Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise (1940)

Charlie tries to discover the identity of a strangler who strikes multiple times on a cruise ship bound from Honolulu to California.

Director:

Eugene Forde

Writers:

Robertson White (screen play), Lester Ziffren (screen play)

Stars:

Sidney Toler, Marjorie Weaver, Lionel Atwill

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sidney Toler	...	Charlie Chan
Marjorie Weaver	...	Paula Drake
Lionel Atwill	...	Dr. Suderman
Victor Sen Yung	...	Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
Don Beddoe	...	James Ross
Leo G. Carroll	...	Professor Gordon (as Leo Carroll)
Robert Lowery	...	Dick Kenyon
Harlan Briggs	...	Coroner
Cora Witherspoon	...	Susie Watson
Kay Linaker	...	Mrs. Pendleton
Charles Middleton	...	Mr. Walters
Claire Du Brey	...	Mrs. Walters
Leonard Mudie	...	Gerald Pendleton
James Burke	...	Wilkie
Richard Keene	...	Buttons

Storyline

On a cruise ship from Honolulu to San Francisco, the famous Chinese detective encounters four more murders while trying to figure out the murder of a Scotland Yard friend.

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Plot Keywords:

charlie chan character | four word title | 1940s | murder on ship | cruise ship murder | 

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Taglines:

Triple murder on a luxury line...Chan's best friend a victim! (original print ad)

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 June 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Charlie Chan auf Kreuzfahrt

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

76 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A remake of Charlie Chan Carries On.

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Goofs

Don Beddoe's character is referred to in the film as Frederick Ross, but the credits list him as James Ross

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Quotes

Charlie Chan: Young man's explanation, like skin of sensitive woman, very thin.

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Connections

Follows The Chinese Parrot (1927)

User Reviews

Sidney Toler at his best as unflappable detective

Charlie Chan hustles a whole passel of suspects aboard their cruise ship, knowing one of them is a murderer. He risks his life by staying aboard himself. At least that's what suspect Leo G. Carroll tells him—to which Chan replies, "Life has been risked for jewels far less valuable than friendship."

An old friend has been murdered right in Lieutenant Chan's office, and Chan takes it as a personal challenge. The clues all point to some member of a round-the-world cruise as the murderer…but which one?

A great assortment of the usual suspects keeps this Chan mystery moving along nicely. Besides archaeologist Leo Carroll, there's Cora Witherspoon, a dizzy rich lady; Marjorie Reynolds, her secretary; Robert Lowery, handsome and suddenly wealthy nephew of a second murder victim; and Charles Middleton and Claire Du Brey as a weird couple who do séances. Cruise leader Lionel Atwill wants the whole story kept out of the papers—and how suspicious a character is he?

Mr. Chan is assisted in his investigation by number two son Jimmy Chan, played with energy and style by Sen Yung, who gets a couple of laughs but plays it mostly straight.

Sidney Toler is excellent as Mr. Chan; very much at the center of the action, his confidence and timing are superb. The suspects snap at Mr. Chan, bite at each other, make their noise…and Chan just keeps that little smile on his face, polite, slightly mocking, letting them have their say, waiting for someone to make a mistake….

An exciting and clever climax tops this one off and clinches it as a top notch series entry.