Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939)

People are voting emotionally.

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Fresh and Exciting

A Masterpiece!

This is an outstanding Charlie Chan adventure, which succeeds on every level. Sidney Toler gives a first-class performance--his Chan is wise, humorous and compassionate. All the supporting players are good. The plot background is one of a magic show and a creepy psychic in 1939 at the Treasure Island locale around San Francisco.The sets are excellent! The weird-looking psychic lives in a mysterious mansion, of the type which the studios could show so well. The plot is tight and well done. This is absolutely one of the very best of the Toler-Fox Chan films. Toler is totally assured and in control here--you believe he IS Charlie Chan. He owns the part here in a way that really carries the viewer along, for a very enjoyable and adventurous ride!As often with the Chan films, we see some familiar faces among the cast, and they all do well.

Charlie and Jimmy end up at Treasure Island, at the 1939 San Francisco Exposition. While on a plane, a well known writer dies and his death is suspicious. He is connected to someone or something called Scorpio. Charlie must inform his wife of his death. This leads to the detective dealing with a couple guys who have a connection to a mystic whose name is indeed Scorpio. There seem to be a lot of cover ups as they wade through the case. Charlie is accompanied by a couple guys. One is really annoyed that his serious girlfriend is under the spell of this mystic. This is quite a good presentation because of the seances and the intrigues of the netherworld. There is one great scene where the young woman, who does a mind reading act senses murder in the room.

While on a flight to the 1939 World's Exposition on San Francisco's Treasure Island, Honolulu detective Charlie Chan is puzzled by the apparent suicide of a writer, who is trying to expose physic fraud. Chan and Number Two Son Jimmy(Victor Sen Yung)are not in agreement with the ruling of suicide and set out to prove that a mystic named Zodiac is responsible for several murders via suicide. A magician , The Great Rhandini(Cesar Romero), offers help in the investigation. But just how much of his help is useful? This may be one of the best in the Chan mystery franchise. The pace is brisk and held together with light-hearted humor and the usual who-done-it trappings. A very interesting story that you don't really know the ending ahead of time. The supporting cast includes: Douglas Fowley, Pauline Moore, Douglass Dumbrille, Donald MacBride and Gerald Mohr.

"Charlie Chan at Treasure Island" is at the top of many Chan fan lists as their favorite; it certainly deserves that distinction. Even when the film gets creepy it's fun, as in the séance scene at the home of Dr. Zodiac.Charlie Chan's friend Paul Essex is an apparent suicide aboard a San Francisco bound plane flight. His suicide note - "Can't escape Zodiac, Good Bye my Love, Paul".Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is warned not to investigate: "Do not challenge the supernatural unless you are prepared to visit your ancestors." But investigate he does, and as usual we are introduced to a colorful cast of characters and suspects along the way. There's The Great Rhadini (Cesar Romero), who challenges other magicians and psychics, his mind reading assistant Eve Cairo (Pauline Moore), and insurance investigator Salsbury (Douglas Dumbrille). Aiding Charlie on the case are Number #2 Son Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung) and Deputy Chief Kilvaine (Donald MacBride).Watch for a neat scene when Chan returns to the Zodiac home a second time - a black cat crosses his path.The twist to the story comes when we learn that Romero's character Rhadini is also Dr. Zodiac, blackmailing victims with secrets from their past. He even takes a knife to the shoulder during an on stage performance in an attempt to throw suspicion in a different direction. The film borrows from a Bela Lugosi trademark, piercing dark eyes attempting to overcome psychic Eve Cairo's thoughts while under Chan's influence to flush out the killer of Zodiac's Turkish servant.The film is set against the backdrop of the 1939 San Francisco World's Fair, Treasure Island being an attraction, along with the Century of Progress Exhibition. But as in most of the Charlie Chan films, the locale is secondary to the mystery, and this time it's a good one, with clever writing and just enough imagination to make you wonder whether mind reading might actually be real!