Customer Reviews

Charlie Chan: At the Wax Museum [VHS]

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Charlie Chan films are frequently accused of pandering to racial stereotypes. There is a certain truth to this, but Charlie Chan and company were neither more nor less stereotypical than such other popular series as the "Blondie" or "Dr. Kildare" series, and--while we may occasionally roll our eyes at a few 1930s sensibilities--its stereotypes are never mean-spirited and Charlie (along with his various sons) is always presented in a positive light.

This particular Chan episode is one of the best of the Sidney Toler vehicles, and unlike most other Chan films actually generates considerable atmosphere with its tale of a killer run wild in a mysterious wax museum, where all is not as it seems. Victor Sen Yung plays "number two son" Jimmy Chan very broadly, and the film is rounded out with a very able and entertaining cast. As with most Chan films, everything is "over the top," but WAX MUSEUM never goes so far over the top that it becomes pure camp; it remains an unpretentious, simple little movie that is quite a lot of fun to watch, and both fans of the series as well as newcomers will enjoy it quite a bit.

This is an amalgam of several mystery/horror themes, and that is exactly why it is good. There are the chills of the wax museum setting, the whodunit aspect, the revenge plot of the gangster, some locked-in-an-old-dark-house elements, plus the comedy of #2 Chan (Toler) and his pithy interaction with #2 son. The labyrinthine mystery is eventually solved in fairly conventional fashion, but the movie is a lot of fun.

Another pre-WWII film by 20th Century-Fox. Charlie is giving a weekly Crime League radio broadcast at the museum when an escaped convict seeks revenge on him for helping to put him in prison. One of Charlie's panelists is mistakenly killed by a poison dart intended for the great detective.

Sidney Toler plays Chan while Sen Yung is again cast in the role of Jimmy Chan. The screenplay is by John Larkin and the movie's director is Lynn Shores.

CHARLIE CHAN AT THE WAX MUSEUM is one of the best entries in the series.

This terrific entry in the Charlie Chan series stars Sidney Toler as the intrepid sleuth from Honolulu. One of the most atmospheric of the original entries, this one is centered around a live radio broadcast from the Museum of Crime, where notorious criminals have been immortalized in wax. Chan's second son, Jimmy (Sen Yung), is on hand to "help" pop solve an old crime and avoid becoming a victim himself.

Young Jimmy accepts the challenge for his pop to appear on the Crime League's weekly broadcast to clear the name of Joe Rocke, a man Chan has long believed was unfairly executed for a crime he did not commit. Our favorite Oriental detective will be pitted against the scientific detective who proved Rocke was guilty. It is Chan's suspicion that the wax museum and his invitation are tied to the recent escape of a man he helped convict of murder, however, which prompts him to accept. Chan arrives for the live broadcast on a rainy night, Jimmy close behind despite his pop's admonition not to cut class, and the creepy fun begins.

A botched attempt to electrocute Charlie, and the murder of his scientific rival by poison blow dart, not to mention a wax Charlie Chan, all add up to mystery fun for Charlie Chan fans. The Chan entries always had a good cast and this one is no exception. Marguerite Chapman as the young radio reporter hoping this night will be a great story and Joan Valerie as the pretty but slightly shady, Lily, assistant to the very shady director of the museum, stand out. A good screenplay from John Larkin and some tight direction from Lynn Shores give this one some zip.

The real treat, as always, is watching Chan solve the case while trying to keep his young and excitable son from ruining everything. Chan fans will like this one a lot. It's a real kick in the pants!

For some of us, Sidney Toler was the ultimate Charlie Chan, and THE WAX MUSEUM (if you were to buy only one) the quintessential Charlie Chan movie.

Shot in black and white almost entirely "at night," Wax Museum is simply a cinematic masterpiece. This is how a b&w mystery thriller should be shot. Being able to go to school on the lighting effects alone is worth the price of the tape. It is a classic study of light and shadow.

In addition, the cast is wonderful, superbly balanced, and the story thoroughly engaging. Along with JADE MASK, a Must Have.

See my review of Charlie Chan: Murder over New York which I thought was a great film because it was so funny while telling us a tale of a murder investigation. In this film, Chan is investigating two murders. While it is good, it is not as good as the New York film. Number 2 son continues to fumble, make mistakes, cause more difficulties for his father to solve the crimes, and he is funny, but he is not as funny as in the NY film. Similarly, Chan continues to make somewhat silly wise Confucius-like statements, but not as many or as clever or funny as in NY. Despite this, the film is worth watching because it is still funny and the criminal case is interesting.

Chan agrees to participate with a German investigator in a radio broadcast in a wax museum. The German "proved" that a certain man committed a murder, but Chan is convinced that he is wrong. Other people are in the building, including an escaped murderer who vowed to kill Chan and the real killer that the German failed to identify as the murderer. This man has had plastic surgery that totally disguised his features.

1940's "Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum" was one of the very best of the many movies featuring the iconic detective from the Honolulu Police Department. Sidney Toler does the honors as Charlie Chan, ably assisted by Victor Chen Yeung as Number Two Son.

The premise is a closed house murder mystery inside a Wax Museum of Crime, where a local radio station hosts a debate over a controversial murder case. Charlie Chan, who believes the man convicted of the crime was innocent, will debate the scientist on whose circumstancial evidence the man was convicted.

The radio show, held at night during a rain storm, draws lots of visitors, both invited and uninvited. The museum director, Dr. Cream, is secretly a plastic surgeon for the mob who fears exposure. One of his most recent patients, the escaped killer Steve McBirney, is hanging around, hoping for a shot at Chan. A local radio station personality becomes unduly upset when the show is disrupted by the murder of one of the participants. A demented night watchman contributes to the confusion.

This atmospheric episode has its share of laughs from Number Two Son's pratfalls, and Charlie's laconic wisdom, but also generates some real suspense as the killer or killers pick off participants in the radio show. Charlie Chan and Number Two Son will have to think quickly to stay alive and reveal the identity of the real killer in a tense conclusion.

This outstanding Charlie Chan episode is very highy recommended to fans of the series.

In a courtroom a convicted killer is sentenced to death. He tells Charlie Chan he won't forget him. As he is being led away he grabbed a guard's pistol and made an escape. Steve McBirney knows a place where he can lay low. Dr. Cream invites Chan and scientific expert Von Braun to a radio show to discuss a famous conviction. Chan knows of Dr. Cream's links to criminals and suspects something. The radio show will be broadcast from the Wax Museum, where many famous murderers are shown in effigy. Was the executed Joe Rock really innocent? Suspense comes from knowing what is really going on there. But there is a surprise, and an unexpected death.

Now Chan has to figure out who committed this murder. The people are in danger from an unknown murderer! They are all kept in one room. Things happen. Then Chan deduces who the unknown killer is, a surprise ending. Chan explains why he began to suspect this person.

This film is not as good as some earlier films because of its lower quality story and production values. But a branded character series will create a demand for such stories.

This is another Sydney Toler film with his number two son Jimmy playing the comedy relief. This story was not as good as the others in this series.

The number of suspects and the fake radio show was not really that well done.
A criminal at a jury gets convicted to the death penalty and steals a gun and shoots his way out of court. He makes his way to a crooked face doctor who has a front as a wax museum curator.

The confusion comes when you have pretty much every character acting suspiciously.

And the end was not all that interesting except for people mistaking wax dummies for real people or real people posing as wax exhibits.

Overall, not a bad entry into the Charlie Chan series.

After first seeing Warner Oland play Charlie Chan in a half-dozen or more pictures, this was my first look at Sidney Toler playing the famous detective. At first I thought he was a distant second to Oland but I have grown to like his version almost as much.

Sen Yung was almost as good as Keye Luke, too, as one of Chan's sons and helpers. Yung plays son "Jimmy" and adds a lot of humor to the movie.

What was really fun about this movie were all the varied characters. There were all kinds of suspects at the wax museum and many pretending to be statutes. The film was humorous and fascinating. Toler's films tended to have more humor in them. I enjoyed ogling Marguerite Chapman in this film.

This is now out on DVD as part of the Charlie Chan Volume 5 set of four films.