CHARLIE CHAN IN HONOLULU

 [Victor] Sen Yung and Sidney Toler

CHARLIE CHAN IN HONOLULU (1938). Director: H. Bruce Humberstone.

"What a wonderful gift for science your brain would make, Mr. Chan." -- Dr. Cardigan

"I prefer to keep it for myself." -- Charlie Chan

Back home in Honolulu with his very large family, Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is awaiting the birth of his first grandchild. His oldest son, Lee, has gone to New York to study art [!] and his love of mystery-solving has been passed on to brother Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung), not to mention little Tommy (Layne Tom Jr). When a murder occurs on a freighter with passengers, these two set off to solve it while Papa is at the hospital; eventually Charlie takes over. Suspects and other characters include secretary Judy Hayes (Phyllis Brooks of The Shanghai Gesture), a witness to the crime; seaman Randolph (John King), who has special feelings for Judy; Carol Wayne (Claire Dodd of Babbitt), who is busy keeping secrets; animal trainer, Hogan (Eddie Collins) who is transporting beasts to the San Francisco Zoo and has a pet lion named Oscar; Dr. Cardigan (George Zucco), who in a weird development keeps a "living brain" in his cabin; Joe Arnold (Richard Lane), a cop who is escorting the prisoner Johnny McCoy (Marc Lawrence); Inspector Rawlins (Paul Harvey), who is Chan's somewhat befuddled boss; and Captain Johnson (Robert Barrat), who only wants everyone to get off of his ship so he can finally set sail with his cargo. Sidney Toler took over the role of Charlie Chan after Warner Oland's death, and he is excellent, if more grandfatherly, which is appropriate as Chan becomes a grandfather in this film [Phlip Ahn plays his son-in-law Wing Foo]. Sen Yung is a memorable addition to the Charlie Chan cast, and has a lot to do in the movie. Charlie Chan films had always had comedy relief, but in this film there is so much humor that it has to be considered a comedy-mystery, and it is very, very funny at times. A notable sequence has Chan testing Cardigan's deafness by throwing a coin on the ground behind him, which Cardigan turns to pick up. "When money talks," says Chan, "few are deaf." Zucco is especially good in this, but the whole cast is on top of things. Cardigan brings up the notion that the retina of the eye retains the image of the last thing the dead person saw a la Four Flies on Grey Velvet, but Chan debunks this theory immediately. ["All I see are reflections of self."] The movie boasts consistently amusing dialogue and has a generous amount of suspense as well.

Verdict: A very auspicious debut for Toler and Sen Yung. ***.

QUICK MILLIONS

Robert Shaw, June Carlson, Kenneth Howell, Helen Ericson

QUICK MILLIONS (1939). Director: Malcolm St. Clair.

Just when the Jones Family has returned from their adventure in Hollywood, they discover that an uncle has died and left them a house and a mine -- in the middle of the Grand Canyon! What's worse, the notorious bank robber, Floyd "Bat" Douglas (Horace McMahon) and his gang are using the place as a hide-out. The gun moll Daisy (Helen Ericson) passes phony money to Mayor Jones (Jed Prouty) and the cops think he's one of "Bat's" confederates. Then there's the question of whether or not there's any gold in the mine or just new cans of pork and beans. Robert Shaw -- not the actor from Jaws -- plays a ranger that Lucy (June Carlson) is attracted to and Eddie Collins is the alleged lawyer, "Beaver." Funny, while I wasn't overly impressed with Jed Prouty the first time I saw him, I have to say he grows on you and is especially good in this installment. As usual Granny (Florence Roberts) nearly walks off with the movie. Collins was also in the Jones Family film Down on the Farm.

Verdict: Actually quite pleasant and amusing. ***.

DOWN ON THE FARM

Mayor Jones [right] samples some of Cy's corn liquor

DOWN ON THE FARM (1938). Director: Malcolm St. Clair.

When the fire department accidentally makes a mess of their home, the Jones family head off to spend some time with Mayor Jones' sister, Ida (Louise Fazenda of The Old Maid) on the farm she co-owns with her brother. Mayor Jones (Jed Prouty) importunes hired hand and Ida's boyfriend Cy (Eddie Collins) to enter a corn husking contest -- Jones was once a corn-husking champ -- but learns that the town council thinks he's got a good shot at running for senator if he enters it himself. When a political boss (an uncredited Sidney Blackmer of Rosemary's Baby), who's backing someone else, offers Jones a post as state coroner, Grandma Jones (Florence Roberts) and Ida rightly see that it's only a bribe to get him out of the race -- no country bumpkins, they. Roger (George Ernest) has a girl named Emma (Roberta Smith) chasing after him, while Jack (Kenneth Howell) is immediately attracted to her older sister, Tessie (Dorris Bowden). Will John Jones win the corn husking contest and get to go to the senate? This is more amiable fun with a very creditable cast who by now were very much at home in their roles. Granny is a little more grumpy in this than usual, but still lovable.

Verdict: More fun with the Joneses. ***.