The Black Camel (1931)

The unsolved murder of a Hollywood actor several years earlier and an enigmatic psychic are the keys to help Charlie solve the Honolulu stabbing death of a beautiful actress.

Director:

Hamilton MacFadden

Writers:

Earl Derr Biggers (novel), Barry Conners,

Stars:

Warner Oland, Sally Eilers, Bela Lugosi

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Warner Oland	...	Inspector Charlie Chan
Sally Eilers	...	Julie O'Neil
Bela Lugosi	...	Tarneverro / Arthur Mayo
Dorothy Revier	...	Shelah Fane
Victor Varconi	...	Robert Fyfe
Murray Kinnell	...	Archie Smith
William Post Jr.	...	Alan Jaynes
Robert Young	...	Jimmy Bradshaw
Violet Dunn	...	Anna the maid
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Thomas MacMasters
Mary Gordon	...	Mrs. MacMasters
Rita Rozelle	...	Luana
Otto Yamaoka	...	Kashimo

Storyline

Movie star Sheila Fayne is seeing wealthy Alan Jaynes while filming in Honolulu, Hawaii, but won't marry him without consulting famed psychic Tanaverro first. Tanaverro confronts her about the unsolved murder of fellow film star Denny Mayo three years earlier, and she decides to reject Jaynes' proposal. When Sheila is found shot to death in her beach-front pavilion, Charlie Chan of the Honolulu Police investigates.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | psychic | actor | hawaii | honolulu hawaii | 

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Taglines:

CHARLIE CHAN'S Latest Thriller

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 June 1931 (USA)

Also Known As:

Charlie Chan in the Black Camel

Filming Locations:

Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

71 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (Western Electric System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Earl Derr Biggers visited the Hawaiian set, presenting a copy of his 1929 source novel to Chang Apana, the local police detective who inspired him to create Chan.

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Goofs

The knife thrown at Chan when he discovers the scratches under the table couldn't possibly have come from the direction it is thrown from.

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Quotes

Charlie Chan: Alas, mouse cannot cast shadow like elephant.

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Connections

Followed by Charlie Chan in Shanghai (1935)

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Soundtracks

"Na Lei O Hawaii"
(uncredited)
Written by Charles E. King

User Reviews

Clue....Clue!

Hollywood star Shelah Fane is filming her latest movie in Honolulu, while keeping her name in the papers with her whirlwind romance to Alan Jaynes, traveling playboy. Shelah decides to send for her psychic consultant, Tarneverro, to advise her if marrying Jaynes is the right thing for her to do, but while consulting with him, Shelah hints of a murder she committed a few years earlier, one Denny Mayo. Later she is found dead by her friend Julie, and the case is turned over to Inspector Charlie Chan, who has to figure out the Denny Mayo connection to both Shelah and the murder suspect. Nice entry in the Chan series, helped immensely by the on location shooting in Hawaii. Even with Lugosi as Tarneverro (a suspect no doubt) the suspects do not really give any sinister or worth-a-closer-look performances here. Yamaoka is really annoying as Chan's bumbling assistant (the latter word used loosely) Kashimo. The main problem with the film is too many characters with their own story in a movie that can't quite crack the B movie mold. Later remade as Charlie Chan in Rio. Rating, based on B mysteries, 4.