Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat (1944)

Charlie Chan investigates the locked-room murder of a chess expert.

Director:

Phil Rosen

Writers:

George Callahan (original screenplay), Earl Derr Biggers (character)

Stars:

Sidney Toler, Joan Woodbury, Mantan Moreland

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sidney Toler	...	Charlie Chan
Joan Woodbury	...	Leah Manning
Mantan Moreland	...	Birmingham Brown, Taxi Driver
Benson Fong	...	Tommy Chan, #3 Son
Ian Keith	...	Dr. Paul Recknik
Sam Flint	...	Thomas P. Manning
Cy Kendall	...	George Webster Deacon
Weldon Heyburn	...	Detective Lt. Harvey Dennis
Anthony Warde	...	Catlen
John Davidson	...	Carl Karzoff / Kurt Karzoff
Dewey Robinson	...	Salos
I. Stanford Jolley	...	Gannet (as Stan Jolley)
Betty Blythe	...	Mrs. Manning
Jack Norton	...	Hotel Desk Clerk
Luke Chan	...	Wu Song

Storyline

Thomas P. Manning, businessman and chess expert mysteriously shot in a locked room, dies clutching some chess pieces. Police are baffled, and finally abandon the case. Six months later, victim's daughter Leah Manning, stung by a scurrilous book about the case, enlists the aid of Charlie Chan and Number 3 Son. Additional murders follow, leading to a climactic confrontation in a seemingly deserted "Fun House."

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Plot Keywords:

chess | murder | locked room | police | book | 

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Taglines:

"MUST CONFESS. HONORABLE SON...This Is My Most Baffling Case!"

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 May 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Murder in the Fun House

Box Office

Budget:

$75,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Monogram Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

66 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The thirty-second of forty-seven Charlie Chan movies.

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Goofs

The character played by Cy Kendall is identified as Webster Deacon in dialogue, but George Deacon in a newspaper insert.

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Quotes

Charlie Chan: Not glad to see me, Birmingham?
Birmingham Brown, Taxi Driver: Oh, it's nothing personal, Mr. Chan, but the last time we met was in Washington, and if I can remember right, there was two or three murders.
Charlie Chan: Murder is my business.
Birmingham Brown, Taxi Driver: Murder's all right, Mr. Chan, but you wholesales it!

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Connections

Follows Charlie Chan's Greatest Case (1933)

User Reviews

Old Monogram Chan Film Like Diamond in Rough

Sidney Toler again reprises most honorable interpretation of Charlie Chan. This time Chan is helping a former police detective(now just a cop) and a beautiful woman out to clear her mother's name in the murder case of her step-father many months ago. It seems he was murdered in his study grasping a bishop from a chess set in the shadow of an ebony Chinese cat statue. Well, this film has a neat and tidy mystery - not too terribly clever or hard to grasp - but highly enjoyable nonetheless. Toler does his best in bringing charm and grace to the role of Chan with always a generous dose of subtle humour. Toler perhaps has too many clichés to throw out, but most of them in this film are amusing and some even telling. Benson Fong is back as #3 son. He and Toler have good chemistry, but he is even better when paired with cab driver/later to be chauffeur Birmingham Brown(played by a great, sometimes forgotten Mantan Moreland). Moreland is just wonderful in his portrayal of a witty, sometimes very blunt/direct working man playing against the characters of Chan and #3 son. Add to this that Moreland is just plain funny. He had me in stitches more than once in this film and every one of his scenes is a real hoot. All the acting is solid if not dazzling in any way. Ian Keith does a particularly solid job as a naysayer to Chan's gift of detection and John Davidson has a good time playing some weird twins Carl and Kurt. While not one of the best Chan films, Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat is a very entertaining entry.