Murder Over New York (1940)

Good movie but grossly overrated

From my favorite movies..

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is full of clever sayings in Murder in New York, from 1940. Also starring is Sen Yung as Jimmy Chan. They make a delightful team. Jimmy shows up unexpectedly while Charlie is in New York to attend a conference. He and a friend of his want to attend the World's Fair.It's not long before both Chans are on a case, when a friend of Charlie's, a detective, is murdered. Soon they're in the midst of the investigation of a sabotage ring, people being killed by poison gas pellets, an airplane crash, and plenty of suspects. The police ask Charlie to stick around and help. I don't think he gets to his conference, and Jimmy doesn't see the World's Fair, at least not yet.Donald McBride, Ricardo Cortez, Kane Richmond, Robert Lowery, Marjorie Weaver, and Joan Valerie are all featured.It's a fair mystery, enlivened by Charlie's witty dialogue. Frankly, any one of these films that has something to do with the war basically have similar plots: sabotage, missing formulas, spies, that type of thing.Sidney Toler is in good form. I have to say I prefer Warner Oland, who seemed to exhibit more energy and was more upbeat. Toler's humor comes from his sardonic line delivery and good chemistry with the actors. Both brought something special to the role.Whether the story is bad, good, confusing, whatever, with stereotypes abounding, somehow these films are always enjoyable.

Charlie Chan flies in to New York for the big police convention. His flight lands, he's greeted by old friend Inspector Vance (Donald MacBride), and who should come rushing out onto the runway but—Jimmy Chan? Sidney Toler and Sen Yung are excellent as always as Pop Chan and Number Two Son. Jimmy, it turns out, has come to New York with a college buddy to see the World's Fair—he figured he could ask permission once he got there.The Chans are soon on a case, this one jump started—as is frequently the case—by the murder of a fellow detective. Their investigation delves into the suspicious crash of a newly designed airplane, a deadly supply of poison gas pellets, and the usual assortment of suspicious characters.Donald MacBride offers good support as the police detective who looks to Mr. Chan for guidance and is even impressed with Jimmy Chan's detecting abilities. (The elder Chan is dubious but resigned: "Aid from number two son like interest on mortgage…impossible to escape.")Ricardo Cortez is an executive with the company building the new planes; Kane Richmond an engineer; Robert Lowery and Marjorie Weaver a frightened young couple; and Joan Valerie (who had just appeared in a different role in the previous Chan movie) an actress mixed up in it somewhere. —No shortage of familiar faces for B movie fans, that's for sure.It's a nicely worked up plot, and the couple of action sequences are well staged and exciting. The series was really rolling along at this point—and this entry is no disappointment.

This is my fourth review of a Charlie Chan movie in series chronological order on these consecutive days. This is also my first comment of one I've seen previously though it's been about 24 years since then, so I didn't remember much of it. In this one, the Honolulu detective is investigating an espionage ring that was initially tracked by a former Scotland Yard acquaintance who has turned up missing in the Big Apple...This is the best of the Chan entries I've seen so far in current memory with every clue being connected (though, of course, if I look at them at closer examination, there could still be some holes though I can't think of any right now). And "No. 2 Son" Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung) is somewhat of a help when he first identifies the poison that results in some murders early on, though, of course, he blunders a little later. Among the returning supporting cast from the last Chan film-Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum-are blonde Joan Valerie as June Preston and Stanley Blystone, who's brother John G. helmed a lost Chan one called Charlie Chan's Chance, as a fingerprint expert. Nice intrigue especially with an exciting climax aboard a bomber plane. Oh, and watch for a certain Stooge at a police line up...

In another pre-war sabotage warning, Sidney Toler (as Charlie Chan) protects America's military production while explaining: `One man with gun have more authority than whole army with no ammunition.' Fair series entry with only a slight chance that the viewer will be able to predict the guilty party. As in many of the early Chan films, key information known only to the detective is not revealed until after the solution is announced. On the other hand, there is at least one good clue that might point you in the right direction. `Wishful thinking sometimes lead to blind alley.' Former Scotland Yard Inspector Hugh Drake is killed prior to sharing information that would lead to the identity of mastermind killer and saboteur Paul Narvo. Mrs. Narvo has escaped from her husband and fears he will kill her since she knows of his escapades. Just enough misdirection and alternative suspects to keep it interesting. Chan is `aided' by his `favorite son' Jimmy in identifying presence of poison gas `tetrogene' and in finding Drake's killer, Chan and the police prevent the loss of a bomber TR-4 (played by the Lockheed Loadstar which is in fact pressed into wartime service as both a bomber and cargo plane) while undergoing a test flight over New York.Racial slurs re-introduced in this film – dialog should probably be cut when shown today since it adds nothing. Closing credits list Marjorie Weaver as playing the part of Patricia Shaw while in film she uses the alias Patria West and her Scotland Yard Criminal Investigation Bureau card shows her maiden name as Miriam Shaw.Fair mystery best recommended only for those who want to see the entire series.