The Red Dragon (1945)

Purely Joyful Movie!

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

This is one of the 'lighter' Charlie Chan movies - almost TOO light, considering that what everybody's after here is the formula for a new, enormously powerful atomic bomb... But let's leave that aside; the film is meant as a clever and entertaining detective story, and that's what it is.It all starts when a detective disguised as the secretary of nuclear scientist Wyans is killed VERY mysteriously while sitting in front of his typewriter: there were no less than six suspects around (and one more suspicious than the other: a gun runner, a smuggler, a Nazi propagandist, a fake countess, a girl who denies her descent from Czechoslovakia...), there was only one shot heard, but two bullets fired (one in the victim's heart, and the other one in the wall) - and no trace of a gun anywhere! Now who could solve THIS mystery, AND find the very cleverly hidden formula, with the only evidence being a bottle of Chinese 'Red Dragon' ink? Only Charlie Chan, of course! And amidst all the hard and dangerous detective work, Tommy and Birmingham's cousin Chattanooga (played by tall, thin Willie Best, the exact opposite to short, round-faced Mantan Moreland in appearance, but almost equally marvelous at playing 'scared') of course find time to entertain us with their clumsiness both at detecting and at romancing - and we get to see even Charlie himself doing a rumba with a pretty young Chinese artist! But the BEST laugh is kept for the final scene - see for yourself...

When an attempt is made to steal important papers that reveals the discovery of a new element that could possibly be used in making the Atomic Bomb, Charlie Chan is summoned by Police Inspector Cavarro(Fortunio Bonanova)of Mexico City. Chan(Sidney Toler) is accompanied by his Number Three son Tommy(Benson Fong)and driver/assistant Chattanooga Brown(Willie Best)and immediately arrives at a murder scene. Guests at a luncheon party hear a gunshot, but two bullets are discovered. Murdered is an undercover agent with the U.S. Government working as a secretary to a mysterious Alfred Wyans(Robert Emmett Keane); but are his papers still safe? Murder suspects at the party include a Countess, an international smuggler, a singer, a Nazi propagandist and a former gunrunner. Some say this is one of the worst Chan movies, while others strongly disagree. The murder weapon is quite inventive. Other players include: Carol Hughes, Barton Yarborough, George Meeker, Marjorie Hoshelle and Don Costello.

One shot, 2 bullets, no gun - that's the common denominator in three separate murders being investigated by Charlie Chan in Mexico City. The motive for the murders is a set of research notes and a formula for an atomic bomb which the killer is after. Adding to the mystery is the fact that there are no rifling marks on the bullets that found their victims.This is a very stiff, almost painful to watch Chan film. The acting is halting and abrupt, even for the experienced members of the Chan family, Sidney Toler in the Chan role and Benson Fong as Number #3 son Tommy. Willie Best appears as Chan chauffeur Chattanooga Brown, cousin of Mantan Moreland's Birmingham character in the prior seven Monogram Chans.There is virtually no meaningful investigation to solving this case, a sample of the mechanism that houses a remote controlled bullet mysteriously turns up in Charlie's pocket; the detonator is disguised as a thermostat. Of course, if you're a fan of Charlie Chan, you'll have to view this film to be a completist, but once is probably enough.There is one redeeming factor to this movie though - Sidney Toler cuts a mean rumba!

with no bite. This is probably the worse of the Monogram series. It is clumsy and boring. It is supposedly Mexico City, but it may as well be Omaha.Charlie and his "shadow" Insp. Carvero (there's never a scene without them together) bump around aimlessly trying to find the murderer who uses a silly lethal weapon.The story line throughout this film remains unclear...to me, anyway. Once again, the character of Tommy Chan (Benson Fong) simply does not work well. Even the humour by Chattanooga (Willie Best) is flat.The best part is watching Sidney Tolar do the rumba, which as far is I know is a Cuban dance.Aside from diehard Chan fans, you can skip this one.