biorngm Review - The Scarlet Clue, released 5-11-45 A good story plays well right through for our mystery movie with Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan. This time number three son, Tommy Chan and Birmingham Brown, appear, to help the detective solve the crimes. Worth a watch, due to plenty of characters and unique murders; clues gradually open the case toward the end, as Charlie Chan solves this one, with the help from a few police officials. The suspect list is plentiful, until some are mysteriously killed. The police chemist, the police technician and a voice impersonator are made a part of the investigation. Certain precautions are taken by Chan, which are revealed when the killer is found near the movie-end. There was no risk to the documents being stolen, for Charlie had them put in a safer place early on and the daffy office cleaning lady was really a government operative, requested by Chan, watching the traffic through the experimental radar laboratory. It was Chan's intention to catch the suspected killer alive, but an error in judgement brought the killer to a fatal end. She was killed in the same manner as an earlier suspect, i.e. a fall down an elevator shaft from the seventh floor through a trap door. Charlie's mission is made clear early on in the plot when he meets his friend, police Captain Flynn, who has overindulged his efforts tracking a known espionage suspect. He is scolded by Chan, for Charlie simply wanted the man to be located, in order for the police to determine all the players, i.e. catching the ring leader stealing the radar secrets. The police make their presence known to the suspect, who manages to get himself killed by another conspirator, unbeknownst to Charlie Chan. A car seen leaving the first murder scene provides a clue, as does a right-shoe print, left from stepping in the victim's blood; i.e. the scarlet clue is the print found at the scene and later found at another location. The car belonged to an actress, reporting it stolen, only to have it returned the same evening, coincidentally, around the same time as the murder. Following the vehicle clue to its owner brings Charlie to a radio station in the same building as the radar laboratory. After discussing her vehicle reported stolen, now returned, Charlie steps out of the radio studio, only to notice another right-shoe print matching that left at the murder scene. Charlie observes the killer is someone who walked here recently, perhaps someone we have all seen. Chan adds, a most interesting place, will visit here again tomorrow. They will return to the studio building many times during the movie, in order to find the killer and the ring-leader. Charlie gathers information, piecing together available evidence after two members of the radio entertainers are killed under similar circumstances. He eventually tracks the perpetrator to the studio's building, after receiving assistance from the police forensics team. The movie is complete with mystery, unusual crime methods, and a surprise ending with the capture of the espionage ring-leader. Watch the movie from the beginning, not missing any clues, you won't be disappointed. I recommend this Charlie Chan movie nearing the end of Sidney Toler's career and life.

Cristi_Ciopron 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.

ccthemovieman-1 This was my first look at Charlie Chan's, or should I say Sidney Toler's assistant "Birmingham Brown" (Mantan Moreland.) He certainly changed the face of these movies, and I don't mean that as some sort of racial pun. What I mean is Moreland added silliness to these films, although he's such a likable guy I didn't mind. Many times he even made me laugh out loud.Also new to me at the time of my first viewing of this (sometime in the 1990s) was Number Three Son "Tommy," played by Benson Fong. I liked him a lot, but then I have liked all of Charlie's kids.Anyway, with the addition of Moreland - who was strictly added for comedy - with Chan's witty proverbs, the repartee between father and son, and so on.....these Mongram Charlie Chan movies turned out to be almost more comedy than mystery.....but they still entertained.The most memorable scene in this movie had to be something shocking and violent, the opposite of how I've been describing these latter-day Chan films. In that scene, a trap door in an elevator suddenly sends a man plummeting to his death. Most of the film is talk but it's okay. This whodunit had a surprise ending. I guessed wrong, but that's nothing new.

Elswet I LOVE a good "who-dun-it!" I also love a well-stylized character. Give him quirks to personalize him, and make the audience sympathetic with his cause (whatever they are, it almost doesn't matter), and let the audience identify with him, and you've got a hit on your hands. Especially if the detective persona can be respected for his intellect.I love Sherlock Holmes, but always considered him too arrogant to be likable. I loved Kojak, but always considered him to be too gritty. I loved Steve McGarrett, but always compared him to Captain Kirk for some reason. I loved Caanon, but oof! that weight would have killed ANYone! I loved Columbo, but considered him too aloof to be personable.Chan is stoically affectionate, and teaches by example the adage that if the mouth is moving, the ears can't hear. He's adopted his children, which demonstrates the desire to be a parent; and he is a professional, which denotes stability and a higher learning.This particular chapter of the "Chanthology" is not among my favorites of ANY Chan movie, however, as he (Chan) is working for the governments against the Germans of WWII. Not my cup of tea. I'm a baby-boomer last generation hippie, not a depression-era beatnik.The clues which Chan picks up on are laid out so blatantly that a child could have guessed it. It was all too easy. This installment was nothing like some of the better Chan mysteries which require a degree of intelligence to decipher.Also, there is far too much wasted screen time. This was more like, "The Birmingham Show," than a Chan movie. Birmingham and Chan's Number Three Son got far too much time on the screen for my satisfaction.All in all, this one is somewhat of a disappointment.It rates a 3.8/10 from...the Fiend :.