Charlie Chan in London (1934)

How sad is this?

Don't Believe the Hype

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

"Charlie Chan In London" is much too leisurely in its storytelling by today's standards, but it's well-plotted and well-directed. It's interesting, and rare, to see Chan working alone, with no sidekicks or family members, and also fun to spot a Ray Milland so young that he's almost unrecognizable! Warner Oland is assured as Chan, and Drue Leyton had the looks and acting chops for a longer screen career (only the actor playing the stable man overacts shamelessly). **1/2 out of 4.

Charlie Chan (minus family members) has just delivered a British criminal he caught to London when a distraught woman tells him about her brother about to be executed for a murder she is convinced he did not commit, of a house guest at a country mansion. Though all others believe the brother guilty, Chan investigates the evidence and become suspicious, and visits the mansion. Unfortunately more deaths occur as Chan launches his own investigation.This is a straightforward story with some subplots and red herrings, no comic relief from Number One Son or anyone else. But at least the ending is not what I had anticipated.

Really enjoy a well-done murder mystery, and this was a good one. And I always thought Warner Oland was the best Charlie Chan - even though he was Swedish. Lots of reviewers recap the plot so there's no need to rehash, but the plot here is intricate and it's not easy to pick out the murderer.This film in particular of the Chan series has a lot of dialogue and it pays off to pay attention as the story unfolds. That way you won't get fooled by a red herring, as I did. This picture is pretty old, so old that many in the supporting cast are unknown to modern audiences, except perhaps Alan Mowbray and a very young Ray Milland. The female lead was Drue Leyton, whom I am not familiar with but was very good and convincing in all her scenes. For some reason she made only 10 films, the last in 1939.This is also the last CC movie made without a number 1 son. Key Luke does not appear until the next picture, "Charlie Chan In Paris (1935). "Charlie Chan In London" is a good, solid whodunit of the type no longer made in Hollywood, or anywhere else for that matter.

This won't go past 7/10 because of the overacting typical of many movies from the 1930s...people fainting, overdisplayed distress and other 'drama queen' tricks of the trade that do not appeal to me much. HOWEVER I really enjoyed this charming little movie, deprived of profanity, violence and nudity often associated with today's similar productions. Olund as Chan is very charming and inoffensive (or so he wants to look to fool suspects ): only 3 days to save an innocent from execution and many potential killers to choose from...hint by hint Chan turns what courts believed to be a 'crime of passion' into a case of industrial espionage (ingenious plot contrivance for those times ). Mona Barrie is the prettiest of the bunch and it's hard to believe she died in 1964. Barren the few 'drama queen' moments, acting is good and actors definitely help to support an interesting plot full of twists and intelligently argued. Too bad these silver screen movies are for the merely curious or the connoisseur these days.