The Scarlet Clue (1945)

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Blistering performances.

A mystery movie crafted with gusto, there's something of Brando in Toler's role, MGM teases us a bit with electric gadgets and a monster mask, there is a heartfelt interest in the technology (teletype, elevator, early TV, radar, 'death capsules' for the ingenious poisoning, also moments of radio and early TV broadcasting, the weather simulation tunnel) in this merry espionage story with a grim body count (two spies, two comedians), Toler's role foretells Brando (also in the quiet but sharp humor), Birmingham Brown is very funny, and the _janitress seems intriguing and nice, possibly handsome; but Birmingham Brown is the most likable character. The script was neat: a set of suspects, the puzzle plot doesn't get lost in humorous banter, the storyline is dynamic and the sets, appealing; though the denouement has the randomness known from these mystery movies they made 75 yrs ago.

Some Hollywood studios decided to stop making Charlie Chan films and Sidney Toler decided to convince Monogram Pictures to accept his legal terms to make more Charlie Chan films with Toler as the star. In this series you will notice a drop in the quality of film that is made and how costs were cut to keep a low budget. Mantan Moreland, (Birmingham Brown) played a big role as the chauffeur for Charlie Chan and he was a great comic rolling his eyes and aways being scared to death along with Number 3 son of Charlie Chan, Tommy Chan, (Benson Fong). Charlie Chan investigates a television station and also a Government Radar Company and he tries to work with the police and Government agents to catch spies trying to steal secret plans and papers vital to the American Defense. Jack Norton, who usually plays in drunk in most films during the 1930's and 40's appears in this film and performs on a television show and gives a great supporting role to this film. Virginia Brissac, (Mrs. Marsh) plays the owner of this radio and television studio and is a rather grump and nasty elderly lady. Enjoy.

THE SCARLET CLUE is a fairly interesting Charlie Chan film from the '40s, depending on its humor for the performances of BENSON FONG as #3 son, MANTAN MORELAND as Birmingham Brown and BEN CARTER as Ben Carter. The mysterious deaths of people associated with a radio program that is a front for some sort of radar secrets espionage, is at the heart of the crimes Chan must solve.SIDNEY TOLER was beginning to show signs of fatigue (he died two years later) and the sets and production values are noticeably reduced from what they were when the Chan films were being made by Fox. During the TCM showing of the film, Robert Osborne mentioned that it was Toler himself who brought the idea of furthering the Chan adventures to another studio after shopping the idea around.VIRGINIA BRISSAC, JACK NORTON, JANET SHAW and HELEN DEVERELL are among the chief suspects. I recognized Miss Brissac from her performance as the hard of hearing Miss Seiffert from THE SNAKE PIT. She has quite a different role here.Enjoyable fluff, not one of the best in the Chan series but a respectable enough entry from Monogram.Favorite line: When son #3 tells his dad that he has an idea but then immediately forgets what he wanted to say, Chan replies: "It's now in solitary confinement."

The Scarlet Clue could have been so much better had the writers written a tighter plot. First, in 1945 why be so indirect as to who the bad guys worked for? They were, obviously, German agents. Yet all we had to go on were some references to name changes of the spies from German to English. And one of the plotters seemed absolutely clueless as to who he was working for and what was going on. The ending lacked punch - why did we see one of the agents fall to his death in the trick elevator, but not the Dark Mistress who was behind it all, at the conclusion? Audiences always want to see the "Most Evil One" get his/hers, even in 1945! Not just, "Oh, yes, she's the one. Here's her body. She fell down the elevator shaft." And the "cigarette + gas" thing had me going "huh?" Now Foster and Moreland were excellent, reprising their vaudeville routine. And Sidney Toler did a decent Chan. But overall this plot and writing left much to be desired, even for a Charlie Chan picture.