The Shanghai Cobra (1945)

Someone is attempting to steal radium stored in a bank. Death by cobra venom connects a number of murders. Charlie investigates.

Director:

Phil Karlson

Writers:

George Callahan (screenplay), George Wallace Sayre (screenplay)

Stars:

Sidney Toler, Mantan Moreland, Benson Fong

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sidney Toler	...	Charlie Chan
Mantan Moreland	...	Birmingham Brown
Benson Fong	...	Tommy Chan
James Cardwell	...	Ned Stewart
Joan Barclay	...	Paula Webb
Addison Richards	...	John Adams
Arthur Loft	...	Bradford Harris
Janet Warren	...	Record Machine Operator
Gene Roth	...	Morgan (as Gene Stutenroth)
Joe Devlin	...	Taylor
James Flavin	...	H.R. Jarvis
Roy Gordon	...	Walter Fletcher
Walter Fenner	...	Police Inspector Harry Davis

Storyline

When three employees of a bank are found murdered with cobra venom, Charlie Chan connects the homicides to a case he had worked in Shanghai in 1937. Even though he arrested the alleged murderer, whom later escaped from the police, Charlie wouldn't be able to recognize him because, at the time of his apprehension, his badly burned face and hands were swathed in bandages. Although Chan believes he is now involved with a gang that is stealing valuable radium from a bank vault, utilizing tunnels that connect to the area sewer system, his new identity remains a mystery. When a detective disguised as a bank guard is found dead in a tunnel by Birmingham, Charlie knows he's on the right track.

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Plot Keywords:

third degree burn | television camera | coffeeshop manager | cobra venom | cobra | 

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Taglines:

Charlie Chan at his best in his most thrilling adventure!

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

The shots of the building from which Charlie exits and of him entering taxi cab #610 are from "Charlie Chan in the Secret Service."

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Goofs

A building supposedly located in Washington, D.C. has the California state flag flying from its flagpole.

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Quotes

Charlie Chan: Too many hands sometime spoil pudding.

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Connections

Follows Charlie Chan's Secret - Warner Oland as Charile Chan (1936)

User Reviews

Charlie Chan on Poverty Row

Sidney Toler is Charlie Chan in "The Shanghai Cobra," a 1945 film. The Chan series by now is in the hands of one of the "poverty row" studios, Monogram.

In this story, Charlie is called by an old colleague to help identify a man named Jan Van Horn,. Charlie arrested this man in Shanghai during the war; van Horn's modus operandi was killing with cobra venom. Van Horn at the time insisted that he was being framed. The man's face had been badly burned, and he escaped during deportation. Now he's probably had extensive plastic surgery. Now four people have been killed with cobra venom, and all of them are involved with a bank that has radium in one of its vaults - radium that will be stolen if Charlie doesn't nab the criminal.

I admit I've always liked Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan, probably because I am most familiar with him in the role. And I admit that I've always loved Chan's relationship with Birmingham and find Mantan Moreland very funny. I know that kind of humor is out today, but as Birmingham the chauffeur, the talented Moreland has wonderful comic timing. He also is treated on the same level as Charlie's son, in this case the number 3 son (Benson Fong). It's obvious that Birmingham has a close relationship with the Chan family.

These films have a certain formula - Charlie always solves the crime, of course, and whichever son accompanies him usually not only gets into trouble but drags Birmingham along with him.

However, no matter the studio, the Charlie Chan series is entertaining and enjoyable.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 September 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

Charlie Chan in the Shanghai Cobra

Box Office

Budget:

$75,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Monogram Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

64 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1