Charlie Again!

DANGEROUS MONEY1946--Charlie Chan investigates the smuggling of counterfeit “hot” money after a treasury agent (Tris Coffin) is killed. There's many suspects plus annoying comedy bits Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung) and chauffeur Chattanooga (Willie Best in his last Chan movie). The main suspects are loud mouth cotton seller Burke (Dick Elliot), knife thrower Kirk (John Harmon), American trader Tao Erickson (Rick Vallin), Brace, the ship's purser (Joseph Allen) and his girlfriend Rona (Gloria Allen), a professor (Emmett Vogan) and The Whipples, upper class twits on an ocean liner bound for Samoa. The killer uses a knife gun. 

This low budget Monogram mystery based on the character created by Earl Derr Biggers (in 1925) was the 39^th story in a series of 47 Chan movies began back in the mid-thirties by Universal Pictures. Star Toler was instrumental in getting Monogram to produce a new Chan series when it was dropped by Fox in 1942. Though still fun, they are noticably lower budget. 

Director Terry O. Morse was also an editor and had directed Karloff in BRITISH INTELLIGENCE in 1940. Later he worked on the US shot scenes in GODZILLA-KING OF MONSTERS. 

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Chan Returns

 

 

 

 

 

 

 DEAD MEN TELL-1941-Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) investigates the mysterious goings-on on the ship planning a treasure hunt after the old woman heading it is scared to death by the “Ghost of Black Hook”. Everyone acts suspiciously. Even the Asian cook! George Reeves portrays an escape con and early victim. Future “Science Fiction Theater” host Truman Bradley is the captain with a talking parrot. Other suspects include a female psychiatrist (Lenita Lane) and her patient (Milton Parsons). Victor Sen Young is Jimmy, number 2 son, who helps a little but mostly gets in the way (and almost gets killed several times). “Trouble like first love, teach many lessons”.

 

This was the ninth of 22 appearances put in by the non-Asian Toler as the famed Chinese detective when the series was still at 20^th Century-Fox. Director Harry Lachman (THE LOVES OF EDGAR ALLEN POE) worked on many other Chan entries before retiring in 1943.

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