr. , Michael Visaroff and Leo Carillo , with Kendall and Connolly already playing the role of Charlie Chan had spoken in radio plays. Toler was discovered by co-producer Sol M. Wurtzel , who was also the producer of the Mr. Moto series starring Peter Lorre , as a supporting actor in the film Up the River (1938). The decision to cast Sidney Toler as the new Charlie Chan was ultimately made by Darryl F. Zanuck , Vice President of 20th Century Fox. In the film Mr. Moto and the Fleet , also produced by Sol M. Wurtzel in 1938 , towards the end of the 48th minute, the Easter Egg Charlie Chan appears on a program board in Honolulu , but still with Warner Oland as the main actor.

With Victor Sen Yung as "son no. 2" Jimmy Chan, a new assistant was placed at his side, so that Keye Luke as "son no. 1" and assistant Lee Chan for the last time in Olands last film Charlie Chan in Monte Carlo participated in a film in the series. Marc Lawrance and Layne Tom Jr. had experiences from previous Charlie Chan films.

Quotes

As in the other films in the series, Charlie Chan emphasizes his work with quotes that are reminiscent of Chinese proverbs . The always polite and calm-looking Chan thanks him as usual with a “Thank you so much” ('Thank you so much'). In addition, his “contradiction, please!” ('Contradiction, please!') Often appears when he wants to express his differing views.

Chan's sayings in this film include:

  • “Ancient ancestor once said,“ As mind is fed with silent thought, so body absorb its food ”.
  • "Bills are sometimes more difficult to collect than murder clues"
  • "Hospitals are for the sick and not a playground for the healthy" ('Hospital is for sick, not playground for healthy')
  • "When money talk, few are deaf"
  • "An opinion is like a tea leaf in hot water - both need time to brew" ('Opinion like tea leaf in hot water - both need time for brewing')
  • “Making bedfellow of serpent no guarantee against snakebite” is no guarantee against snakebite.
  • "Caution is a very good life insurance" ('Caution very good life insurance')
  • "A bait is only good if the fish bites into it" ('Bait only good if fish bite on same')
  • "Photographs don't lie" ('Photograph does not lie')

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