Customer Reviews

Charlie Chan in Paris [VHS]

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CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS is one of the better entries in the Chan series. It is the tenth Charlie Chan film and the seventh in which Warner Oland plays the role of the venerable detective. It marks the first appearance of Keye Luke as Lee Chan, Charlie's number one son.

Philip MacDonald wrote the screenplay. Earl Derr Biggers, the author of the six Charlie Chan books, had died in 1933.

the movie seems to be the unoffical start of the series as we love it...number one son debut helps ..it has sex//comedy// a good ending//a must see

I agree with "daggerofthemind" that there is absolutely no making light of anything Chinese in this or any of the Charlie Chan films featuring Warner Oland as the famed detective. Sidney Toler however, while not being convincing as a Chinese, has made Chinese people angry at his not making any effort to speak Chinese while instead speaking gibberish while portraying Chan. As to this film, I think it is one of the best Charlie Chan films. This and all of the Warner Oland Charlie Chan films should be brought out on DVD as they should have already, and listed in front of the Sidney Toler films.

I Really resent the fact that Turner Classic stopped showing the Charlie Chan films due to protests by Asian Americans. Were the films racist and stereotyping Orientals? Yeah...Sure they were. But how many movies of the 30's and 40's were not stereotypical in some way? Whether it was of any race or creed. Hiding them away doesn't mean they never happened. And although the actors who portrayed Charlie Chan may not have been Asian, they always portrayed him in a favorable light as being much smarter than the crooks he helped to capture. And of course many co-starred Keye Luke as #1 son who was an Asian-American.

In Charlie Chan In Paris, Chan goes to France in the guise of taking a vacation with #1 son, but is really there working for a London bank, investigating a series of fraudulent bonds being passed at French banks. Soon this leads to murder as a bank executive is killed and the daughter of the Bank's President is framed for the murder. Chan must now solve the murder and discover the origin of the forged bonds. Very well done mystery that kees you guessing and holds up well over the years.

This was the first film that Keye Luke played Lee Chan, the #1 son so that makes this one pretty special as he always brought wonderful comic relief to the Charlie Chan Films. This was the only Chan film directed by Lewis Seiler who would go on to make a number of excellent WWII films including "Guadalcanal Diary".

It's quite unfortunate that these earlier films with Warner Oland as Chan are not on DVD while many of the generally awful Toller films are. Hopefully someone wakes up and realizes that there are a lot of fans clamoring for these on DVD.

It's interesting how people can see the same movie and come away with different impressions of it. A reviewer below wrote: >>Unfortunately, CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS is among them, with an early scene allowing one character to address Chan in pidgin English--and then requiring Chan to play into the joke. Modern viewers will likely find the scene distasteful; this aside, however, CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS is a reasonably entertaining entry in the series<<< and I frankly find this a surprise. Chan makes a fool of Max Corday (the man who spoke to him in Pidgin English) by speaking in pidgin first, and then perfect English. Corday is embarrassed and humbled, as Chan intended. All officials in the French police force treat Chan with respect. Making the point that 'the educated masses' are not racist, only ignorant people are.

Having said that, Charlie Chan in Paris is one of my favorite Chans, not the least because it introduces Keye Luke and has one of my favorite actors, Erik Rhodes...

1935's "Charlie Chan in Paris" is a suspenseful entry in the long running movie series featuring the famous Honolulu Police Detective, here played by Warner Oland and ably assisted by Key Luke as Number One Son.

Charlie Chan, nominally in Paris on vacation, is actually tracking a bank fraud involving forged bonds. Charlie's undercover assistant, a nightclub singer, is murdered the night he arrives. The pool of suspects for the crimes includes a drunken artist, a number of employees at the bank, and a mysterious crippled soldier who seems to show up everywhere. Charlie must find the forgers and the killer, and do so before an innocent woman goes to jail for murder. The trail winds through private homes, a bank, a nightclub, and the sewers of Paris, leading to a final confrontation in an underground room.

The sound and picture quality of the VHS tape is adequate if a little uneven. The storyline, after a slow start, builds up a decent head of steam before the conclusion. Viewers may have to overlook the fact that everyone in Paris seems to speak excellent English in order to appreciate some interesting historical trivia. Charlie arrives in Paris aboard a Ford Trimotor from London, bonds are individually signed by the President of the Bank, and phone numbers have less than seven digits. On the plus side, Chan and his son have to do some real sleuthing to sort out this mystery.

"Charlie Chan in Paris" is highly recommended to fans of the series.

A Ford Trimotor lands at Le Bourget airfield in Paris. Charlie Chan is on a visit. The taxi does not have shatterproof glass, and a warning is delivered. Chan visits the Singe Bleu to see a famous dancer perform the "danse Apache". [It's something you won't see today.] A hidden stranger disapproves of the lady's performance. Her last words to Chan are to search her apartment. A little bird sings a secret. Somebody drops a heavy weight but misses Chan (he was warned). Chan's son joins his Pop (secret banking business). There is a stranger who keeps popping up unexpectedly. Chan has been sent by English bondholders to check on forged bonds of this bank. This is a very confidential matter; exposure could cause a bankruptcy.

Albert Dufresne hands back some love letters to Yvette Lamartine, but a shot ends his career. She is blamed for his murder when people find her with the body and pistol. Lamartine is arrested for the murder. Chan suggests there is a hole in the case. Chan's son has been watching outside and gathered information on the visitors. Chan visits this man and discusses his theory; then he peeks through a keyhole and learns more. Chan visits the address of Marcel Xavier to continue his investigation. He finds a secret passage, then a hidden room. The secret of Marcel Xavier is discovered. Yvette will be released; chivalry isn't dead. Chan has solved another murder mystery.

The many stock and bond swindles were one cause of the Great Depression. Stock whose value was inflated far beyond its worth swindled millions and resulted in poverty instead of expected wealth. The fraud in forged (or stolen) bonds is to sell scrap for real money. Another swindle is to deliver forged bonds as security for a loan. When the loan is in default the securities are worthless and the money is gone forever. This is the crime in this film. Phony bonds were sold in place of the true bonds.

Although Charlie Chan films were no more nor less stereotypical in their presentation of the Inscrutable Chinese Detective than such series as Blondie were of the Crazy Blonde Housewife, some early Chan films did engage in a certain amount of regrettable patronization. Unfortunately, CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS is among them, with an early scene allowing one character to address Chan in pidgin English--and then requiring Chan to play into the joke. Modern viewers will likely find the scene distasteful; this aside, however, CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS is a reasonably entertaining entry in the series, starring the always welcome Warner Oland (the original Chan) and Keye Luke (the most enjoyable of Chan's tag-along sons) in a story concerning bond fraud in the city of light.

As the series evolved, writers became increasingly astute in their presentation of Chan, and while some characters might mock Chan, he inevitably shows them up by using their false impression of his intelligence to his own advantage. By the time Sidney Toler replaced Warner Oland (who died unexpectedly), moments of bad taste such as found in this particular film were exceedingly rare. While several of the best Chan films--such as AT THE OPERA, AT THE WAX MUSEUM, and CASTLE IN THE DESERT--are available on video, it is extremely regrettable that the vast majority of Chan films have never been released to the home audience; fans of the series should look for such films as AT TREASURE ISLAND and IN PANAMA on occasional cable television Chan film festivals.

Charlie Chan in Paris is a 1935 film continuing the detective exploits of the fabled Charlie Chan, with the first appearance of his Number One Son, played by Keye Luke ("Kung Fu" TV series).

Charlie has an operative checking out a bank that has links to forged bonds and appears to be an inside job. Before she can give Charlie the info, she gets killed after the finale of a dance she does with Charlie and his friends in a Paris café.

I must say the athleticism is really amazing during the dance routine. I'm sure they were doubles, but the flipping around and the flying into the air was really fun to watch - until she got a knife in the back that is!
Charlie's son is not a goof as he appeared to be in later films as the humorous foil. Here he does some pretty smart detective work - the son so full of enthusiasm and the father with his gently humorous sayings.

My favorites:

"Grain of sand in eye may hide mountain!"
"Optimist sees the donut; pessimist sees the hole!"
"Small key hole is big friend to detective."

The story is complex enough to hold interest; the background music knew when to come in and when to be silent, which was typical of films of the time.

Bottom Line: Warner Oland does a great Charlie Chan and it was a complex enough story to keep you guessing. You may recognize Erik Rhodes who has also appeared in several Fred Astaire films such as "Top Hat." Recommended!

Cast
* Warner Oland as Charlie Chan
* Mary Brian as Yvette Lamartine, Mr Lamartine's daughter, engaged to Victor Descartes
* Thomas Beck as Victor Descartes, Mr. Lamartine's ward, who is going to take over the bank
* John Miljan as Albert Dufresne
* Erik Rhodes as Max Corday, a sketch artist
* Murray Kinnell as Henri Latouche
* Keye Luke as Lee Chan, Charlie's #1 son
* Henry Kolker as Mr. Paul Lamartine, the current head of the Lamartine Bank and father of Yvette
* Dorothy Appleby as Nardi, Charlie's agent in Paris, who is killed before he can ask her questions

Charlie Chan movies are an acquired taste. I'm assuming that you have that taste or you wouldn't be looking at this review of the video.

I hadn't seen this movie in over 30 years, and I was curious to see if my obsession with Charlie Chan had survived. I must report that I'm still hooked.

Why? The plot is extremely compact, complex, and well developed. Even knowing who did what to whom, I was fascinated to see the story unfold.

I expected to be bothered by the treatment of Charlie as a Chinese American, but that was handled with reasonable aplomb. Charlie is obviously the smartest guy in the room, and everyone figures that out pretty quickly. Once they know him, they all love Charlie. There's one scene early on where Charlie is patronized by a new acquaintance, but he handles it all with grace. The rest of the time, Charlie receives the kind of treatment that a detective king might command. Warner Oland graciously takes it all as his due.

Those who love Keye Luke who played Lee Chan in the series will be pleased to see that he has a good sized role in Charlie Chan in Paris.

Those who love Apache dancing will enjoy that scene.

What really shocked me was how poorly the film represented Paris. Aside from some French names and a pair of Apache dancers, no one in the film seems to be French. The effort is most amateurish except for an interesting trip through the Paris sewers which is rigged with an unexpected gag.