Watch Charlie Chan in Honolulu For Free

Very well executed

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Charlie Chan in Honolulu marked Sidney Toler's debut in the series. Confronting the late Warner Oland on what was his own turf, Toler proved a more than able substitute. True, he was a surrounded by a first-rate support cast, including Phyllis Brooks as the lovely lady in distress, George Zucco and Marc Lawrence as red herrings and, above all, rubber-faced Eddie Collins as the bravest comedian in the business. The plot, containing an intriguing puzzle by Charles Belden, was skilfully directed by Lucky Humberstone and atmospherically photographed by Charles Clarke.This movie debuted at New York's Central on December 31, 1938. The Fox DVD rates a perfect ten out of ten.

In this Charlie Chan movie there is a murder on board a freighter that is carrying six passengers. One of them has $300,000 in cash that she is suppose to deliver to one of her bosses clients. The money gets swiped and is hidden in a lifeboat where another passenger discovers it. The guy who finds it is a crook on his way back to Frisco with a detective. This detective is actually his accomplice. Charlie has that figured out and both will go to jail at the end of the voyage. Chan's number two son goes on board before Charlie gets there and tries to solve the case. He doesn't of course but it is a funny enough scenario. When things finally settle it turns out that the ship's captain is the guilty party. He was trying to get a huge windfall through murder and theft. If you are old enough to remember "Death Valley Days" the captain is played by the narrator of that show. Sydney Toler is Chan for this movie but there were actually two who played the role. Each brought different aspects to the role. Both were white guys and both spoke pigeon English. In today's climate of political correctness that would never fly.

*Spoiler/plot- Charlie Chan in Honolulu, 1938. Honolulu Police Lieutenant Charlie Chan is aphorism-spouting oriental sleuth, while his son debut as Charlie's Number Two Son, Jimmy. While awaiting the birth of his first grandchild, Chan endeavors to solve a shipboard murder involving $300,000.000 on a Hawaiian freighter.*Special Stars- Sidney Toler, Victor Sen Yung, George Zucco, Eddie Collins, Phyllis Brooks, Marc Lawrence, Richard Lane, James P Spencer.*Theme- A good detective always uses all his senses to defeat crime.*Trivia/location/goofs- Sidney Toler made his first appearance as aphorism-spouting oriental sleuth Charlie Chan in 1938's Charlie Chan in Honolulu, while Victor Sen Yung likewise makes his series debut as Charlie's Number Two son, Jimmy.*Emotion- This was an enjoyable film because we learn and see the family life of the famous Charlie Chan. His large family is mentioned in all seceding film of this series. The family matters make the character as lovable and interesting to the film's fans. The best of the film's for it's humanity.

This was the first Chan film in which Sidney Toler took over the main role from Warner Oland, and he is immediately masterful and acceptable in the part of the Asian detective. I didn't expect to enjoy Toler, not only since I am an Oland fan, but because my first exposure to him was through seeing one of his later mediocre Monogram Chan quickies from the '40s. But this debut has Toler in fine and confident form.The film begins with a humorous dinner at the Chan home, with Charlie's wife and 10+ children. We quickly establish who the detective is and where he comes from, and then we see that his enthusiastic #2 son Jimmy (well played by Victor Sen Yung) is as excited about being a detective as his older #1 brother Lee had been in the Oland series. When a call arrives for Chan to investigate a murder aboard a small freighter, son Jimmy intercepts and decides to impersonate his dad to get some quality sleuthing in. Some fun happenings ensue before Charlie Chan himself gets wind of it and ultimately joins Jimmy on board to handle the case.This is an all-around entertaining chapter in the series, with assistance too from George Zucco, as one of the mysterious suspects aboard the ship who collects criminal brains. There are some annoying bits by one of those typical "silly 1930s funnymen" used for comic relief in the mix, but what makes it all work is how effortlessly Sidney Toler and Sen Yung slip into their roles formerly undertaken by Warner Oland and Keye Luke, as the new father and son. *** out of ****