Charlie Chan at the Circus (1936)

While visiting the circus with his family, Charlie is recruited by the big top's co-owner to investigate threatening letters that he's received.

Director:

Harry Lachman

Writers:

Robert Ellis (original screen play), Helen Logan (original screen play),

Stars:

Warner Oland, Keye Luke, George Brasno

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Warner Oland	...	Charlie Chan
Keye Luke	...	Lee Chan
George Brasno	...	Tim (as George)
Olive Brasno	...	Tiny
Francis Ford	...	John Gaines
Maxine Reiner	...	Marie Norman
John McGuire	...	Hal Blake
Shirley Deane	...	Louise Norman
Paul Stanton	...	Joe Kinney
J. Carrol Naish	...	Tom Holt
Boothe Howard	...	Dan Farrell
Drue Leyton	...	Nellie Farrell
Wade Boteler	...	Lieutenant Macy
Shia Jung	...	Su Toy

Storyline

Charlie receives fourteen free passes to the circus for him and his entire family but soon realizes that there are strings attached as the big top's co-owner asks his guest to investigate threatening letters that he's received. Before the famous detective can, the man is murdered. Charlie soon finds out that the co-owner was not a particularly pleasant or well-liked individual, and among the many suspects are his partner, a snake charmer and the menagerie's gorilla. Son Lee, usually an enthusiastic assistant for his father, is distracted by the show's beautiful contortionist.

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Plot Keywords:

circus | threatening letter | snake charmer | contortionist | gorilla | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 March 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Charlie Chan no Circo

Filming Locations:

El Monte, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actor Keye Luke reportedly conflicted with director Harry Lachman over the latter's treatment of the circus midgets in the movie.

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Goofs

The ape is shown peeling the banana from the top. Primates, except for humans, peel them from the bottom, thus doing away with those pesky stringy bits.

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Quotes

Charlie Chan: Curiosity responsible for cat needing nine lives.

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Connections

Followed by The Trap (1946)

User Reviews

Murder At The Big Top

Even the most dedicated of sleuths likes an occasional day off and Warner Oland as Charlie Chan wanted just such a day to spend with his family at the circus. But it actually turns out that one of the partners who owned the circus had hired him to look into some veiled threats he'd been receiving from unknown sources.

So the Chan family, all 14 of them, go to the circus and wouldn't you know it, the guy who hires Charlie winds up murdered. And Charlie's got a whole circus full of suspects.

Oland enters the case at the behest of the performers, especially two midgets played by George and Olive Brasno. The police are holding the circus up until the murder is solved, but that in itself will bankrupt the show if they miss scheduled dates.

It was nice to see Charlie on a family outing even if he couldn't escape the need for his services. As usual Keye Luke is the bumptious number one son who Charlie has to keep dispensing fortune cookie wisdom all the time to.

This is a good, if average entry in the Charlie Chan series.