Watch Charlie Chan in The Jade Mask For Free

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It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Review The Jade Mask, Released 1-26-45 This Charlie Chan movie was cleverly tied together at the conclusion through some surprise character identities, with multiple murders occurring throughout the running of the show. Quite a few of unexpected and unpredicted events happening while Charlie solves the case. The actors play their parts well, no exceptions, despite a rather quirky plot. The story is concentrated in a mansion, with secret rooms included. Other than the Coroner's office, the cast is moving about the house, from mostly the inside, on usually two house levels. The red herrings are not completely conspicuous, with surprises at the close. The name of the movie references the finding of an ear from a white-jade-life-mask belonging to the scientist-owner's assistant. It is revealed the person disguised as the assistant is the killer, the ear is not the murderer's, but belonging to the victim. It is further made clear the accomplice was the killer's wife. There is less contrived humor from Chan's assistants throughout the movie, making for at least a cohesive story leading to the reveal of the guilty parties. There is the dialogue from the local Sherriff that grows thin after many attempts at humor. I hate the corn-pone clichés iterated by this character. It is not evident Sidney Toler is suffering from the cancer that would end his life in early 1947; he appears to move about the stage with no obvious problem; he delivers his lines professionally, as usual. The premise is the murder of the man making known substances, such as wood, having the strength of metal. That same man is the first victim, who cannot be immediately located, and his formulas are hidden away. Government agent, Charlie Chan, is called upon to solve the crime, locate and protect the formula from falling into enemy hands. With the film made in 1944, the war continues, Chan is stateside, now employed by Uncle Sam, allegedly near D.C. As Charlie begins his investigation, more people are fatally stricken in similar fashion, i.e. a dart is shot into the victims, likely from close range. When the red herrings are killed, too, it really becomes a mystery just who murdered whom. The home owner-scientist, his assistant, the butler, the chauffer and a local policeman are each eliminated throughout the movie. It was the butler's death, which put the finger on one of three women and the ultimate killer. Recommendations are to go forth watching how the plot thickens as each individual is struck down, and a clue is left after each victim's demise.

A gated estate on a foggy night....A mysterious figure creeps up to the door and rings the bell....A shot rings out! –This dramatic opening sets the mood for a decent Charlie Chan mystery involving a secret formula and murder in an old dark house. Sidney Toler is assisted this time around by Mantan Moreland, settling into the role of chauffeur Birmingham Brown, and Edwin Luke, who plays number four son Eddie and gets to spout some typically silly Chan-offspring dialog like "Ah, this looks like an excellent place for murder." Luke's performance is just fine but the most interesting thing about watching Edwin Luke is probably comparing him with his older brother Keye. The plot is hardly important but involves a nasty old scientist who has developed a secret formula that turns wood hard as metal. This curmudgeonly old inventor is roundly hated by one and all and so his disappearance is mainly worrisome because nobody knows where he hid his valuable formula. Was he murdered? Who was that fake policeman sneaking into the house? It gets kind of complicated….or maybe it just doesn't make a lot of sense. The movie's title refers to some life masks of people in the house— or rather the broken off ear of one mask that becomes a key clue. While slower-moving than the best Monogram Chans, this one is perfectly easy to watch. The comic relief is better than the actual mystery...in other words, thank goodness for Mantan Moreland!

Eccentric and rich scientist Frank Reicher is working on a poison gas formula and he's got the usual collection of servants, relatives, and colleagues in his mansion. That mansion also contains a room where Reicher does his work, keeps his secrets, and can only be opened or closed with a voice command. Should someone not authorized get in, good chance they'll trip a trap that will lock them in and kill them with poison gas.Despite all this security Reicher winds up murdered and in a most exotic way. Before this Charlie Chan film is concluded four more victims will die. And they'll die in the same exotic way most of them. The method I won't reveal because it's way too good.Sidney Toler plays the all wise Charlie Chan in this and despite help from number 4 son Edward Luke and Mantan Moreland, Toler solves the case. As for the title, where Jade comes in I don't know, but life masks are an integral part of the case allowing the murderer to whatever evil is planned.For a Monogram Picture,The Jade Mask wasn't too bad and Charlie is at the top of his game.

While this Chan is worth watching for fans of the series, it doesn't quite hold up to the standard earlier episodes set. Charlie is quite grumpy to his son, - to the point of meanness - son #4 Edward, while a distinct character from his siblings, is also a stiff as an actor, and Birmingham Brown's role never takes off. The local policeman Charlie works with cracks homespun expressions that only stop the movie in its tracks. The mystery plays out OK, but the reveal is tough to take.Any Chan is better than no Chan at all, but this one needed more time to shoot and better direction. P.S. Notice I wrote the entire review without mentioning the term 'Poverty Row.' Many reviewers of the Monogram series seem incapable of writing a paragraph about these films without letting you know that they know about Poverty Row. Well la-di-da!