Consumate character performer Ross Martin was clearly always up for a challenge from a thought provoking script and a wonderful part. Forget The Wild Wild West, I remember him as the towering self-obsessed murderer in Columbo! Equally capable of emotive nuance, though, as in his two memorable Twilight Zone appearances. On occasion however it all just seemed to go wrong! The Return of Charlie Chan is one such occasion. Try as he might, Martin's overwhelming on-screen personality simply cannot fit that of the Earl Derr Biggers subtle crime solving genius. To make matters worse, we have Gene Kearney's script that is about as interesting as a leftover fortune cookie. Add to this the woeful dialogue ... some of which seems to never end! And finally pasty faced Leslie Nielsen no less as a Greek shipping tycoon! At one point we even see him try to convince us he is Zorba himself during a Syrtaki Dance! Enough to make Nikos Kazantzakis whince ... where the heck was Telly Savalas for this part? Or even Nana Mouskouri for pity's sake!
The Return of Charlie Chan will unfortunatly make you long to see John Wayne's turn as Gengis Khan. Since it has been bungled in just about every constipated department. The final explanation of the killer for instance will evoke painful memories of Ted Rodgers on 321. 'AYE'?
By the way it is an error to say this TV movie was made in 1971 and finally released in 1979 ... this was simply how long it took Universal execs to sit through the film!
