Charlie Chan in Paris (1935)
*** (out of 4)
Another good entry in the Fox series has Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) working in Paris trying to crack some fraudulent bonds. He receives a warning to leave town but of course he doesn't but the stakes rise when his undercover assistant is murdered.
Up to this point in the series, CHARLIE CHAN IN Paris was without question the best. This is due in large part to the fine performances, a great little mystery and one of the most memorable murder sequences from this period of films. It's clear that the series kept making money for Fox or else they wouldn't have kept making them but it also shows that the studio was willing to treat the series with respect and that includes coming up with a very good screenplay.
The story itself is one that works extremely well because all of the twists and turns are nicely done and help build up a very good mystery. The movie will certainly keep the viewer off guard as we get several suspects but the mystery of the killer is never given away early in the film, which just helps keep you more involved with the plot. Another major plus is that we're given one of the more effective murder scenes from any film around this time. We get a terrific shot of the murderer getting ready to throw a knife into the victim and then we get a terrific shot of the victim screaming as she knows what is about to happen. This sequence is extremely well-shot and highly effective.
Of course, the performances are another major plus with Oland once again doing a terrific job in the lead. He certainly had everything from the walk to the talk down cold and there's no doubt that he could have done this film in his sleep. He manages to bring the character to life and his line delivery, especially on the comedy, is remarkable. The strong supporting cast includes nice work from the likes of Mary Brian, Erik Rhodes, John Wualen and of course Keye Luke who makes his appearance as the #1 son. CHARLIE CHAN IN Paris really succeeds on all levels making it one of the more memorable films of the series.
