User reviews

This has always been one of my favourite Warner Oland Chan's, made even more suitably murky and mysterious by the passage of time and the way it's been handled since it was made.

Charlie's in Egypt to track down the person responsible for leaking valuable ancient artifacts into European collections, finding murder as well. With some fantastic atmospheric sets as backdrop and a great cast he and the ever dependable Thomas Beck act as a team to get to the bottom of the mystery and nab the culprit. Every other post has highlighted the main problem with it: Stepin Fetchit. It's a shame they put him in but it's not a problem to me as I don't watch it for him shuffling and mumbling along but for the main story unfolding around the rest of the cast. His major scenes could easily be cut out or altered to save everyone's black and white blushes today - but where would you stop? Airbrush cigarettes, smoke and alcohol, cgi over carbon non-neutral cars or low efficiency lightbulbs, even change Oland to a white Swede and superimpose a black superhero in goodie Beck's place to engage a more proactive and socially inclusive demographic, erase mention of Egypt to try to disguise the colonial connotations etc? And of course if we went that far also add plenty of mindless graphic sex and violence because that's OK in todays crazy world; the Nazis would have simply burned all the prints of this and everything considered similar and revised the history books.

With all its faults I'm grateful for what we've got – some of the early Chan's are lost forever – at the very least for an insight into the human mental condition as it existed in Hollywood in 1935 but more for as it exists around the world today. If you really don't like it you could campaign for its destruction, but if you like watching pre WW2 b&w middle brow detective movies containing innumerable dead people like this like me watch it without angst as a good film.

Warner Oland works on behalf of French Archaeological Society concerning Egyptian antiquities being sold to private collectors and rival museums. Before the case is solved, Chan will uncover and solve a murder and avoid being done in. Mystery is pretty straight forward with fewer misleading clues than most of this series. "Theory like mist on eyeglasses -- obscures facts." Chan still (as usual) does not reveal all until the end although this time with the paucity of suspects it is more likely that you can guess the guilty party. Story relies more on travelog-type shots, similarity to real-life and contemporary film mysteries about mummies and tombs, and basic lectures on how X-rays work and archaeology to keep interest. It works. Pat Paterson (Charles Boyer's real life wife) does a credible job as the damsel in distress and under the influence of cannabis. Stepin Fetchit's role as a bug-eyed dim-witted servant will upset modern viewers and probably served as comic relief to contemporary audiences. Although an unrecognizable Rita Cansino (Rita Hayworth's real last name) is given a credit at the beginning of the film, she hardly has any lines. Not as good as Charlie Chan in London or Paris, but one that dedicated fans will not want to miss. Recommended.

Charlie Chan comes to Egypt to investigate why certain items found in an archaelogical dig have turned up at rival museums rather than the French museum to which they were promised. It turns out that, while first denying any knowledge, one member of the team does admit selling some smaller items in the collection because funds were needed to continue the operation because the chief archaeologist, Dr. Arnold, out in the field and on a dig, had been unresponsive to any communication and because his spending had been out of control.

But then in a completely unrelated matter Charlie notices that a sarcophagus of one of the Egyptian kings looks like it has been recently tampered with. It is decided that x-rays will be used to look in the sarcophagus, and the image shows a bullet wound in a body that supposedly died three thousand years ago. The coffin is opened and the body of Dr. Arnold is found inside. And so the investigation begins.

I found this Charlie Chan entry from the series rather claustrophobic and slow moving in the middle, although it did have a fascinating dynamite ending. There are only a few suspects from which to choose, and on top of that Dr. Arnold's two grown children are such whiners. Plus the absence of Keye Luke as "number one son" is noticeable and the presence of Stepin Fetchit was grating. On the other hand, Paul Porcasi as an Egyptian version of Inspector Clouseau was a standout.

The end is fascinating though, because Charlie shows his knowledge of forensics and that he does know his way around a crime lab. Mildly recommended, mainly for Oland as Chan.

Charlie Chan in Egypt isn't my favorite Charlie Chan. For some reason, I'm more used to Sidney Toler in the role, I love Mantan Moreland, and it's always fun when one of Charlie's sons is on the scene.

What this 1935 film does have is an interesting story, footage of Egypt, which even in black and white is pretty impressive, and an appearance by a heavier, brunette, pre-electrolysis Rita Hayworth (using her original name Rita Cansino here). Pat Paterson (Mrs. Charles Boyer) is the lead woman.

Chan is in Egypt on behalf of a French museum to investigate tomb treasures that were to go to the museum but instead are in other European museums. He meets Carol Arnold (Patterson) whose father, on the dig, hasn't been heard from in some time. There's a good reason for that. He's mummified in a sarcophagus that's supposed to hold an ancient priest.

Well, there's another murder and an attempted murder as Charlie attempts to figure out who killed Professor Arnold and why.

Warner Oland is fine as Charlie, though some other performances are a little over the top/melodramatic. Mainly, James Eagles, as Professor Arnold's physically challenged son, sticks out with an absolutely maniacal performance.

I won't bother to go into the controversial Stepin Fetchit's presence in this film. His life story is an interesting one, however, and worth a look. The character he developed, which made him a millionaire, is cringe-worthy by today's standards.

All in all, an okay film.

Warner Oland does it again with a great performance as Chan. This one also has a great setting and creepy atmosphere. It is set at a newly excavated Egyptian tomb with all the trappings. There are some genuinely scary sequences creeping around the tomb at night. A young Rita Hayworth (billed as Rita Cansino) has a small part. The only drawback for me is the stereotyped portrayal by Stephin Fechit. He is hard to understand and very annoying at times. The performances by Mantan Moreland and Willie Best in the much later Monogram Chans serve the same niche as Fechit's "Snowshoes" character, but come off much better and are funny in the same way Lou Costello or Curly Howard are funny. But this does not harm the picture. Another one to see over and over again just for the atmosphere if nothing else.

"Waiting for tomorrow, waste of today!" and other Chan aphorisms account for just a small portion of the delightful entertainment afforded by this eleventh offering in the 47-picture series. But for one distressing lapse, it might even rank as the best. That lapse is Mr Stepin Fetchit, about whom the less said, the better. Fortunately, his role is small, although, alas, it's considerably larger than that enjoyed by the lovely Rita Hayworth who seems to have spent most of her Fox sojourn posing for charming stills. Her role in the actual movie is inconsequential although she does manage to exchange a few lines with Warner Oland. Otherwise, all she does is to hover in the background of a few scenes.

Oland, of course, is in top form, but so are the other players, and even more importantly the Robert Ellis-Helen Logan script comes across as a real winner. Although the identity of the killer will fail to stump many viewers, the puzzle is admirably contrived and the plot worked out with commendable pace, precision and power.

This is no "B" picture. The sets are stunning. Daniel Clark's noirishly atmospheric photography also deserves special mention and even the normally humdrum director, Louis King (brother of Henry King) has risen to the occasion.

I did not like this one on the first viewing, but I had a very bad tape which didn't help. With the DVD (part of recent Chan Collection that came out in 2006) I enjoyed this more, thanks, in part to have the option of English subtitles.

I still think this is a slightly sub-par Warner Oland-edition Charlie Chan, but only because I think so highly of the other films. It did have some excellent suspense and strange characters and is known because of the appearance of young Rita Cansino who would go on to star status as Rita Hayworth.

THE BAD - None of Charlie's kids are here to help him out, and that's a loss. Instead, for humor, we have Stepin Fetchit with his mumbling drawl and unfunny character (unlike Mantan Moreland in later Chans, even though both are horrible black stereotypes of the day.) Worse than the above, we have a shrill, hysterical female lead character , "Carol Arnold" (Pat Paterson) who got on my nerves, big-time! That's almost another stereotype of the period: women who fall apart easily and act like overemotional cripples. After a few of these outbursts, I just hit the mute button when she went into her act. She had a brother in here who was almost as bad except he had far fewer lines. Also in here was the typical thing you saw more of in the '30s than in modern films: stories that dealt with the occult and a lot of superstitions.

THE GOOD - The action was pretty good and this story gave us more of the weird suspects than what is normally provided. Not only weird people but strange scenes. Combine those with the usual Chan witticism's, profound statements and uncommon courtesy he gives everyone, and it's an entertaining film. I would never have recognized Hayworth if I hadn't been informed it was her. She played a dark-haired Egyptian woman. If you froze some frames and looked carefully enough, you could be convinced it was her, but it wasn't easy. She certainly wasn't the incredible beauty she would be in the next decade.

Despite the ridiculous presence of Stepin Fetchit, who really contributes nothing but the most egregious of stereotyping, this is a pretty good mystery. Oh, he is quite successful at mumbling incomprehensibly and bringing a flashlight when one is needed. He lives in perpetual fear. Anyway, something is going on with Egyptian treasures that British imperialists are stealing from Egypt to take back to museums. During a discovery, an archaeologist drops dead. This leads to infighting among groups who obviously have made a major discovery and would like it for there own. Charlie Chan has come on the scene and has no idea at the outset that there is so much going on. There is a romantic angle with the young male lead getting in over his head. One interesting thing is the appearance of the beautiful young Rita Hayworth who does little more that look attractive. What is interesting to me is that there is a point where they start to blame Charlie for all the ills they are facing. He takes this in stride because, after all, he is a lesser being in the pecking order. The method of murder and the wrapping up of the case is quite satisfying.

Charlie Chan in Egypt (1935)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

An archaeologist makes a major discovery when he finds a mummy's tomb but he hasn't much time to celebrate his finding because he's shortly after found dead. The locals believe that it's the curse of opening up the tomb but Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) believes something human was behind the murder.

CHARLIE CHAN IN Egypt is without question the highlight of the series as it contains the perfect mix of mystery and some pretty dark horror elements. It's funny to think that the mummy only appears in a couple scenes here yet you could make a strong argument that this here was much better than Universal's 1932 film as well as any of its sequels that would follow. Of course, this isn't a mummy movie per say because it's a mystery but there's no doubt that the horror elements here are used to perfection and in the end we're left with a very good and highly entertaining gem.

I think the strongest thing going for the film is its atmosphere created by director Louis King. The director had specialized in "B" and "C" movies throughout the silent era but this here was clearly the job of someone with talent who could show it when given the right material. The screenplay itself contains a very good story, some memorable characters and there's no question that it leaves you guessing as to who is doing the killings all the way to the end. Take the screenplay and mix it in with the atmosphere and you've got something quite special. Just take a look at how dark the entire movie is and how the director makes perfect use of the trapped doors and those glowing eyes from the mummy's tomb.

Another major plus are the performances with Oland once again delivering a great one in the role of Chan. By this time he obviously had the role down perfectly but it's worth praising him for not just sleep-walking through the film or phoning in the performance. Pat Paterson, Thomas Beck and James Eagles are all extremely good as well. A young Rita Hayworth adds some sexiness to the picture and Stepin Fetchit is here with his typical scared cat role.

CHARLIE CHAN IN Egypt is one of the better mysteries from the decade but you can also strongly argue that it contains some of the best horror elements as well. It's funny to think that Fox really wasn't all that impressive when it came to their horror films from this decade yet, in a mystery of all things, they deliver something this good.

Not a good entry in the Charlie Chan, Warner Oland entries. I always liked it when Keye Luke is in the movie. He adds genuine humor being No. 1 son Lee. He is a great comic foil for his father, but he's a good detective too, slower then his pop however. Stephin Fetchit is an awful black stereotype that is not funny. His comic moments take away from the film. The plot is not hard to follow, but it's development and pace are slow beyond belief. As usual Warner Orland is the highlight of the film as Charlie Chan. But it almost seemed that Chan was bored with this mystery, and I was too. I've watched most of the Charlie Chan movies with Warner Oland, and this is the worst of them. Uninteresting characters, lame plot, unfunny, in overall it's boring. Avoid this one in the series, you aren't missing anything.

Charlie Chan in Egypt was the eighth installment in the popular "Charlie Chan" mystery series that ran throughout the 30's and 40's. Over the years, the series featured several future stars in bit parts and supporting roles, including Cesar Romero and Ray Milland. This one featured a 16-year old Rita as Nayda, a servant of the Arnold household.

When detective Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) arrives in Egypt to investigate the whereabouts of artifacts taken from the ancient tomb of Amete, he meets Carol Arnold (Pat Paterson). The daughter of an archaeologist, Professor Arnold (George Irving), she is distressed because her father appears to have disappeared on an expedition. Later, her worst fears are realized when Arnold's body is found hidden in a mummy case, with a bullet in his chest. Now it's up to Charlie Chan to unravel the mystery surrounding the murder. With help from Carol's archaeologist friend Tom Evans (Thomas Beck), Chan begins his investigation and finds that Professor Arnold was killed because he'd discovered the secret treasure of Amete's tomb. Chan finds there's even more than meets the eye to this case when Carol's brother, Barry (James Eagles) mysteriously dies.

When Tom also discovers the treasure, an attempt is made on his life. He is shot. Upon further investigation of Barry's death, Chan realizes he was murdered because he had knowledge of Amete's treasure as well. Finally, the murderer is caught in the act while trying to see to it that Tom doesn't recover from his bullet wound. Tom is the only person that can identify the killer, having seen him before the shot was fired. The murderer is immediately apprehended. Tom soon recovers and the mystery is solved, thanks to Charlie Chan.

Charlie Chan in Egypt is considered to be one of the best of the "Charlie Chan" series. In this her third film, sixteen-year old Rita is made to look older than her years. She wears one costume throughout the film and though her make-up is very thick, she looks quite lovely. She has a few lines which include brief dialog between she and the star of the film, Warner Oland. She also has a few close-ups, such as a scene where she watches Chan investigate Barry Arnold's death *** Lo'ay

This was one of the best of the early Warner Oland Chan films for me, though I'm partial to it because I love old horror movies and "Charlie Chan in Egypt" felt very much like an old mummy picture. In this one, the great detective travels to the historical pyramids to unravel the mystery behind a missing archaeologist and the treasure he unearthed from an ancient mummy's tomb. Very atmospheric and dark, with many strange events on display to perk up the interest.

It must be mentioned that the black "comical" actor Stepin Fetchit appears in this film, and back in the day he used to make a career of undermining black people. It's easy to see why some African American viewers might find his character offensive here. Even if you feel that there's a tendency for some modern-day viewers to over-react to political incorrectness in some films of those old days, it's hard not to take notice here and wince. Stepin plays a muttering servant called "Snowshoes" whose speech is difficult to understand and who is portrayed as utterly lazy, fearful and ignorant. His boss - who's the young hero of the film and whose side we're supposed to be on - constantly berates him and scolds him ("do as you're told!") and physically shoves him around.

Of the dozens of Charlie Chan films, this stands as one of the best--even though it sadly co-stars the biggest walking negative stereotype in movie history, Stepin Fetchit. Once again, Fetchit plays a rather sub-human part but at least he's a little less degrading than usual and the rest of the film is exceptional.

This film is very much like a combination of a Chan film and a mummy film--and because of the interesting backdrop the film seems far fresher and more interesting than most in the series. Charlie has been sent to an archaeological dig by a French museum. It seems the museum is justifiably angry because items from the tomb belong to them but someone has been selling them to collectors and other museums. Naturally, when Chan arrives people begin to die and it's up to Charlie to get to the bottom of it.

Despite not having any of the Chan children (particularly the ever enjoyable Keye Luke as "Lee"), this is a dandy film with some interesting twists and a mystery that is a tad over-complicated but fun to unravel. As far as my feelings about Fetchit, in this film he didn't act that much different than the Birmingham Brown character from the later Chan film, so perhaps I am just being a tad oversensitive. It's just that in so many prior films Fetchit was the living embodiment of all the negative Black stereotypes--so bad that seeing him once again kind of made me cringe.

A very good Charlie Chan movie marred by the unfortunate inclusion of the dated comic relief Stepin Fetchit ( "Mr. Tom won me in a card game"). Despite being introduced in the previous film, Keye Luke's "Number One Son" Lee doesn't appear here. The story sees Charlie coming to Egypt to investigate the theft of Egyptian relics and a missing archaeologist. Most notable today for the early appearance of a young Rita Hayworth (billed as Rita Cansino). This is generally considered to be one of the best of the Charlie Chan series. The mystery is nicely done. The Egyptian trappings provide for a nice horror-movie atmosphere. Lots of great Chan aphorisms that we all love. It's a good film for fans of old detective stories. Just be prepared to grit your teeth through the scenes involving Stepin Fetchit's character Snowshoes.

Filmed in 1935, CHARLIE CHAN IN Egypt is the eighth film in the 20th Century Fox series. It is also a pivotal film in the series--and at the same time one of the most problematic.

A French museum has funded an archaeological expedition with the clear understanding that all finds are to become property of the museum. The expedition is successful, uncovering the tomb of a high priest named Ahmeti. But when items that should be delivered to the museum begin to show up on the international market, the museum dispatches Charlie Chan... and murder is there to meet him.

Earlier Chan films were grounded in reality; no matter how odd in plot or detail, they had a certain sense of possibility. Egypt, however, introduces a note of fantasy. The exotic nature of the setting is heightened in the sets and costumes; Egyptian gods and goddesses and the findings from the tomb offer a touch of the occult as well. And the plot requires the use of two drugs that do not seem to have any real-life counterpart, most notably the marijuana-like "mapuchari." These ideas would prove extremely influential for later Chan films, and mysticism, the supernatural, the occult, and "mystery" drugs would become a common feature of many future films in the series.

At the same time, Egypt is problematic due to the presence of actor Lincoln Perry--better known to audiences by the stage name Stepin Fetchit. An African-American, Perry developed the character in the 1920s; it became an audience favorite in the 1930s, and he would play the character throughout the decade and well into the 1940s, making (and due to gambling problems, loosing) a fortune in the process. Seen today, however, Stepin Fetchit tends to leave viewers utterly aghast. The character is incredibly stereotypical: a lazy, cowardly, foot-dragging, speech-slurring, and very stupid black man.

In many respects, Stepin Fetchit is an example of "dialect comedy" that was popular in America for some one hundred years or more, and as a specific character he might be considered a holdover from the minstrel tradition, which remained popular in the United States right up until World War II. Even so, and in spite of the fact that the character was both created and performed by a black man, it was essentially racist humor, and no amount of context can ever make it wholly acceptable. There are occasional moments in the film in which Perry's artistry is very evident--but this, if anything, makes the performance all the more disconcerting.

Still, and perhaps as much because of Perry's performance as anything else, CHARLIE CHAN IN Egypt is a fascinating little film. It offers an unexpected view of what most audiences considered acceptable in 1935, it has considerable style, and it also has a very young Rita Hayworth (appearing under her real name as Rita Cansino) in the small role of an Egyptian servant. Even at this early date the director and cinematographers seemed to recognize her potential, and she is allowed more close-ups than a bit player ought to have!

Given the issues surrounding this film, I find it hard to recommend to any one other than Chan film fans. Unfortunately, even they will have a hard time finding it; it is not presently available on VHS or DVD, and accusations of racism make it particularly difficult to find on television.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

The film opens with Charlie Chan flying in a plane in a close-up. He soon lands in the ancient land of Egypt where he has been sent to see what is happening with a group of British archaeologists working for the museum paying him. It seems some of the rare finds from its digs are being sold around the world whilst everything has been promised to the museum. This film was made in 1935 and is definitely somewhat creaky. Warner Oland, as always, does an admirable job as Chan. The rest of the cast is rather lacklustre, however. Stepin Fetchit plays a servant that walks real slow and mumbles incoherently. His presence in the film, apart from surely being racist and stereotyped, is suppose to be funny but is almost painful to endure. The plot is slow going as well, with some long stretches of in-action(hard to believe for a film that is just a little over an hour). The film does have some wonderful set pieces and ably created a mood for a dark, foreboding world of mummies and the like. A young servant girl is played by then starlet Rita Hayworth. Not a bad film but for me definitely a lesser installment in the Chan series.