Charlie Chan at the Opera

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Movie
German title Charlie Chan at the Opera
Original title Charlie Chan at the Opera
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1936
length 68 minutes
Rod
Director H. Bruce Humberstone
script Scott Darling ,
Charles Belden ,
Bess Meredith (original story)
production John Stone
music Charles Maxwell
camera Lucien N. Andriot
cut Alex Troffey
occupation

Charlie Chan at the Opera (Original title: Charlie Chan at the Opera ) is a 1936 crime film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone , which is about a case of the Chinese-born police officer Charlie Chan invented by Earl Derr Biggers . It is about the opera singer Gravelle, who suffers from amnesia . He has escaped from a mental hospital where he was sent for the murder of his wife and her lover. The film was produced by 20th Century Fox with Warner Oland in the title role and Frankenstein actors Boris Karloff and Charlotte Henry in other leading roles. The film composer Oscar Levant created the opera Carnival for the film .

action

Gravelle, an opera singer suffering from amnesia, regains some of his memory at the Rockland State Asylum when he sees a newspaper article about the prima donna Lilly Rochelle. He then overpowers a guard and escapes into a rainy night.

In Los Angeles , Inspector Regan asks Charlie Chan, who has just solved the horse racing case , to help with this case. As they discuss the case in Regan's office, Lilli Rochelle, accompanied by her lover and singer, Enrico Barelli, enters and reports that she received a threat that she would die that night. Although Chan and his assistant and son, Lee Chan, actually wanted to take the midnight ship to Honolulu , he agrees to be in the backstage area of ​​the opera to investigate with Sergeant Kelly.

Shortly before the start of the evening opera, Phil Childers and his girlfriend Kitty appear at the back entrance, but are sent away by Kelly when they try to explain to him that they urgently need to see Madame Lilli. When Chan and Regan arrive, Lilli's husband, Mr. Whitely and Enrico Barelli, argue about Madame Lilli.

In the meantime, Anita Gravelle appears in the cloakroom of Barelli's wife. Although she is shocked that he was believed to have died in a fire in a theater five years ago, she agrees to keep his presence a secret while he plans to sing Enrico's role on stage. Gravelle then threatens Barelli, who locked him up in the burning theater with Lilli Rochelle a few years ago. Shortly afterwards Gravelle sings the duet with Lilli Rochelle on stage instead of Barelli in his costume. Madame Lilli recognizes Gravelle's voice and collapses after Gravelle leaves the stage.

After Whitely kidnaps Madame Lilli, the others rush to Enrico Barelli's cloakroom and find him stabbed to death. While the others are looking for Gravelle, Phil Childers enters Lilli Rochelle's cloakroom and finds her dead too. At that moment, Whitely comes back and holds Childers tight. When Charlie Chan questions Phil Childers and Mademoiselle Kitty, they tell him that Kitty is Madame Lilli's daughter from her previous marriage to Gravelle and that Lilli had refused to recognize Kitty in order to keep her past a secret. The young lovers were there to ask Lilli Rochelle's permission to marry, as Kitty is not yet of legal age. Gravelle, who didn't know Kitty, was stunned when he heard this from a hiding place.

When Phil Childers later goes to a meeting with Inspector Regan, Kitty is left alone and Gravelle enters. He questions her carefully and plays a song on the piano for her, hoping that she will recognize the melody and remember him. However, Kitty does not remember him, but faints from the shock. Charlie Chan then steps in and convinces Gravelle to sing on stage that evening after he told him about Lilli Rochelle and Enrico Barelli's attempt to murder him.

After the opera is over, Chan arranges for Anita Barelli to sing Madame Lilli's role with Gravelle in an empty theater. During the duet, which also includes the stabbing of the role of Anita Barelli by the character played by Gravelle, Anita Barelli is so frightened that she screams, which leads to a police officer shooting at Gravelle.

A short time later, Chan demonstrates that Gravelle's knife could not have been what was used in the murders. He explains that it was only Anita Barelli who had access to Enrico Barelli and Lilli Rochelle when they were alone and unconscious, and that she was the only one who knew Gravelle was there and therefore cornered him for it could. Madame Barelli admits that it was her jealousy that drove her to the murder of her unfaithful husband and his lover.

After Anita Barelli is taken away, Charlie Chan convinces Kitty to comfort Gravelle in order to save his life. When a doctor suggests that the bullet that grazed Gravelle's skull might even restore what was left of Gravelle's memory, Lee Chan rushes in and announces that he has found an important clue. As so often, his father comments on this with the words:

"Important clue, but like the last rose of summer, too late" ('Excellent clue, but like last rose of summer, too late')

background

The film premiered on January 8, 1937 in the United States was the second of four films in the series directed by H. Bruce Humberstone.

In addition to Warner Oland as Charlie Chan and Keye Luke as his assistant and son Lee Chan, Boris Karloff, who became known for his portrayal of the title role in Frankenstein (1931), plays the leading role. Karloff's role as Frankenstein is also alluded to in a subordinate clause when the stage manager Mr. Arnold says to a policeman: "This opera goes on, even if Frankenstein came in" ('This Opera goes on, even when Frankenstein walks in') . With Thomas Beck played another actor who has already appeared in several other Charlie Chan films.

In a short " uncredited " supporting role appears as an opera employee Benson Fong , who in later films as son No. 3 Tommy Chan at the side of Sydney Toler as Charlie Chan. Other "uncredited" supporting roles include Marc Lawrence , Karl Malden as an employee of the mental hospital, Mary Wickes and Joan Woodbury .

For the music of the film, the composer created a short opera called Carnival , although only excerpts from it were used. Duncan Cramer , who was nominated in 1955 and 1956 for a Primetime Emmy Award for best art direction in the series Four Star Playhouse , also worked as a set designer in the production of the film . Herschel McCoy , who was nominated for an Oscar for best costume design in both 1952 and 1954 , was responsible for the costumes . Harry M. Leonard , who was nominated for the Oscar for the best special effects at the 1946 Academy Awards, also worked as a sound engineer .

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:

  • "Small things sometimes tell large story"
  • "Roses and romance like tenor in opera - sing the most persuasive love song"
  • "A man who drives often enough on a carousel catches the brass ring at the end" ('Man who ride on merry-go-round often enough finally catch brass ring')
  • “A very old, wise Chinese once said, 'Madness is the twin brother of genius because both of them live in a world created by their own ego. One is sometimes mistaken for the other. '"(' Very old Chinese wise man once say," Madness twin bvrother of genius because each live in world created by own ego. One sometimes mistaken for the other "')

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