IMDb > Charlie Chan in Shanghai (1935)

Charlie Chan in Shanghai (1935) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   606 votes
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Up 37% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
James Tinling
Writers:
Earl Derr Biggers (character)
Gerard Fairlie (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Charlie Chan in Shanghai on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 October 1935 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Thriller more
Tagline:
AND NOW YOU SEE HIM IN CHINA! (original print ad - all caps)
Plot:
When a prominent official is murdered at a banquet honoring Charle Chan, the detective and son Lee team up to expose an opium-smuggling ring. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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User Comments:
A Solid Entry In The Charlie Chan Film Series more (19 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Warner Oland ... Charlie Chan
Irene Hervey ... Diana Woodland
Jon Hall ... Philip Nash (as Charles Locher)
Russell Hicks ... James Andrews
Keye Luke ... Lee Chan
Halliwell Hobbes ... Colonel Watkins, police commissioner
Frederick Vogeding ... Ivan Marloff (mistakenly listed as 'Burke' in on-screen credits) (as Frederik Vogeding)
Neil Fitzgerald ... Dakin - Colonel Watkins' Aide
Max Wagner ... Taxi Driver Henchman
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
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Runtime:
71 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)
Certification:
UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #1255)
Company:
Fox Film Corporation more

Fun Stuff

Goofs:
Continuity: While Charlie is playing with the children on the ocean liner, a dent in his hat disappears and re-appears. more
Quotes:
Colonel Watkins, police commissioner: [to Andrews and Chan] Okay, gentlemen, it's your funeral.
Charlie Chan: Hope not.
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Movie Connections:
References Oil for the Lamps of China (1935) more

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User Comments

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful.
A Solid Entry In The Charlie Chan Film Series, 10 April 2005
7/10
Author: gftbiloxi (gftbiloxi@yahoo.com) from Biloxi, Mississippi

Filmed in 1935, CHARLIE CHAN IN SHANGHAI is the 9th film in the Fox series. It is also, rather curiously the only Chan film that would be set in Asian--the only time Hollywood allowed Chan to make it back to China.

In this episode, Chan travels to China--presumably on holiday. But Chan's holidays have a way of being investigations in disguise, and no sooner does his ship dock than he receives a warning note; later that evening a close personal friend is unexpectedly killed by an ingenious booby trap which may have been directed at Chan himself. Needless to say, Chan assumes a major role in the investigation, and quickly finds himself the target of several murderous assaults. Could it all be tied to an infamous opium smuggling ring? Could be! Although this particular Chan film does not offer a notable supporting cast, Keye Luke is once more along for the ride as Chan's "Number One Son" Lee, and every one plays a smart pace. The plot, while typically gimmicky, is superior and offers a final twist that Chan fans may see coming in advance--but only if they know Chan's character and very high standards.

Chan films are often accused of being racist, and critics often complain that the actors playing Chan wore "yellowface" make up. The films, however, must be seen within the context of their era. In the 1930s, Hollywood presented most Asian characters as either servile or as Fu Manchu-like entities; Chan was actually just about the only positive Asian character going, and as such the films were tremendously popular with Asian-American audiences of the era.

True enough, Chan is inevitably played by an occidental actor, but this was typical of the era, in which star status was considered more important than racial accuracy. (Other Asian characters were always portrayed by Asian actors, Keye Luke being a case in point.) Whatever the case, neither Warner Oland or the later Sidney Toler wore significant make-up for the role, and Oland--although a Swede by birth--actually had a strong strain of Asian ancestry in his family tree.

While I cannot say that CHARLIE CHAN IN SHANGHAI is among my favorite Chan films, it is well-made, a solid entry in the series. Chan fans should enjoy it quite a bit.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

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