The Trap

This was Sidney Toler's last film as detective Charlie Chan, the last in a series of twenty-two, produced between 1938 and 1946.

The physical fragility of the actor is visible, as he appears in fewer scenes, moves slowly and even demonstrates a relative verbal economy that is not characteristic of the character. There is, for example, not a single "correction please" in Toler's farewell to the character. A film where we have more "number 2 Son" and Birmingham than Chan.

The plot is what you would expect from a banal television police series and the value of this work is above all historical and sentimental, for fans of the character.

When one of the showgirls in a troupe staying at a beach house is killed, novice showgirl Barbara Jean Wong, calls on that famous detective, Jimmy Chan. Fortunately, his father, Charlie Chan, shows up in the person of Sidney Toler.

Under the direction of Howard Bretherton, this is the strongest of of the Monogram Charlie Chans, due a good mystery script and Bretherton's superior ability to direct the comedy sequences on which the series now relied. Mantan Moreland, as Oland's other assistant, gets a lot more and better comedy in his role, and Victor Sen Yung flourishes. The ladies in the troupe include Rita Quigley and Anne Nagel, and Kirk Nagel, Minerva Urecal, and Larry Blake perform their more serious roles well.

Alas, it was the end for Toler. He had been playing the role for almost a decade by this point, but he was dying of cancer. He would died on February 12, 1947 at the age of 72, after sixty-five years in show business.

Sadly, this is one of the weakest Charlie Chan movies (though even at that, it provides good, average B movie entertainment) - and even much more sadly, it was the last film that Sidney Toler could finish before he died. There are moments where it's obvious that he struggles with his fatal disease; which makes the whole thing even more sad, but also increases enormously our respect for this great actor who gave everything literally until the end.

The story is somewhat confused, the movie seems like it's been done hastily (perhaps because Sidney Toler didn't have much time left?); and the hysterical crowd of 'bathing beauties' certainly tends to go on the audience's nerves, even though they display the latest and most daring bikini fashion of the time. There's a variety troupe on holiday at the seaside, and it becomes clear very soon that the 'star' of the group is SO unsympathetic that sooner or later she WILL be killed... But first it's one of the other girls' turn, whom shrew Marcia blackmails into stealing papers from another girl's trunk (threatening that she'll reveal that the girl is under age), so that she can blackmail the other one, too, whose husband seems to have a dark past. The little girl is strangled, and her Chinese colleague San Toy (one of the few nice girls of the troupe) calls on her friend Jimmy Chan for help - in somewhat of a confusion, so that Birmingham, who picks up the phone, is under the impression that Jimmy has been murdered!

So he and Charlie haste to the beach house, where they soon catch an intruder: Jimmy, who found the paper with the address on Birmingham's desk! No need to say that Charlie is immensely relieved; but now he's in the middle of a murder case, of course - and, as was to be expected, the next day on the beach the body of hated Marcia is found... Now everybody starts accusing each other, some of the girls get fits of hysteria - and Charlie, together with his two assistants, tries to make head or tail of the whole muddled case.

As I said before, this movie certainly isn't among the better Charlie Chans - but it's our last opportunity to see our beloved trio Sidney Toler - Sen Yung - Mantan Moreland together; so let's just enjoy the jokes and the suspense, and laugh and let's be entertained by them once more...

I can't help loving Charlie Chan movies, despite the fact that they're as politically incorrect as all get out. People were just not sensitive to certain things then, so for me, it's important to watch a film not with modern eyes, but with the eyes of the time.

This was Sidney Toler's last foray as Charlie Chan, and the last film of the series. Toler was suffering from cancer when he made this movie, and he's to be admired for continuing to work.

Warner Oland, the previous Chan, was more cheerful and energetic, but I love Toler's dry delivery and exasperation with Jimmy.

This is a pretty routine plot - Charlie investigates the deaths of two showgirls in Malibu. Jimmy Chan (Sen Young) and Birmingham (Mantan Moreland) are on the scene. I think Mantan Moreland was supremely talented, and I love him as Birmingham. And I love seeing Sen Yung as Jimmy, since I remember him as an older actor in Bonanza.

There's nothing like the B serials: Chan, Mr. Moto, The Falcon, Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, The Saint, The Lone Wolf, Boston Blackie, The Lone Wolf, Boston Blackie, etc. - all wonderful.

Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) investigates showgirl murders with the help of "Number Two Son" Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung) and chauffeur Birmingham Brown (Mantan Moreland). There's a decent supporting cast for Monogram that includes Minerva Urecal, future Superman Kirk Alyn, and beauties Rita Quigley and Anne Nagel. Victor Sen Yung is, as usual since returning to the series, the best part of the movie. For some reason, the name Marcia is pronounced several different ways, depending on who is saying it. This is pretty annoying.

The last Sidney Toler Chan film and many would say the last real Chan film. The series would continue on with Roland Winters but all of those movies were terrible. This one's nothing to write home about, either. As others have discussed, Sidney Toler was sick with cancer during the filming of this and sleepwalks through the movie. It's a sad thing to watch, particularly for fans of the series and the actor. Worst, or maybe second worst, of the Toler series.