Yeah..He Knows..When He Shows...

THE MISSING LADY-1946-Mystery and murder surround "the jade lady" (a statue). Lamont Cranston (Kane Richmond) is framed for murder and only The Shadow can clear him. The police chief (James Flavin) wants to run him in but Cranston's uncle the police commissioner (Pierre Watkin) saves and defends him. Margo Lane (Barbara Read), chauffeur Shrevvie (George Chandler) and Serrvy's girlfriend (Claire Carleton) provide the annoying comedy. 

There's not much of The Shadow himself in this cheap disappointing feature from Monogram. For some reason the character of Margo is presented in these three movies as a real airhead in direct contrast to her radio persona. Phil Karlson directed again.

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He Still Knows....

BEHIND THE MASK-1946-A conniving newspaper columnist Jeff Mann (James Cardwell) is killed by The Shadow in his office on the eve of the wedding of Lamont Cranston (Kane Richmond) and Margo Lane (Barbara Read). Of course someone is actually pretending to be the crime fighter. Mann was blackmailing a mobster (Robert Shayne) and a female bookie May Bishop (Marjorie Hoshelle). There's way too much comedy in this with Shevvie, the chauffeur now played by familiar character actor George Chandler. 

Director Phil Karlson made the Charlie Chan mystery DARK ALIBI the same year.

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He Knows....

THE SHADOW RETURNS-1946-This begins with a body being exhumed from its grave. Then Lamont Cranston (Kane Richmond) and Margo Lane (Barbara Read/Reed) argue about getting married. Of course Cranston is the crime fighting Shadow who dons a mask and appears as a shadow on the wall. 

The kind of boring story revolves around some jewels and the suspects who suddenly commit suicide (Frank Reichert and Cyril Devanti play two of them). Cranston is wise ass PI who the chief of police (Joseph Crehan) doesn't like (with good reason). But the commissioner (Pierre Watkin) is Cranston's uncle. Margo is somewhat of a ditz and they have a chauffeur named Shevvie (Tom Dugan, who seems to be channeling Shemp Howard!). 

The Shadow doesn't appear much in this first of 3 movies produced by Monogram featuring the mysterious crime fighter and the first to star Richmond (THE SPY SMASHER). Grand National had made 2 features (with Rod La Rocque in the lead) and a 12 part serial (with Victor Jory) in the late '30's. Old hand Phil Rosen handled the direction (some sources cite William Beaudine with an uncredited assist). He directed many of the Charlie Chan/Sidney Toler mysteries.

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Charlie In The Big Apple

MURDER OVER NEW YORK-1940-On a plane en route to NYC for a police convention, Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) meets his old friend Inspector Drake of Scotland Yard (Frederick Worlock). Drake is on the trial of a saboteur named Narda and his Hindu servant Ramullah (Lal Chand Mehra) who seem to have vanished so he’s been following Narda’s wife. Drake seems like a future victim especially after being invited to a party given by the smarmy and suspicious George Kirby (Ricardo Cortez). Then when Chan is met by Inspector Vance (Donald MacBride), No. 2 son Jimmy (Sen Yung) shows up! Sure enough, Drake is murdered in Kirby's study, killed by a odorless gas. There are many suspects of course including June Preston (Joan Valerie), an actress, chemist David Elliot (Robert Lowery) , Ralph Percy (Kane Richmond), a guy named Richard Jeffery (John Sutton), a pompous Englishman Herbert Fenton (Melville Cooper) and Patricia West (Mariorie Weaver)and Narda’s wife who turns out not to be a collaborator.

 An hysterical but politically incorrect scene involves a police lineup of local Hindi men where a phony mystic is played by Shemp Howard! They find Narda’s servant but he’s killed. His curio shop turns out to be a front for making poison gas! This method seems similar to the M. O. of the the kiiler in MR. WONG DETECTIVE (1938). Eventually Charlie gets all the suspects on a moving plane and reveals the real killer (Narda with plastic surgery). Jimmy is really a pest in this. Clarence Muse has one scene as stereotypical scared suspect. 

Director Harry Lachman directed DEAD MEN TELL the next year.

https://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2015/07/chan-returns.html

Mr. Wong: https://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2017/07/mr-wong.html

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Chan Goes Everywhere

CHARLIE CHAN IN PANAMA1940--A suspicious bunch gather in Panama. Jolly author Cliveden Compton (Lionel Atwill), school teacher Jennie Finch (Mary Nash), local club owner Manolo (Jack La Rue), Godley (Addison Richards), Dr. Grosser (Lionel Royce), a grouchy, fez wearing German Halide (Frank Puglia) and a guy named Cabot (Kane Richmond) that Manolo has one of his employees Kathie (Jean Rogers) spy on.

In Panama City Godley visits a hat maker who happens to be Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) undercover. Godley has secret info on a saboteur/assassin named Reinhardt (no one knows what he looks like) but he smokes a poisoned cigarette and dies before revealing his info. Chan must stop Reinhardt from harming the Navy fleet before it uses the canal. No. 2 son Jimmy (Sen Yung) is kind of a pain but the identity of the killer is a lulu! Norman Foster directed this enjoyable installment, no doubt enhanced by the presence of the always entertaining Lionel Atwill.

 Next up: CHARLIE CHAN'S MURDER CRUISE.

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Back to Chan

CHARLIE CHAN IN RENO-1939- In “the biggest little city in the world” Mrs. Russell (Kay Linaker) runs a hotel for couples getting divorce. “This 1939. We're modern.”, says one character. The obnoxious Mrs. Bentley (Louise Henry) insults everyone and is asked by the owner to leave. She's killed instead and Mary Whitman (Pauline Moore; in CC IN HONOLULU the year before) is found over the body with blood on her hands. It just so happened Bentley was going to marry Mary's almost ex-husband Curtis (Kane Richmond; later in CC IN PANAMA). When Mary is arrested for the murder Curtis asks Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) for help. Rather dumbly, especially for him Chan wires son Jimmy (Sen Yung) in LA that he will visit him on his return trip. Naturally Jimmy sees this as an opportunity to help “Pop”. He borrows a friend's car and drives there. However on the way he falls victim to two phony hitchhikers who steal the car and Jimmy's clothes! He winds up in a police line up that Chan, the police chief (Charles Brown) and a dopey sheriff (Slim Summerville) are looking at. Chan investigates all the suspects including the owner Mrs. Russell, her hostess (Phyllis Brooks), an oily doctor (Ricardo Cortez; also in MR. MOTO'S LAST WARNING the same year), Birk (Robert Lowery; also in MR. MOTO IN DANGER ISLAND the same year)), a broke young man and Mr. Bentley (Morgan Conway; future Dick Tracy). An Asian maid (Iris Wong) (and Jimmy's love interest) helps out too. This was one of four Chan mysteries directed by Norman Foster who also found time to direct 6 “Mr. Moto” entries.

Next in the series: CHARLIE CHAN ON TREASURE ISLAND.

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Darro's Diamond

THE DEVIL’S DIAMOND-1937-Dumb low budget crime drama has a group of gangsters hiring an old jeweler (George Cleveland) to cut up a “cursed” diamond. They hire and train a former messenger boy (Frankie Darro) to be a boxer as their front while they stay at a boarding house conveniently run by the jeweler’s granddaughter (Joan Gale). Familiar Serial star Kane Richmond is the special agent investigating the whole mess.

It’s funny to see the pint size Darro punching out guys much bigger than himself. He was popular at the time but later played mostly un-credited roles on TV (usually as a bellboy or messenger).

Richmond had many film roles but was best known for the title character in the serials The Shadow, Spy Smasher and Brick Bradford. The great character actor Byron Foulger is also featured as a Swedish handyman.

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