Plot

When Charlie's old friend from Scotland Yard is murdered when they attend a police convention in New York, Chan picks up the case he was working on.

Coincidence like ancient egg, leave unpleasant odour. Canary unlike faithful dog, do not die from sympathy. Number 2 son very promising detective, promise very much, deliver very little. Nut easy to crack if nut empty. Number 2 son like interest on mortgage, impossible to escape. Fresh weed better than wilted rose. Happy solution never see light if truth kept in dark. One man with gun have more authority than whole army with no ammunition. Door of opportunity swing both ways. Wishful thinking sometimes lead to blind alley. Same leopard can hide beneath different spots. Confidence of son like courage of small boy at dentist, most evident after tooth extracted.—Alan Smithee

Charlie Chan in Murder Over New York, released 12-13-40

Synopsis - Murder Over New York On a New York City bound plane, Charlie Chan greets a friend, Inspector Hugh Drake, military intelligence, formerly with Scotland Yard, who shows Chan a newspaper headline referring to aircraft sabotage. He details to Charlie the sabotage was directed to the British colonies and now to the United States, by a certain individual named Paul Narvo, heading the ring of saboteurs and his Hindu servant named Ramullah. The man has eluded him to date. The inspector has also been tracking the suspect's wife around the globe, believing now, she is in New York. He divulges to Chan, he has the man's fingerprints and photograph, and the same of his wife in his briefcase.

The plane lands, Charlie is greeted by a swarm of reporters and Inspector Vance, NYPD, sent by the Chief to welcome Charlie. Vance recognizes Drake, shaking his hand as well. Drake introduces his friend George Kirby to Charlie and Vance. Drake leaves with Kirby, while Vance lends his police-car-driver to Chan, as son, Jimmy Chan, interrupts their conversation. Vance gives Jimmy his banquet ticket to accompany Charlie, saying he did not want to go anyhow. The banquet is over and Charlie tells Jimmy he must see his friend Hugh Drake, to discuss matters of importance. They are driven to Kirby's apartment.

They are greeted at the apartment door by George Kirby, George says Drake is in the library. When the three enter, Drake's head is down on the desk. Charlie feels Drake's pulse, pronounces him dead. Chan learns from Kirby, Drake excused himself from the party about nine, to work in the library, where he had been since that time. Charlie notices the canary is also dead, lying on its side in the cage. Something is spilt on the carpet below the cage, and Jimmy is asked to identify the substance. He identifies the spilled solution as a newly developed poisonous gas, evaporating to a harmless scent. It is put up in a glass pellet form. Kirby deduces Drake was murdered, from an inside job, in view of the closed window latch. Charlie asks Kirby to hold all guests, while he calls Inspector Vance.

Vance gets word the autopsy showed the poison gas in both lungs. A policeman hands Vance the fingerprints of all guests and servants. Charlie requests Kirby to open the safe, which Drake had access. The briefcase Drake had on the plane is missing from the safe, Jimmy thinks the men removing Drake's body took the case. Vance questions Herbert Fenton, party guest, English, an Oxford classmate of Drake, and Robert Boggs, the butler. Kirby sent Boggs out to procure some liquor at the club, Vance learns, as Charlie looks suspicious at the guests. A cop is sent by Vance to pick up the server helping the butler with service; he had left earlier. Charlie asked if anyone else was invited to the party at the request of Drake, other than Fenton. June Preston was invited by Drake, along with Ralph Percy, chief designer at the aircraft company where Kirby is president. Chan recognizes Miss Preston as being a most excellent actress. Kirby invited Keith Jeffrey, a stockbroker, to the party. Keith says this was the first time he had ever seen Drake. Charlie helps Miss Preston on with her fur wrap, noticing her lavalierd is missing a pearl.

Jimmy watches Boggs steam open a cablegram intended for Drake from Scotland Yard, turns him to Vance, who opens the wire message. Boggs was afraid he was charged with a crime from Drake, which he was not a part of and he wanted to see the message to prove it. Boggs is escorted to police headquarters for further questioning, after his confession and steaming open the cable addressed to Drake. Vance orders everyone to leave their names and home addresses before they leave, otherwise they are excused. The other butler and server, arrives with a policeman, answering Vance's questions, and being fingerprinted. He says Drake did not want to be disturbed, no one entered the library, he tells Vance. Drake told the server, he wanted nobody to bother him, when he brought a visitor in to see him. The server describes a young man wanting to see Mr. Drake urgently; he showed him in to Mr. Drake. David Elliot was the young man's name. Kirby does not know David Elliot.

A sign on a door reads, David Elliot, chemical research, inside is Elliot, preaching to a woman she had nothing to do with the murder. He continues to say it is your husband that Drake was after, pleading with her never to run away again. He calls her Pat, full name is Patricia Shaw, the suspect Drake had been chasing. He says the only thing to do is see Drake tomorrow and explain everything. It is agreed Charlie stays at Kirby's place awaiting Vance's call, while Vance looks for Elliot. Charlie sits at the library desk, wishes to cable his wife, he dips the desk pen into the inkwell, finding a pearl resembling the missing stone from the lavalierd of Miss Preston. Charlie heads to Miss Preston's home, leaving Jimmy with Kirby, and Vance phone call pending.

Charlie enters apartment building of Miss Preston, while a shadowy figure lurks nearby. The shadow follows Chan into the building, as Charlie rings the apartment bell. Charlie asks if she found missing pearl, she says no, he then asks to see the lavalierd. The pearl fits the jewelry piece, and June Preston admits to being in the library, but says she had nothing to with the murder. Mr. Drake asked June about a girl who played in a show with her about five years ago, and if June had seen her in New York; June told him no, she had not. June gives Charlie the name of Patricia West, living in the city. Charlie leaves the apartment, followed again by the shadowed person. He goes to the rooming house address of Pat West. Charlie asks Pat about he husband's whereabouts, requesting she is honest with answers, as he hopes to find Drake's murderer. Patricia West talks about being swept up by her husband's gifts, his kindness, then she tells Chan of his sudden want to travel to Calcutta. She overheard the conversation of the air ministry official murder, threatening to kill her if she talked, and keeping her prisoner for days. She managed to escape, wandering from one place to another. She screams at the stranger at her window, Charlie runs to see, pulling Jimmy Chan in from outside. Jimmy claims the guy he had been following was possibly East Indian, a Hindu per Charlie. Ramullah was the name her husband's servant, it could be him, according to Pat.

The three go Vance's office, where Vance grills Pat West about not seeing her husband in New York. David Elliot is brought in the room, with Vance stating Elliot was the last person to be seen in the library with Drake. Drake was killed with the same newfangled gas found in Elliot's lab. Elliot explains, he was experimenting with the gas, attempting to make a new explosive. Elliot states firmly, he never issued any of the gas to a Hindu or anyone else. Vance needs to prove Elliot is not the estranged husband of Miss West. Vance orders the roundup of every Hindu in town for a line up. Jimmy views everybody in the lineup, but does not recognize the man in the window. Shorty McCoy, con-artist, poses as a Hindu, but is quickly shown as his true self. Jimmy thinks two in the lineup are suspects, Vance orders them in his office. The first guy claims he is a respected businessman, giving his business card, so Vance lets him go as Miss West enters the room, shrieks when she recognizes him as Ramullah. Shots are fired, killing the man in Vance's office. Charlie points out the two bullet holes, proving the shots came from the outside. One shot killed Ramullah, the other was intended for Miss West. The shots came from the warehouse across the street; the police will investigate. Charlie plans to investigate Ramullah's East Indian Curio Shop, while he offers police protection for Patricia West.

Charlie attempts to key-enter the curio shop, but the door is unlocked, the lights are off, and someone is rummaging through the store. Jimmy knocks over a display, making the intruder escape, after firing a shot. Charlie is anxious to learn what the man sought to destroy. There is a chemical laboratory in the curio shop, with the same glass vials found broken on the library floor. Charlie declares the shop was disguising deadly gas manufacturing, as he looks for the gas formula. He and Jimmy put the blueprints together, showing bomber plans. The two Chans decide to take the prints to Vance at once.

Vance declares Elliot can be released, putting him in the clear. Robert Boggs was also released, a cable from Scotland Yard states Boggs was falsely convicted. Kirby kept pleading for his servant to be free. It was about an hour ago Boggs was released, but now they wonder if the guy running from the shop was Boggs. A uniformed policeman interrupts Vance, telling him there is a young man urgently wanting to see him. Hat check employee O'Shaughnessy brings Vance, Charlie and Jimmy to the British Imperial Club, where Percy and Fenton are gambling, afterward, they each retrieve their hats, and exit separately. Vance and Charlie have Drake's briefcase, Vance has the key to the briefcase with him. The key was Drake's, he tries to open the case, when Boggs shows up at the check-stand, introducing himself as Mr. Kirby's butler, wishing to pick up his briefcase. Boggs leaves with the briefcase, Vance is feeling dismayed, having sprung Boggs, as he and Chan leave the club.

Boggs heads up the elevator to Kirby's apartment, Chans and Vance take the stairs. There is a meeting at the entrance to Mr. Kirby's apartment, between Boggs and Jeffrey, the stockbroker. Jeffrey claims he has been ringing the bell for some time, but no answer. Boggs says he was unaware the bell was out of order. Jeffrey says he has some papers Mr. Kirby wanted me to bring to him. Chans and Vance intervene. Boggs invites them inside, claiming Kirby left a note for Boggs to pick up a briefcase at the club. Boggs did not know the case belonged to Mr. Drake. Boggs shows Chan and Vance the note; Charlie secures Drake's briefcase from Boggs. Looking into the library, Boggs reports Mr. Kirby is not in the library, he will check the bedroom. Jeffrey opens his briefcase, sifting the papers he wanted Kirby to sign. Chan asks to see those papers. The handwriting on the note left for Boggs and the note in Jeffrey's stock information does not match. Jeffrey agrees with Chan. Chan asks Jeffrey if Mr. Kirby request the meeting here at his home. Jeffrey says yes, about fifteen minutes ago. Was he home when he called you? Yes, I presume so. Jeffrey tells them he is late for appointment now. When Kirby comes in, tell those are the papers he wants. Jeffrey leaves, after telling Charlie he can be reached at Percy's home; he will be there for about an hour.

Charlie and Vance look at the contents of Drake's briefcase, noticing the suspect pictures do not reveal anything obvious, but the fingerprints will undoubtedly shed a light on the killer's identity. Drake's briefcase is given to Jimmy to deliver to the fingerprint police. As Jimmy leaves the apartment, the same darkly dressed man is seen watching his moves. Jimmy is mugged at the elevator, and the stranger escapes with the case, as Jimmy comes to in the elevator. Meanwhile, Boggs asks if either gentleman would like a drink, while they wait for Mr. Kirby, Vance yes, Charlie nothing please. Vance walks into the library to change his drink order, sees a decanter and two brandy glasses on the desk. He tells Charlie, looks like Kirby had company tonight. Charlie looks beyond the desk, finding Kirby's body; he is dead. Chan checks the brandy glasses, one which contains poison, the other just brandy. The killer was evidently on friendly terms with victim. There is a banging at the door, Boggs lets in Jimmy. Jimmy explains what happened to him and briefcase. Vance says the fingerprints were in the case, now what? Call each guest from Vance's lists of addresses and phone numbers. Charlie begins calling the guests from Vance's list. First is Fenton, he is home in bed. Next is Percy, Jeffrey answers, Chan tells him Mr. Kirby is here, requesting to talk to Percy, who invites Chan to the morning's test flight of the bomber. Charlie thanks him, saying they will see everyone at the airport tomorrow morning. Chan shares with Vance, it will be wise to withhold any news of Kirby's death until later. Mr. Elliot is called, no answer. Charlie says we should call on Mr. Elliot tonight. Charlie asks Boggs if he would be kind enough to join them at the test flight; Boggs acknowledges. Charlie requests from Vance to make certain all suspects are at airport tomorrow. That night at the test plane, two mechanics are working on the plane. They plant a gas bomb inside the plane, when the plane goes into a dive, the vial will drop to the fuselage floor and explode, according to one mechanic.

The next morning the group is assembled, Charlie steps from the police car, explaining to designer Percy that Mr. Kirby is delayed, please take charge in his absence. In the car is Miss West, who Charlie introduces to the group. All group members go inside the plane to inspect the bomber. The test pilot and a crew member come on board and start the engines. Percy assures Chan they are just warming up the motors, but he gets off the plane, securing the door, and waves to the pilot to begin taxiing. The plane takes off, eyes inside are on each other, as the gas-cylinder is seen in the aircraft frame, and Chan remains still, waiting for someone to make a move. The descent begins, with the lethal sphere rolling forward as the plane heads into a dive, the orb drops out and is caught by Fenton. He drops the harmless vial, as he disembarks the landed plane, is immediately cuffed by police and brought to Percy's office for grilling. Charlie explains his ruse, proving the strongest instinct in man is to survive. Trickery sometimes is necessary in order to trap a criminal. The stolen plans of the plane led to a search of bomber last night, revealing the presence of a deadly pellet. Young chemist Elliot assisted in substituting the vial for something harmless. Vance grills Fenton, assures Charlie the mechanics Fenton hired were also picked up. One of the mechanics was sent by Fenton to take the briefcase away from Boggs, ultimately stealing it from Jimmy. Handwriting of Fenton provided proof of guilt, but everyone on test flight sealed the deal, when Fenton caught the fake pill. Fenton was carrying out orders of Paul Narvo, the original ringleader suspect; Fenton did not kill anybody. Chan requests a drink of water for Fenton, Mr. Jeffrey draws water from the cooler, his back is to everyone in the room. Boggs offers the water to Fenton, Charlie intercedes, preventing the water to be consumed. Chan tests the cup contents, discovering the water contains the same poison that killed Mr. Kirby. Charlie looks eye to eye at Mr. Jeffrey, calling him Mr. Narvo, as he lunges toward Fenton, firing a shot, before he is grabbed, and subdued. Charlie explains, Narvo had plastic surgery from a serious auto accident, and his throat was cut, altering his voice. He could not change fingerprints, so he had the briefcase stolen, with plans to escape before the duplicate prints were received from Scotland Yard. Mr. Fenton's arrest caused Jeffrey to fear immediate exposure, so he gave himself away by letting him have a chance to poison Fenton.