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

Tommy Chan: Pop, I've got a case that will knock your hat off!
Charlie Chan: Can remove hat without assistance, thank you.

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Connections

Follows Charlie Chan's Courage (1934)

User Reviews

One of the better Chan films from Monogram

Chan fans and film buffs will enjoy this better-than-average Monogram film. True, with the exception of "Charlie Chan in the Secret Service" none of the Monogram series comes close to the 20th C FOX entries, but the story is serviceable and enjoyable. Mantan Moreland shows his best Vaudevillian stage takes, and of note is Joan Woodbury, the Woodbury soap heiress, in at least her third appearance in the Chan series. The other two I know of are "Charlie Chan at the Opera" where she has no lines and dances on a table top during the opera, and "Charlie Chan on Broadway" where she is Douglas Fowley's love interest and performs what I call "the sashay dance."