Charlie Chan in Panama (1940)
Charlie impersonates an employee of the U.S. government to foil an espionage plot which would destroy part of the Panama Canal, trapping a Navy fleet on its way to the Pacific after maneuvers in the Atlantic.
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Why so much hype?
the audience applauded
Let's be realistic.
The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
Another good Charlie Chan mystery with the detective being involved with murder, espionage and sabotage in Panama. Going undercover as a seller of Panama hats he has to discover who is the spy Ryner who is pulling the strings. Panama City is paranoid about spies but Charlie in his measured and intelligent way untangles the real from the false. Helping and hindering him is number two son Jimmy. The ending is suspenseful and surprising. Norman Foster directs with a steady hand.Sidney Toler is very good as usual as Chan and Sen Yung is lively as his son Jimmy. They are supported flawlessly by Lionel Atwill, Mary Nash, Chris-Pin Martin and Jack La Rue to name just a few of the fine cast. Chan utters several great Chan-isms as usual. Sixty-seven minutes of absorbing entertainment.
Charlie Chan In Panama begins with Sidney Toler being undercover as a haberdasher in Panama City. With war in Europe and the possibility of the USA being dragged in, everyone is on high alert as far as protecting the Panama Canal. In fact they're positively paranoid.There is also rumor of an international agent of mystery who is in the pay of the dictatorships in Europe. That's who the Panamanian and US law enforcement is after. At one point Victor Sen Yung actually saves his father's life and for once Charlie Chan is grateful for the presence of one of his offspring who usually are getting in all kinds of trouble. He still does in this film, but one act erases all.There's a nice little stew of suspects as to who the master agent. I will only say it is the most unlikely one in the film.This Charlie Chan mystery will have you wanting to see more of them.
Among the war propaganda motion pictures made during the II World War, "Charlie Chan in Panama" is one of the best, and a fine entry in the Charlie Chan series, with Sidney Toler in the leading role. It is a likable and very amusing recreation of Panamá in the 1940s (and I may say rather accurate), with the Canal Zone US military bases, the swinging life of night clubs in the city of Panamá, the seedy port "cantinas" in the colonial section of the city, its Chinatown section, and the characteristic presence of people from all over the world, a trait still present today. Chan does not disappoint, as he works for the US Armed Forces and tries to discover who is trying to destroy the Panama Canal. A remake of "Marie Galante", much better than the original.
In his last making of a Chan film, director Norman Foster re-makes the 1934 film `Marie Galante' with good success. Sidney Toler by now has five of the Chan series under his belt and he has clearly hit his stride in the role. Good supporting acting by Lionel Atwill and Sen Yung. George Zucco did much better as the suspicious scientist in `Charlie Chan in Honolulu` than does the Lionel Royce in this film. Jean Rogers is better remembered as Dale Arden in the `Flash Gordon' films.By 1940, American audiences were being conditioned to the threat from saboteurs, such as Ryner, and a nation in arms. Chan exclaims `Intelligent defense of nation best guarantee for years of peace.' There are sufficient clues, cleverly disguised, and lots of misdirection, but the keen observer will be able to keep up with Chan during this case. Recommended.