Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936)

Director:

H. Bruce Humberstone

Writers:

Charles Belden (writer)
Earl Derr Biggers (character)

Release Date:

21 April 1937 (Denmark)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

A fiendish killer lurks at the opera! Weird! Thrilling! The Master Minds of Crime Match Wits Against Each Other!

Plot:

A dangerous amnesiac escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the opera house to wreak revenge on those who tried to murder him seven years earlier.

Plot Keywords:

Opera | Amnesiac | Opera House | Charlie Chan | Murder

Cast

Warner Oland	...	Charlie Chan
Boris Karloff	...	Gravelle
Keye Luke	...	Lee Chan
William Demarest	...	Sergeant Kelly
Guy Usher	...	Inspector Regan
Margaret Irving	...	Mme. Lilli Rochelle
Gregory Gaye	...	Enrico Borelli
Nedda Harrigan	...	Mme. Lucretia Borelli
Frank Conroy	...	Mr. Whitely
Charlotte Henry	...	Mlle. Kitty
Thomas Beck	...	Phil Childers
Maurice Cass	...	Mr. Arnold
Tom McGuire	...	Pop Morris - Stage Doorman

Runtime:

68 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Unrated

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Benson Fong, who appears as an extra during the opera scenes, later returned to the series to play Tommy Chan, Charlie's #3 Son.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When they characters are all gathered in the dressing room after the murders and they are questioning Childers, he says he knew Madame Barelli well. What he actually meant to say Madame Rochelle (or Madame Lilli as she was being referred to).

Quotes:

Mr. Arnold: My name's Arnold. I'm stage manager here, and this opera is going on tonight even if Frankenstein walks in.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

Carnival Marche

`Gravelle sings tonight!'

Perhaps the best of the Warner Oland Chan series with honorable detective exposing the real killer of operatic duo. The obvious suspect is Boris Karloff who excels in his role of Gravelle -- an escapee from the Rockland State Sanitarium one dark and stormy night. Although Karloff certainly does not actually sing (neither do the other credited members of the cast) extracts from the opera `Carnival' brings an unusual quality to this well-directed and well-acted mystery. Karloff in his Mephisto costume is most impressive.

As in most Chan films, the viewer cannot but guess the outcome since key facts are known only to the detective and not shown to the audience. If you know that about these films, you expect it and should not be irritated. Although Chan announces that he only has 30 minutes to solve the crimes, he will do so in around 18 without violence and without being he object of the murderous attention of his quarry: `Man who ride on merry-go-round often enough finally catch brass ring.' Ignore the minor errors such as apparent dubbing of two female vocalists by either the same soprano or two singers with remarkably similar sounds.

William Demarest does excellent job as Sergeant Kelly before being better known as Uncle Charlie in the TV series `My Three Sons.' No. 1 son Lee gets to act in suit of armor. All-Chinese group of soldiers in opera cast provides racially motivated comic relief. Lee Fong, an extra in that group, will later appear as No. 3 son Tommy in later Chan films. Sit back and enjoy a good solid mystery and be surprised in the end. Recommended. `Case now closed.'