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So much average

Simply A Masterpiece

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Roland Winters (Charlie Chan), Mantan Moreland (Birmingham Brown, Chan's chauffeur), Deannie Best (Phyllis), John Alvin (Vic Armstrong), Victor Sen Young (Tommy Chan), Tim Ryan (Lieutenant Ruark), Pierre Watkin (Judge Armstrong), Russell Hicks (District Attorney Bronson), Philip Van Zandt (Tony Pindello), George Eldredge (Finley), Willie Best (Willie), Tristam Coffin (Ed Seward), Milton Parsons (Grail the undertaker), Edward Coke (Cartwright), Olaf Hytten (Bates the butler), Erville Alderson (Walter Somervale), Charlie Sullivan (Officer Murphy), Paul Scardon (custodian), William Ruhl (jailer), Lois Austin (landlady), Chabing (Miss Lee), John Shay (Stacey).Directed by WILLIAM BEAUDINE. Screenplay by W. Scott Darling and Sam Newman. Additional dialogue by Tim Ryan. Based on the character created by Earl Derr Biggers. Photographed by William Sickner. Production supervisor: Glenn Cook. Edited by Ace Herman. Supervising film editor: Otho Lovering. Musical director: Edward J. Kay. Art director: David Milton. Assistant director: Wesley Barry. Recorded by Frank McWhorter. Produced by James S. Burkett.Copyright 11 July 1948 by Monogram Pictures Corp. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 11 July 1948. U.K. release through Associated British-Pathé: July 1949 (sic). Theatrically released in Australia by British Empire Films. 7 reels. 5,884 feet. 65 minutes. Sydney opening as a support to Smart Woman at the Victory: 16 July 1949. . SYNOPSIS: A masked intruder fatally knives Judge Armstrong in his study, just before his nephew Vic arrives. Vic is knocked unconscious by the hidden murderer, who escapes. When Vic recuperates he finds his uncle's body, and is accused by Police Lieutenant Ruark. Ruark calls in Chan on the case, and Vic is released for insufficient evidence, though his girl Phyllis admits he had a quarrel with his uncle, who planned to have Attorney Lewis cut Vic out of his will. Fingerprints of Tony Pindello, supposedly executed six months prior at San Quentin, are found on the murder weapon. New evidence in the hands of the late judge, who presided at the trial, and district attorney Bronson indicates Pindello's innocence, but Bronson is killed by the same criminal, leaving Pindello's fingerprints. Cartwright, a Pindello juror, is also a victim of the killer. A masked man rifles the judge's safe for papers on the case and locks up Chan, Phyllis, Ruark and Lewis. Chan, his chauffeur Birmingham, and son Tommy discover Pindello's body missing from his grave.NOTES: Number 44 of the series.COMMENT: Average Chan mystery for the fans, slickly directed, with a good cast (including Milton Parsons in his customary role) and more gloss than is generally to be found in Monogram productions. The story also provides a rare opportunity to see the lovely Deannie Best, but what it has to do with a chest — any chest, Shanghai or otherwise, beats me!Some great performances highlight this otherwise mediocre entry in the series: Deannie Best (in her final — and only credited — movie appearance), Tris Coffin, John Alvin, Milton Parsons and Olaf Hytten. A great line-up, but, despite the promise of a plot variation on Agatha Christie's The A.B.C. Murders, too much footage is taken up with low comedy from the Mantan Moreland plus Victor Sen Yung team, and similar marking-time padding.

Compared to some other Monogram-produced Charlie Chan films I've watched, "The Shanghai Chest" is a cut above. The extremely prolific, and also series regular, director William "One Shot" Beaudine shoots this one with what could, at certain moments, if one squints hard enough, even be described as sort of a "style": flashbacks, tilted camera angles, montages. The plot is also fairly intriguing (although Chan once again pulls the guilty party like a rabbit out of his hat, with absolutely no evidence supporting his theory). The low budget is tolerably camouflaged. Even the comedy is funnier than usual, like for example in a short exchange between Mantan Moreland and an uncredited Willie Best. My favorite Chan line: "Statement has earmarks of extreme truthfulness"! ** out of 4.

Charlie Chan (Roland Winters) must prove the innocence of a deeply stupid man (John Alvin) who puts his fingerprints all over a murder weapon. Contrived mess of a mystery with particularly weak writing, even for Monogram. Winters is terrible as Chan. I can't stress that enough. Mantan Moreland and Victor Sen Yung are back playing buffoonish comic relief sidekicks Birmingham and Tommy. There's nothing to recommend about this one. If you're a Charlie Chan completist, I suppose you should at least try it. If you're new to Charlie Chan films, please don't let this or any of the Roland Winters movies be your first. As a matter of fact, avoid all of the Monogram movies until you've seen the far superior Fox movies first.

With the franchise slowly coming to an end, SHANGHAI CHEST actually has what it takes to make more than a few Chan fans happy. There seems to be more humorous moments thanks to #2 son Tommy(Victor Sen Young)and manservant/chauffeur Brimingham(Mantan Moreland); even Roland Winters as the fabled detective seems more relaxed...but to no avail for there is only to be one more movie in the mystery series. Vic Armstrong(John Alvin)argues with his Uncle the Judge Wes Armstrong(Pierce Watkins)over a plea for money. Vic has wasted away a $30,000 inheritance and is upset his uncle won't loan him money. The Judge actually wants to take his nephew out of his will. As Vic goes to confront his elder, he walks into a darkened room to answer a ringing telephone; he is then knocked out while his uncle lays on the floor with a knife in his back. Secretary Phyllis(Deannie Best)hears the scuffle on the phone and summons the police. When the lights come on there of course stands Vic with the bloody knife in his hand. Oh gee, someone save this man about to be wronged. Hire famous detective Charlie Chan to find the real killer. Other players: Tim Ryan, Russell Hicks, Philip Van Zant and Olaf Hytten.