Charlie Chan in Reno (1939)

Mary Whitman, an old friend of Charlie's in Reno for a divorce, finds herself accused of murdering the woman her husband planned to marry after the decree became final.

Director:

Norman Foster

Writers:

Frances Hyland (screen play), Albert Ray (screen play),

Stars:

Sidney Toler, Ricardo Cortez, Phyllis Brooks

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sidney Toler	...	Charlie Chan
Ricardo Cortez	...	Dr. Ainsley
Phyllis Brooks	...	Vivian Wells
Slim Summerville	...	Sheriff Fletcher
Kane Richmond	...	Curtis Whitman
Victor Sen Yung	...	James Chan (as Sen Yung)
Pauline Moore	...	Mary Whitman
Eddie Collins	...	Cab Driver
Kay Linaker	...	Mrs. Russell
Louise Henry	...	Jeanne Bently
Robert Lowery	...	Wally Burke
Charles D. Brown	...	Chief of Police King
Iris Wong	...	Choy Wong
Morgan Conway	...	George Bently
Hamilton MacFadden	...	Night Clerk

Storyline

Mary Whitman has gone to Reno to obtain a divorce. While there she is arrested on suspicion of murdering a fellow guest at her hotel (which specializes in divorcers). There are many others at the hotel who wanted the victim out of the way. Charlie comes from his home in Honolulu to solve the murder.

---

Plot Keywords:

divorce | hotel | laboratory | taxi driver | scrapbook | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 June 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Charlie Chan Renossa

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

71 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA High Fidelity Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Besides Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan, this film's cast contained three other actors who also played famous crimefighters: Ricardo Cortez (Sam Spade in the 1931 "Maltese Falcon"), Morgan Conway (Dick Tracy in two RKO films in the mid-1940's) and Robert Lowery (Batman in the Columbia serial "The Adventures of Batman and Robin" in 1948).

---

Quotes

Charlie Chan: Ancient ancestor once say words cannot cook rice.

---

Connections

Followed by The Chinese Ring (1947)

User Reviews

Charlie Chan in Reno (1939) ***

The second of the Sidney Toler Charlie Chan movies made by 20th Century Fox. A young woman seeking a divorce in Nevada is suspected of murder when she is seen hovering over the dead body of "the other woman" in the triangle. Charlie and his son Jimmy work together to iron out the mess and figure who is responsible. What I liked about this entry was the way Sidney Toler and Sen Yung (as Son #2) play off each other, and there's also some good comical touches in this one, including Slim Summerville as a clueless sheriff trying to make sense of the goings-on.

***/****