Shadows Over Chinatown (1946)

This episode is a bit edgier. First of all, the murder being investigated is much more vicious than others. Charlie is working for an insurance company and is investigating this death but also is working on a personal interest missing persons case. We have here the reappearance of the Charlie's Number Two Son, Jimmy, who has much more personality than son Tommy. Mantan is there again to provide zaniness. That aside, there are several twists and turns in this plot that make it pretty entertaining. Charlie seems to take more of a personal interest in the results of this case because of the brutality of everything. As is always the case, there are some excellent suspects and a love story to boot

You'll find all sorts of gems by noodling around in films of the 30s and 40s. Some absolute treasures await you in unlikely places. One of these is in various experiments in the detective story that were being conducted at the time.And sometimes a series in this period yields riches in how it evolves. But I can tell you that except in one respect this film is so poor in content and interest, you should avoid it. I'm not talking about production values here or even questions about the sense of the mystery. We've never let them get in the way before if there is a core that rewards. Everyone seems tired here (except for that one element I'll mention below). Toler was in his seventies and can merely grimace. The Confucianisms that were clever in a few Chan movies are rote and childish here. The plot bumps about until it tumbles down all the stairs allotted to it.The one bright light is Mantan Mooreland. The series is, after all, about how one race, the Chinese, have gifts — inscrutable insight and some wisdom. Its always been peppered by the caveat of race by the comical black man. Mantan plays this man, the childish chauffeur (usually called a driver).He's terrified, a coward. And he's ignorant. Combining these two with minstrel characteristics and you get a stuttering, bug eyed foil that easily is well over the line in offensive.And yet. He is such an artist. His timing is so sublime, that you have to just watch him in awe. He's a star, a great actor. If we don't burden Brando by thinking that he is actually his characters, why should we do so here?He's in more watchable films, and just as appealing in how he connects. But if you happen to accidentally be watching this, he'll give some relief.Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is on two cases at once in "Shadows Over Chinatown", one is business, the other personal. The trail of the two investigations converge when it's learned that the missing person he is trying to locate once worked with the murder victim. Overshadowing the entire plot is an insurance fraud scheme involving the principals of an escort service. In typical Monogram fashion, the story reveals a few interesting leads that go nowhere, such as the unlucky number thirteen, the number of people on a bus headed to San Francisco with Chan's party aboard. Charlie also exposes a pickpocket without revealing his identity to the rest of those on board, a ruse that works to his advantage later in the film. We haven't seen Victor Sen Yung since the 20th Century Fox Series of Charlie Chan films, but he's back in this one as Number #2 Son Jimmy, along with chauffeur Birmingham Brown (Mantan Moreland). Moreland's screen time and comfort level progressed through the first few Monogram films, but here it seems like he's back to square one with a reduced role and not much to do except keep Jimmy company. He does get a good line in at one point when an unconscious Jimmy falls out of a closet - "Every time I open a door a dead body drops out".The pieces of the puzzle eventually come together when a phony private detective is revealed to be in on the insurance scam with the head of the escort service. Chan enlists the aid of his missing person target, Mary Conover (Tanis Chandler), who agrees to seek her former job back at the agency. It's wrapped up pretty quickly, with Mary successfully reuniting with her boyfriend and grandmother.

Fun to watch! So what if it's not the BEST Chan movie? It's still enjoyable, and a valuable time capsule of movie-making techniques, writing, direction, and set decoration (perhaps "set dressing" would be a better term). I like all of the Chan films, and appreciate them for what they are.