biorngm Review - The Shanghai Cobra, Released 9-29-45 This Charlie Chan movie would considered one of the better efforts by Monogram, because the story holds the viewer interest throughout its hour plus run. There is intrigue from the start, coupled with crimes committed, mysterious methods involved in the deadly misdeeds, and a cast of characters keeping the observer constantly guessing. The action takes place primarily in and below a bank building, and some of the perpetrators are not obvious. There is little comic banter, more serious moves among the guest cast members, no wasteful scenes, gunfire, explosions, secret passageways, and a very interesting method of taking victims. The premise is the mystery murders from a cobra bite, similar to a crime in Shanghai years before, in which Charlie arrested a man named Van Horn for bank robbery and murder by cobra bite. It was the first day Japanese bombers flew over Shanghai, Van Horn was a prisoner, badly injured in the bombing. Inspector Mainwaring rode with Charlie to the British Police Headquarters to meet Van Horn for the second time. Van Horn had bandages about his head, telling Charlie is being framed. While being transported to Singapore, Van Horn jumped out of the transfer boat, and that was the last time Charlie says he heard of Van Horn. Van Horn returns to Washington D.C. to prove his innocence, employed as a bank guard with his daughter helping his cause employed as a bank President's secretary. Locally, three persons are murdered by the bite of cobra fangs, markings on the bodies indicate the bite. All three victims worked for the Sixth National Bank, the same bank as Van Horn and his daughter. There is an additional plot to steal the radium kept by the government in the bank vault. The bank is the distributing center for hospitals, laboratories and factories in this vicinity, utilizing the peaceful uses for the radioactive material. Chan, with the help from his old cohort in Honolulu, Inspector Davis, search for killers and thieves. The story weaves its way through characters, some obviously suspicious, others secretly active with the bank and others. Charlie Chan works the clues expertly, determining how the cobra bites were inflicted, in two ways, while apprehending the perpetrators.This movie is definitely worth watching for all the characters intertwining. The best is last, as usual, but there is really few wasted minutes in the film. Highly recommended.

museumofdave If you're volunteering to watch a Charlie Chan movie, you already have some idea of what's in store, and as this is one of the late ones done at the Poverty Row Studio, Monogram, you may also know it's not heavy on either production values or a complex script.That said, director Phil Karlson sets up the first five minutes as if this were a dynamic, lurking-in-the-shadows film noir, and immediately slips from dark, shadowy streets into a brightly-lit diner where the juke-box is also a one-way television which connects to a secret room somewhere else in the city; what's not to like? Sounds like the start of a fascinating mystery! Unfortunately, the remainder of the film doesn't develop many more startling innovations or follow up much with the television, getting lost somewhere as the script pages went missing, perhapsThere are, however, character treats along with way, such familiar folks as George Chandler as a cynical soda jerk and familiar-face Addison Richards as a suspicious bank guard; the 64 minutes are well-spent for the average "B" movie fan--but this ain't The Maltese Falcon although almost any hour spent with Charlie Chan can be unadulterated escapism.

tavm This is my eleventh review of a Charlie Chan movie in series chronological order on these consecutive days. In this one, Charlie is investigating three murders of employees from a city bank which happens to have some radium in its vault...Directed by cult director Phil Karlson (who is a native of my birthtown of Chicago, Ill.), this Chan entry has a great beginning taking place in rain soaked streets before going to a diner whose owner Joe (George Chandler) is a bit upset that the three customers-two men, one woman-want coffee and not his special soup. Chandler is quite amusing and a bit suitably edgy in this sequence. After that, we get the usual tale of Chan rounding up the suspects and having troubles with "No. 3 Son" Tommy (Benson Fong) and his chauffeur Birmingham Brown (Mantan Moreland). Actually, Fong and Moreland provide the second great sequence when they are underground in the sewers and an explosion almost threatens to kill them while the bad guys are shooting at each other. While these sequences provide excitement, some of the explanations of certain events were confusing to me. Still, I highly enjoyed this Monogram Chan entry especially with the comic relief of Fong and Moreland still good for laughs. And I love hearing the latter laugh during many of his scenes! So on that note, I'm recommending The Shanghai Cobra.

tedg The Chan series gives few pleasures. But you can find them if you want.This has two features to recommend it. One is a rather incredible opening scene, with much more mystery and puzzle than usual for any detective movie of the type. It includes something that I have never seen before. I have no idea if such a thing actually existed. Its a jukebox with a sort of tunnel TeeVee camera in it with a girl at the other end in an office. Sort of a video switchboard operator and DeeJay. She can literally see through the front of the jukebox. Its a truly strange notion. See it for that.The second interesting feature is that the victims are killed in an elaborate way, using cobra venom and hidden needles that are a marvel of technology.All else is typical Chan, workmanlike and ordinary.Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.