''Charlie Chan in London'' is a 1934 American

mystery film A mystery film is a film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, ...

directed by

Eugene Forde Eugene Forde (1898–1986) was an American film director. Selected filmography * '' Daredevil's Reward'' (1928) * '' Painted Post'' (1928) * '' Son of the Golden West'' (1928) * '' Charlie Chan's Courage'' (1934) * '' Charlie Chan in London'' ( ...

. The film stars

Warner Oland Warner Oland (born Johan Verner Ölund; October 3, 1879 – August 6, 1938) was a Swedish-American actor. His career included time on Broadway and numerous film appearances. He is most remembered for playing several Chinese and Chinese-American ...

Charlie Chan Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu Police Department, Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan ...

. This is the sixth film produced by Fox with Warner Oland as the detective, and the second not to be lost, after '' The Black Camel'' (1931).

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer, producer. He is considered an enduring figure from the New Hollywood era, known for directing subversive and sat ...

's film ''

Gosford Park ''Gosford Park'' is a 2001 satirical black comedy mystery film directed by Robert Altman and written by Julian Fellowes. The film, which is influenced by Jean Renoir's French classic '' The Rules of the Game'', follows a party of wealthy Brito ...

'', set in 1932, features a (fictional) character who produces the Chan films for Fox and claims to be in England doing research for ''Charlie Chan in London''.

Plot

A young English man is convicted of the murder of one Captain Hamilton of the Royal Air Force and sentenced to hang. His sister and her fiancé, convinced of his innocence, ask visiting detective Charlie Chan to investigate and find the real murderer. In order to solve the mystery, Chan must visit a lavish English country

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...

, where the suspects vary from the housekeeper to a lawyer. Events soon indicate that the murderer is still actively trying to avoid capture, but Charlie Chan must set a trap to reveal the criminal's identity. He turns out to be Paul Frank, a spy masquerading under the name Geoffrey Richmond, who had murdered Captain Hamilton to steal plans of a military invention Hamilton had made.

Cast

as Charlie Chan * Drue Leyton as Pamela Gray *

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. He is often remembered for his portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's ''The Lost Weekend'' (1945), which wo ...

as Neil Howard (as Raymond Milland) *

Mona Barrie Mona Barrie (born Mona Barlee Smith; 18 December 1905 – 27 June 1964) was an English-born actress, active on stage in Australia before establishing a career in the US, and in Hollywood films. Career Born Mona Barlee Smith in London to comedi ...

as Lady Mary Bristol * Douglas Walton as Paul Gray *

Alan Mowbray Alan Mowbray MM (born Alfred Ernest Allen; 18 August 1896 – 25 March 1969) was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood. Early life Mowbray was born in London, England. He served with distinction in the British Army ...

as Paul Frank, alias Geoffrey Richmond * George Barraud as Maj. Jardine * Paul England as Bunny Fothergill * Madge Bellamy as Becky Fothergill *

Walter Johnson Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946), nicknamed "Barney" and "the Big Train", was an American professional baseball player and Manager (baseball), manager. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in Major League Ba ...

as Jerry Garton *

Murray Kinnell Murray Kinnell (24 July 1889 – 11 August 1954) was a British-born American actor, recognized for playing smooth, gentlemanly, although rather shady characters. He began acting on the English stage in 1907, toured in the United States from 1912 ...

as Captain Seton (alias Phillips, the butler) * E. E. Clive as Detective Sergeant Thacker * Elsa Buchanan as Alice Perkins (maid) * Reginald Sheffield as Flight Commander King * Perry Ivins as Assistant Home Secretary Kemp * John Rogers as Lake (chief groom) * C. Montague Shaw as Doctor * David Torrence as Home Secretary Sir Lionel Bashford * Claude King as RAF aerodrome commander * Arthur Clayton as Warden

References

External links

* * *
''Charlie Chan in London'' film details
a
The Charlie Chan Family Home
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charlie Chan In London 1934 films 1930s mystery thriller films 1930s crime thriller films American crime thriller films 1930s English-language films American black-and-white films Charlie Chan films American detective films Films set in country houses Fox Film films Films directed by Eugene Forde Films set in England Films set in London American mystery thriller films 1930s American films English-language crime thriller films English-language mystery thriller films