The Chinese Ring (1947)

Soon after a Chinese princess comes to the US to buy planes for her people, she is murdered by a poison dart fired by an air rifle.

Director:

William Beaudine

Writers:

Earl Derr Biggers (character), Scott Darling (screenplay)

Stars:

Roland Winters, Warren Douglas, Mantan Moreland

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Roland Winters	...	Charlie Chan
Warren Douglas	...	Police Sgt. Bill Davidson
Mantan Moreland	...	Birmingham Brown
Louise Currie	...	Peggy Cartwright
Victor Sen Yung	...	Tommy Chan (as Victor Sen Young)
Philip Ahn	...	Captain Kong
Byron Foulger	...	Armstrong
Thayer Roberts	...	Captain James J. Kelso
Barbara Jean Wong	...	Princess Mei Ling (as Jean Wong)
Chabing	...	Lillie Mae Wong
George Spaulding	...	Dr. Hickey (as George L. Spaulding)

Storyline

Princess Mei Ling pays a visit to the Chan residence, where upon being admitted by man-of-all-work Birmingham Brown she refuses to give her name, but hands Birmingham her ring to show to Charlie. While Chan is being summoned, a mysterious figure shoots a dart at the beautiful Princess who manages, before she dies of poison, to scrawl the name "Captain K" on a handy piece of paper. When the police arrive, Charlie has to admit that he does not know the identity of his murdered visitor, but that he means to find out. What he learns is that Mei Ling has brought with her to America the sum of one million dollars, in order to buy airplanes for the Chinese struggle for freedom. Someone has stolen the money, and someone may be trying to divert the planes into enemy hands. Can the famous detective, despite the fact that his Number Two Son has unaccountably changed his name from Jimmy to Tommy, who used to be his Number Three son, and despite the fact that Charlie, who used to be a Honolulu ...

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Plot Keywords:

poison dart | rifle | air rifle | pet cemetery | kidnapping | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 December 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

Charlie Chan in the Chinese Ring

Filming Locations:

Monogram Studios - 1725 Fleming Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Monogram Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Screenwriter Scott Darling reuses his Mr. Wong in Chinatown script from eight years earlier for Roland Winters' debut as Chan.

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Quotes

Armstrong: I hope you're successful solving this case.
Charlie Chan: Well, thank you so much, Mr. Armstrong. Well, you know, sometimes think successful detective one upon whom luck shines smiling coutenance.

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Connections

Follows Charlie Chan Carries On (1931)

User Reviews

Okay entry in series

Winters' debut as Chan is okay, but film is a near line-by-line remake of MR. WONG IN CHINATOWN, and the story wasn't great then. Foulger has meaty part as nervous banker, Ahn looks inscrutable, Moreland rolls his eyes, and Louise Currie is gorgeous, but pedestrian direction and cheapo production sink this for all but Chan fans.