Customer Reviews

Charlie Chan: The Shanghai Cobra [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The killer uses venom from a cobra to eliminate his victims in this film. Sidney Toler plays Chan and the cast includes Benson Fong as Tommie Chan and Manton Moreland in the role of Birmingham Brown. Fong and Moreland are really quite good as a comic team. George Callahan and George Wallace Sayre handle the screen play. THE SHANGHAI COBRA is one of the better entries in the Chan series.

Low-budget Monogram Pictures usually did a serviceable job with its Charlie Chan mysteries, but this one is exceptional. Thoughtful direction (by Phil Karlson) and excellent camerawork (by Vincent Farrar) give the film far more atmosphere and production polish than usual. You'll notice, as early as the opening scene, the imaginative staging and camera angles, unusual sets, and clever technical gimmicks, all enhancing the excellent film-noir-style presentation. Series regulars Sidney Toler, Benson Fong, and Mantan Moreland are in good form, aided by a fine cast of familiar character actors (Joan Woodbury, James Cardwell, Addison Richards, George Chandler, and a host of others). If you've never seen a Monogram Chan, try this.

"The Shanghai Cobra" is my favorite of the Monogram Charlie Chans. It is beautifully atmospheric in the opening scenes, and I think Phil Karlson, the director (his first of two Chan outings, the other being "Dark Alibi" [1946]which is also worth watching)adds alot of these great effects, making it an enjoyable mystery that will keep you guessing. The comedy in this entry is superb with a wordplay gag about "u-turns" running all through the film. The sets and the noticable shadows and darkness make it almost like a "film noir" movie. Some action takes place in the sewers below the bank that they are doing investigations in(more darkness.)I also enjoyed the "flashback" when they showed Charlie Chan in his visit to Shanghai in '36 and '37. A fun film, a good mystery, and atmospheric at the same time, I would recommend this film highly to any Charlie Chan fan. Excuse, Please...

This mystery concerns the murder of several victims by cobra bites. It has Mantan Moreland and Benson Fong again getting into trouble as usual. The criminals' objective is to rob a bank vault of a valuable government depository of radium. The viewer must follow the plot closely since the denouement when Chan finally corners the leader occurs rapidly. This film uses the new invention of television well as part of the criminals' devices. The running gag in this film concerns Birmingham getting an illegal U-turn ticket and saying "But you said 'No, you turn here! So I turned!'" At the end of the film, Chan himself gets an illegal U-turn ticket and uses the same excuse to the inspector. "But you say 'No, you turn here!' and everybody ends up laughing. Classic Chan line is "Cannot sell bear skin before shooting bear".

Those Charlie Chan fans who only consider the topflight series at Fox worth watching, dismissing the "B" films made after Sidney Toler bought the rights to Earl Derr Biggers' famous detective and took him to Poverty Row, are truly missing out on some great fun. While it is true some of the films were marginal "B" yarns, a few were solid entries, and a couple were stellar efforts. The Shanghai Cobra is so good in fact, it easily ranks as one of the most enjoyable in the entire series.

The opening scene on a rainy night sets an atmospheric tone to this fun Chan entry, marked with humor, more action than usual, a pretty nifty little mystery, and some excellent sets which director Phil Karlson makes the most of. An interesting device of an unseen girl behind a diner jukebox occasionally gives the viewer a sense of watching an audience, watching a Charlie Chan film! It not only adds to the fun in the screenplay from George Callahan and George Wallace Sayre, but proves an integral part in solving the Cobra part of the mystery.

Nicely photographed by Vincent Farrar for Monogram, the opening sequence catches a woman following a man into a diner on a rainy night, and before it's over, the man will be the latest victim of a killer who dispatches his victims with cobra venom. The killings date all the way back to 1937 Shanghai, when Charlie brought in a suspect, only to lose him during Japanese bombings. Only Charlie, now working for the US Government, has ever seen him, so is quickly summoned to help. Adding fun to this quite serious task is Benson Fong as Charlie's son Tommy, and Mantan Moreland as Birmingham.

Chan is quite suspicious that all those murdered work for the same bank. Pretty Pauline Webster (Joan Barclay) works there too, and when the detective who was keeping an eye on her falls hard, Chan makes time to help things along. Charlie is also guarding some radium the government is keeping at the bank and searching above and beneath it for answers to the mystery. Chan's "sitting help" can't stay out of the mystery, of course, and Charlie ends up trapped below the bank trying to rescue them before uncovering the killer and his ingenious method of murder, and reuniting a family.

This atmospheric Charlie Chan "B" has charm and a fine mystery. While a few of the Poverty Row entries rate high as "B" entertainment, withinn that film context, The Shanghai Cobra actually rises above its origins to compete with the Fox "A" films; and gives them a run for their money. The film itself looks fabulous, a digital transfer nicely done. Those with only a dvd player will of course want that format. But if you have a combo player as I do, you can pick up a vhs version with the same transfer for very little. A terrific piece of "B" filmmaking and one of the most enjoyable Charlie Chan "B" entries in the entire series.

Obviously the Chan movies made at Monogram could never compare to those made at Fox with Warner Oland, but of these, The Shanghai Cobra is one of the best. Several employees of a bank have been murdered by a killer dubbed "The Cobra Killer" for his use of cobra venom in dispatching his enemies. Chan is called in to solve the murders.

Director Phil Karlson really gets the most out of the limited budget he had to work with and this film looks much better than most Monogram films with better production values and superior acting. The mystery is also very well done and keeps your interest in trying to figure out who the murderer is. Benson Fong and the always enjoyable Mantan Moreland provide the comic relief as #3 son Tommy Chan and Birmingham Brown respectively. Moreland brings life to every role he is in.

As a kid I would love staying up late and watching these with my dad who was a huge fan. We watched several together when Turner Classic was running them a couple of years ago or so and I was so disappointed when they decided to pull them off the air. These were always very entertaining.

It's a rainy night. Two sly people, Mr. Black (Stephen Gregory) and Paula (Joan Barclay) met each other in a cafe owned by Joe (George Chandler). Paula needs to tell Mr. Black something, but was surprised to see Ned (James Cardwell) come in. Mr. Black needs to tell Paula something too.
Something else is interesting, the record machine operator (Janet Warren) also makes note of Mr. Black and asks an unseen person in the dark if that was him.
Paula hurries outside in the rain to speak to Mr. Black. Suddenly, Mr. Black clutches his chest and collapses. A crowd of people gather and Paula says she will get help. Instead, she runs through the cafe and disappears.
They need the help of Charlie Chan.

Sidney Toler, Benson Fong and Mantan Moreland return.

This is Sidney Toler's 17th appearance as "Charlie Chan".

Also in the cast: Addison Richards, Arthur Loft, Gene Roth, Joe Devlin, Paul Newlan.

Interesting note: Could it be? Did this film invent the first cam device that shows up on a television screen on the wall? The Record Machine lady can see the people requesting music on the television screen by the cam in the machine.

Running Time: 64 minutes.

Next Mystery:
Charlie Chan in the Red Dragon (1945)
Charlie Chan in the Dark Alibi (1946)
Charlie Chan in the Shadows Over Chinatown (1946)
Charlie Chan in the Dangerous Money (1946)
Charlie Chan in the The Trap (1947)

Beginning with The Chinese Ring (1947), Roland Winters took over the role of "Charlie Chan" as Sidney Toler had passed away in 1947.
Roland Winters made 6 "Charlie Chan" movies.

Charlie Chan solves another baffing case--this time it's the Shanghai Cobra. You have to like B&W movies, they really give you a special feeling with the lighting techniques and Sidney Toler is the best Charlie Chan
If you love Charlie Chan, this is a good one, lots of characters, good plot, and clever ending.

This Charlie Chan entry was more mystery-oriented than most of the Monogram Pictures versions, which tended to rely more on humor. The earlier Warner Oland-Chan films were like this one with the emphasis more on serious issues. I liked both Oland and Sidney Toler in the role of Charlie Chan, so I have no complaints either way.

As usual, it's Charlie's assistants: "Birmingham Brown" (Mantan Moreland) and "Number Three Son Tommy" (Benson Fong) who need to be rescued. They also try to help but usually wind up in trouble. Charlie has to solve the murder and help his buddies. It's a good thing because "Tommy" and "Brimingham" are the ones who add spice to this story, which was flat until the halfway mark.

This is kind of strange story and nothing was stranger than this jukebox that was rigged as a camera, with somebody behind it. It's hard to describe but it very cool, and something - technology-wise, that seemed to be way ahead of its time.

In a nutshell, Charlie is called to Washington to help a Fed with a baffling case. Charlie owed him a favor so he is cashing in. It seems three people have been killed with cobra venom and the prime suspect is a guy that got caught in Shanghai eight years ago but now is not recognized. Only Charlie would know who the guys is, hence, they need him.

Anyway, the story is slow in the first half hour and could use some punching up, but once Charlie's kid and "Birmingham Brown" go down to the sewers to investigate, the film is fun.

I have the most of the Charlie Chan movies in my collection. This was a bit weak in content. Not the usual good stuff I have come to expect!