Charlie Chan's secret

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Movie
German title Charlie Chan's secret
Original title Charlie Chan's Secret
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1936
length 72 minutes
Rod
Director Gordon Wiles
script Robert Ellis ,
Helen Logan
production John Stone
music Samuel Kaylin ,
Vinton Vernon
camera Rudolph Maté
cut Nick DeMaggio
occupation

Charlie Chan's Secret (alternative title: Charlie Chan in San Francisco ; original title: Charlie Chan's Secret ) is a 1936 crime film directed by Gordon Wiles , which is about a case of the Chinese-born police officer Charlie Chan invented by Earl Derr Biggers . The film was produced by 20th Century Fox with Warner Oland in the title role and Rosina Lawrence and Charles Quigley in other leading roles.

action

While searching for the bodies under the wreckage of a boat that was lost in a storm near Hawaii , Charlie Chan finds a diary. This belongs to Allen Colby, the heir to the paternal property, which is to be salvaged from the sunken ship. The diary provides evidence that Colby was on board the ship. At the same time, what has been written shows that there had already been attempts to take his life away. Chan then sends a telegram to Henriette Lowell, the family's matriarch, an acquaintance of the detective and sister of Allen Colby's late father. In his message, he takes the position that Allen Colby's fate is uncertain. He flies to San Francisco , where Mrs. Lowell, a true believer in "psychic research," intends to hold a séance .

Allen Colby secretly returns to the property, but is struck by a thrown dagger upon arrival. Later, Chan arrives at the Colby estate. He found out that Allen had joined the French Foreign Legion seven years earlier . During fighting, Colby was captured by Rifkabylen and held as a prisoner before he managed to escape. There was no contact with his family at all.

In the evening the séance is performed with the medium Carlotta, which is accompanied by Professor Bowan, who is financially supported by Mrs. Lowell. Also present are Alice and Janice, the two daughters of Mrs. Lowell, the newspaper reporter and friend of Alice, Dick Williams and Fred Gage, Janice's husband and also the grumpy caretaker Ulrich, who Allen Colby for the suicide of his daughter before seven Years after he broke off her engagement, as well as Charlie Chan. During the séance, Allen Colby, whose face is heavily lit, appears on a staircase that leads to the darkened room. Colby's body suddenly falls and when the lights are turned back on, Chan discovers that Allen was murdered.

Chan begins investigating Allen Colby's murder and agrees with Mrs. Lowell to allow him to spend the night in the unoccupied Colby house, a mysterious place that has numerous secret paneling and spots. Mrs. Lowell leaves the detective alone to do his job. Out of her own curiosity about the murder and his relationship with the séance, however, she returns to help Chan with his search for clues. While investigating the room where the séance took place, Chan discovers a radio receiver that, according to his investigation, was likely used for the eerie music that was heard during the evening séance. Chan also finds out that Allen Colby's face seemed to glow in the dark because a hidden ultraviolet light was projected against the face and was coated with quinine .

Much angered by the investigation, Mrs. Lowell discovers that Professor Bowan knew that if Allen Colby returned, her sponsorship of his "research" would have come to an end. When she agrees with Chan to reconsider her will as the now rightful heir, a shot is fired at her from a hidden doorway. Chan, however, had seen the reflection of the attacker's weapon in a mirror and with presence of mind pushed Mrs. Lowell out of harm's way. At that moment, Fred Gage enters the house and explains that he was worried about his mother-in-law's safety.

When Chan discovered a radio station in Ulrich's house on the Colby's property the next day, he visited Carlotta. Although she admits that she knows how to use the radio, she is shocked to learn of the other deceptive methods used by Professor Bowan. When Chan examines the shortwave coil of the transmitter in Carlotta and Professor Bowan's quarters, Bowan, who is hiding, turns on the power. Charlie Chan receives a severe electric shock and passes out. Bowan tries in vain to convince Carlotta to flee with him. While the police arrive, Bowan manages to escape. Inspector Morton arrests Carlotta while Chan comes to.

Later that day, Mrs. Lowell announces to her family that she intends to modify her will, which her legal advisor, Warren T. Phelps, is due to bring to her home at 8:30 p.m. that evening. As Mrs. Lowell sits at a table near a window with Baxter, her servant, the chiming of a nearby tower announces 8:30 p.m. At that moment a cartridge smashes the window and hits her in the head. Charlie Chan later examines the clock tower and finds a high powered rifle that has been set to open fire when Mrs. Lowell is in her seat by the window, as usual, at 8:30 p.m.

Finally, Bowan is also caught, but does not admit the acts. Chan gathers those who were present at the last séance with Carlotta and Professor Bowan. During the seance, Mrs. Lowell's resuscitated body appears. When he says that the murder will be solved, a knife is suddenly thrown at the picture. This breaks because it is only the reflection in a mirror. After turning on the light, Chan reveals that Mrs. Lowell is still alive and that it was just a dummy that was previously shot. Gage accuses Ulrich, whereupon a scuffle begins between the two. Chan takes Gage's hand and opens it. In the process, he discovers dark spots of graphite that the detective had previously used to prepare the knife. The knife is the twin knife with which Allen Colby was previously murdered. Charlie Chan charges Gage with murdering Colby to cover up the fact that he falsified the Lowell's accounts. Mrs. Lowell waives a complaint against Carlotta and Professor Bowan, who leave the city on the advice of Inspector Morton.

background

Released on January 10, 1936 in the USA, the film was directed by former production designer Gordon Wiles , who received the Oscar for best production design at the 1932 Academy Awards . The film was the last film in which Warner Oland appeared without the assistance of his film son Keye Luke . In addition, the role of Professor Bowan was the last film role for Arthur Edmund Carewe, who shortly after suffered a stroke and committed suicide in 1937.

Duncan Cramer , who was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for best art direction in the series Four Star Playhouse in 1955 and 1956, worked as a set designer on the production of the film . Also noteworthy is the camera work of the multiple Oscar nominee Rudolph Maté , this was his only involvement in a film in the Charlie Chan series.

For a few brief moments, the film shows two historically interesting technical "witnesses", namely a Sikorsky S-42 flying boat built in only ten units , which operated on the Hawaii-San Francisco route, in front of the not yet completed Golden Gate Bridge .

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').

Chan's sayings in this film include:

  • "If strength were all, tiger would not fear scorpion"
  • "Necessity mother of invention, but sometimes step-mother of deception '" is the mother of invention, but sometimes the step-mother of deception.
  • "The greeting at the end of a journey is like refreshing rain after a long drought" ('Greeting at end of journey like refreshing rain after long drought')
  • “The best place for a skeleton is in the family closet” ('Best place for skeleton is in family closet')
  • "Fingerprints are very valuable if the detective can catch the owner of the fingers" ('Fingerprints very valuable if detective can catch owner of fingers')
  • "A boy scout knife like lady's hairpin - have many uses" is like a lady's hairpin - it has several uses.
  • "The role of a dead man requires very little acting" ('Role of dead man requires very little acting')
  • "Finding web of spider does not prove which spider spin web" does not prove which spider has spun the web.
  • “The unknown danger is like a summer thunderstorm - it comes when it is least expected” ('Unknown danger like summer lightning - strike when least expected')

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