Customer Reviews

Charlie Chan In Egypt

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Chan is sent to Egypt by the French Archeological Society in Paris in this 1935 film to find out why certain items that were excavated from a tomb and were supposed to be sent to the Society were stolen and ended up in other museums. Chan discovers that the man who ran the excavations was murdered. While Chan is still in Egypt, this man's son is also murdered. There are a number of suspects, including the man's daughter who hates her father, her boy friend who her father dismissed from his job, her uncle who is hiding something, the uncle's assistant who is overprotective of Egyptian finds, the uncle's female helper who sneaks around watching what people are doing, and the family doctor who may be administering drugs to the daughter. Claims are made against Chan that he is incompetent and the cause of the son's death.

Chan's son is not in this film. Instead the very competent actor Stepin Fetchit plays, as he usually does, a stereotypical ignorant black man. He shuffles, shakes, whines, walks as if he is made of rubber, and is constantly scared. Fetchit is given the ridiculous name Snowshoes. He respond to everyone, "Yes'm," even to men. Humor is also added in a couple of scenes by an Arab swindler who tells Fetchit that he can reveal information about Fetchit's great great ancestors.

Chan typically offers many witty epigrams, true, but stated in a humorous way, including: Drop of water on thirsty tongue is more worth than gold. Waiting for tomorrow is waste of today. Cannot read book until pages are cut. Theories like mist on eyeglasses, obscures facts. Impossible to develop defense until direction of attack is known. Journey of life is like feather on water, must go with stream.

This potpourri of Egypt, ancient excavations with curses attached, murder and Charlie Chan has an aroma of fun that never wavers for the entire seventy-two minute running time. For film buffs, it is a chance to see lovely Pat Paterson onscreen also. Louis King directed the screenplay of Robert Ellis and Helen Logan. Rita Hayworth fans will enjoy her small early role as Nayda. The pace is perfect, the mystery and romance blended nicely by King.

Warner Oland brought a quiet dignity to the detective created by the talented Earl Derr Biggers. Though Toler is probably my favorite of the two Chans, taking over the role in 1938 when Oland fell ill and succumbed to pneumonia in his country of birth, Sweden, Oland was excellent, lending class and an air of distinction to Chan. Charlie Chan in Egypt is one of Oland's most fun turns as the famous sleuth. It starts off with a bang, in something resembling a scene from The Mummy; a man dropping dead during the unearthing of an ancient Egyptian room full of artifacts. A figure watching over the room may be bringing a curse upon those who've disturbed the site. Chan is sent by the French Museum to discover why various artifacts excavated are finding their way into private hands instead of theirs.

More is amiss than just the missing artifacts, however, as Charlie soon discovers. Archeologist Tom Evans (Thomas Beck) proves to be his ally with many mysteries. Evans is sweet on Carol Arnold (Pat Paterson), the daughter of the expedition leader, now missing. It isn't long until Charlie discovers his body in an Egyptian sarcophagus, and knows there is a murderer about, helping the curse come true. Tom and Carol have romantic feelings for one another, of course, and Chan is disturbed by her bouts of illness which he suspects also have a very earthly cause. A second death soon transpires, and Chan's reputation is in doubt for a short time.

Thanks to our favorite Hawaiian detective, Carol is no longer under the spell of the poison she was being given, which proves handy when Tom is shot helping Charlie find a killer's secret. Chan appears to be defeated but, of course, is only setting a trap. There is a bit of misdirection which will have the viewer suspecting everyone except the scared Snowshoes (Stepinfetchit) who wants nothing to do with curses and murder. A very nice ending wraps up both the mystery and the romance in this one. Fox gave this one a big boost with some fine sets, lending a fun atmosphere to a tight little mystery with just the right amount of romance.

The romance between Beck and Paterson is quite nice, Beck making a solid romantic hero. Paterson is lovely here, and a big plus for film buffs. She married Charles Boyer on Valentine's Day in 1934, and when she died in 1978, Boyer took his own two days later, unable and unwilling to live without her. A fun film and excellent Charlie Chan entry with a sweet reminder of love the way it is supposed to be for those who know the story. If you can't find this fabulous one, it is also part of a boxed set, and well worth the price. A great time at the movies.

Now that Charlie Chan has solved his case in Paris, he comes to Egypt to the town of Luxor.
Professor Arnold (George Irving) is inside a pyramid chipping away at a hieroglyphs seal in the wall. They are trying to reach the tomb of Ahmeti. He breaks through. With the help of his men, they carefully remove the stones from behind the wall. Ali (John George) looks through the space and suddenly he can't breath and collapses. He is dead. They shine the light through the hole. They have found Ameti's chamber.
Upon arriving in Egypt, Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) meets Carol Arnold (Pat Peterson) and Tom Evans (Thomas Beck). Carol explains she has not seen her father, Professor Arnold, over a month ago since he opened Ahmeti's tomb.
Charlie Chan is their to investigate why the artifacts in the tomb were taken out and found among private collector's and a museum in Berlin.
Charlie Chan has two cases to solve.

Also in the cast: Rita Hayworth, Stepin Fatchit, Jameson Thomas, Frank Conroy, Nigel DeBrulier, Paul Purcasi, Arthur Stone, Frank Reicher, John Davidson.

Warner Oland's 8th movie as "Charlie Chan".

DVD running time: 72 mins.

Language in English. Option of Subtitles in English, Spanish.
You're going to need the subtitles to understand what Stepin Fetchit as "Snowshoes" is saying.

Special Features: "The Real Charlie Chan", Trail for Charlie Chan in London.

Yes. Thomas Beck was in Charlie Chan in Paris (1935).

John Davidson also appears in Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat (1944) and Mr. Moto's Last Warning (1939), Mr. Moto's Takes a Vacation (1939).

Next Mystery: Charlie Chan In Shanghai (1935).

Charlie Chan in Egypt, 1935 film

We see a tomb and mysterious hieroglyphics on a wall. What is inside? One worker drops dead. "You talk too much." Charlie Chan goes to meet the Evans. The Archeological Society wants all discovered property, except what the Egyptian Government claims. But some valuables were found in Europe, owned by private collectors. [Art is inflation proof, like gold.] The old coffin has new paint on it! The X-ray shows a bullet in the mummy's chest! "Professor Arnold!" A scream draws them upstairs to Miss Carol Arnold's room. What did she say? Charlie tests a typewriter to get a comparison to Professor Arnold's letter. Who typed it? They reinspect the tomb. The lights go out. A rock falls near them! They examine Professor Arnold's body, he was hit by a club, but a sharp knife removed his blood. Charlie checks the corpse. A drug affects a person's sense of time. Was this drug in Miss Arnold's cigaretter?

They look for Barry, but he won't talk now. Chan asks a question about that drug. Chan will search the tomb again. They find a secret door. What is hidden there? Can someone find him and shoot him? Later Chan searches Barry's room and finds a secret in the violin that can explain what happened. Professor Thurston did not return. Chan runs a test in the laboratory. He then demonstrates how a violin can be used as a murder weapon! What was the motive? To keep the treasure for himself. Tom Evans will talk when he recovers from the shooting. Chan is very clear: "there is nothing to do but wait". Who wants to take care of Tom? "One moment please!" The killer is caught! Chan explains the motive (greed); the same gun was used to kill the Professor. "Take him away."

There will be a happy ending for Tom and Carol. This is an average mystery movie. It reflects the culture and attitudes of the 1930s, so some may be offended by a few scenes with Lincoln Perry. Rita Cansino plays a servant in this story.

The last time I saw this movie was on WGN TV in Chicago in 1970! I was thrilled to see it on DVD and couldn't wait to get a copy. I remember it as being one of the best in the series of Charlie Chan films - and my memory was correct. Although a low budget film - it is a great one, very entertaining! The story line has alot of twists and turns - and the exotic Egyptian setting adds a mysterious atmosphere. Oh, and here's some trivia. This was one of Woody Allen's favorite old films as well. He based the character played by Jeff Daniels - in "The Purple Rose of Cario" - on the handsome archeologist in this one.

Charlie Chan in Egypt is based on an original screen play so don't look back into any of the Earl Derr Biggers' novels for insights into this plot. This film is one of the last ones done by Warner Oland, the original actor who portrayed Charlie Chan. In this movie, the studio was obviously trying to tell a good story without spending much money. The result is surprisingly good.

Having not seen this movie for many years, I was concerned when I saw that Stepin Fetchit was in the cast. Although the role certainly plays on stereotypes about African-Americans (laziness, fearfulness, and drunkenness), the effect wasn't nearly as bad as I feared from some of the other movies in the series where Chinese stereotypes are much too deeply reinforced. Stepin Fetchit comes across more like a reasonable man who is put upon by foolish employers than as an ex-slave who cringes at the sight of a white man.

The strength of the movie comes in the excellent atmosphere created by visiting an Egyptian crypt and a professor's laboratory inside a darkness-shrouded house. There's a heavy mood of danger and dread that infects the actors and the story. You'll get hints of curses, crooks, and obsession. The atmosphere is superbly set in context by having Charlie arrive by plane and taking a barn-storming tour over the Sphinx and major pyramids.

Like the best of the Charlie Chan stories, this film has some excellent science involved to help explain the mysteries and murders.

An unexpected treat is to have the young Rita Hayworth (playing under the name of Rita Cansino) decoratively walking across the rooms in an attractive native costume. Although no one will mistake her for an Egyptian, she certainly adds to the scenery.

The film's main weakness is that the identity of the murderer is pretty easy to figure out.

The DVD also has a short feature on an exemplary Chinese-Hawaiian detective in Honolulu who was operating there when Earl Derr Biggers visited the islands. Biggers probably got the idea for having a Chinese detective from this man, but little else seems to have been based on the real detective who mostly worked on drug and gambling cases in the Chinese community and was famous for carrying a bull whip to enforce the law.

Why is it that Egypt is such an interesting place? It always seems to attract me, no matter how bad the story is. Thankfully, this movie is not bad at all. A group of archaeologists go to Egypt to recover the tomb of an important man. They run into trouble when a greedy criminal decides to take matters into his own hands, but with the guise of an ancient curse to his credit, it takes those involved a long time to discover his identity, or that there is even a crime being committed. Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) is sent to clear matters up, but his slow and deliberate method makes some people uneasy.

The mystery is quite standard and the characters are very typical of this genre. The film is simply an enjoyable ride, but nothing too special. It does boast an early screen appearance by Rita Hayworth, here working under her real name of Cansino. Her dark hair helps disguise her. Another notable performer is Stepin Fetchit, one of the most controversial black actors of his time. His lazy persona can be quite offensive, but as a comedian, he is a riot to watch. There are several times when he lightens the mood with his casual quips and distinctive personality. Thank goodness he actually has enough screen time to make a good impression. Conversely, Oland is much more subtle in his performance as an Asian man. Sometimes his English is broken and he observes more than he speaks, but his characterization is hardly upsetting and provides an excellent backbone for a story with so much chaos.

Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) based on a real Honolulu detective is working as a representative of a French museum. He is investigating Egyptian archeological items that were sold on the black market.

Charlie finds the Archeologist he came to see is out on a dig and has not been seen for some while. Mean time he, using a fluoroscope, to view a mummy of an Egyptian pharaoh discovers the pharaoh was killed with a modern bullet.

The usual suspects are all hanging around the house. The camera takes care to make everyone look sneaky. We listen to eerie violin music and see mysterious things in the dark. To distract us and for comic relief we have Snowshoes (Stepin Fetchit) searching for his ancient relatives in Memphis.

After all things solved we still feel there is a mystery of Egyptian magic.