''Charlie Chan in London'' is a 1934 American

mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means ...

directed by

Eugene Forde Eugene Forde (1898–1986) was an American film director. Selected filmography * ''Daredevil's Reward'' (1928) * ''Painted Post (film), Painted Post'' (1928) * ''Son of the Golden West'' (1928) * ''Charlie Chan's Courage'' (1934) * ''Charlie Ch ...

. The film stars

Warner Oland Warner Oland (born Johan Verner Ölund; October 3, 1879 – August 6, 1938) was a Swedish-American actor. His career included time on Broadway and numerous film appearances. He is most remembered for playing several Chinese and Chinese-American ...

Charlie Chan Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan was conceived as an alter ...

. This is the sixth film produced by Fox with Warner Oland as the detective, and the second not to be lost, after ''

The Black Camel ''The Black Camel'' (1929) is the fourth of the Charlie Chan novels by Earl Derr Biggers. Plot summary It tells the story of a Hollywood star (Shelah Fane), who is stopping in Hawaii after she finished shooting a film on location in Tahiti. ...

'' (1931).

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New H ...

's film ''

Gosford Park ''Gosford Park'' is a 2001 satirical black comedy mystery film directed by Robert Altman and written by Julian Fellowes. It was influenced by Jean Renoir's French classic ''La Règle du jeu'' (''The Rules of the Game''). The film stars an ...

'', set in 1932, features a (fictional) character who produces the Chan films for Fox and claims to be in England doing research for ''Charlie Chan in London''.

Plot

A young English man is convicted of the murder of one Captain Hamilton of the Royal Air Force and sentenced to hang, His sister and her fiancé, convinced of his innocence, ask visiting detective Charlie Chan to investigate and find the real murderer. In order to solve the mystery, Chan must visit a lavish English country

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

, where the suspects vary from the housekeeper to a lawyer. Events soon indicate that the murderer is still actively trying to avoid capture, but Charlie Chan must set a trap to reveal the criminal's identity. He turns out to be Paul Frank, a spy masquerading under the name Geoffrey Richmond, who had murdered Captain Hamilton to steal plans of a military invention Hamilton had made.

Cast

as Charlie Chan *

Drue Leyton Drue Leyton (born Dorothy Elizabeth Blackman; 12 June 1903 – 8 February 1997) was an American actress and member of the French Resistance. She also was billed as Freya Leigh. Early years Leyton was born in California (or Somers, Wisconsin) but ...

as Pamela Gray *

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985. He is remembered for his Academy Award and Cannes Film Festival Award-winning ...

as Neil Howard (as Raymond Milland) *

Mona Barrie Mona Barrie (born Mona Barlee Smith; 18 December 1909 – 27 June 1964) was an English-born actress, active on stage in Australia before establishing a career in the US, and in Hollywood films. Career Born Mona Barlee Smith in London to comedi ...

as Lady Mary Bristol * Douglas Walton as Paul Gray *

Alan Mowbray Alan Mowbray (born Alfred Ernest Allen; 18 August 1896 – 25 March 1969) was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood. Early life Mowbray was born in London, England. He served with distinction in the British Army in W ...

as Paul Frank, alias Geoffrey Richmond *

George Barraud George Barraud (17 December 1889, in Paddington, London, England – January 1970, in London, England) was a British film actor. Selected filmography * '' Little Old New York'' (1923) * '' Flaming Youth'' (1923) * '' The Wolf Man'' (1924) * ''Ne ...

as Maj. Jardine * Paul England as Bunny Fothergill *

Madge Bellamy Madge Bellamy (born Margaret Derden Philpott; June 30, 1899 – January 24, 1990) was an American stage and film actress. She was a popular leading lady in the 1920s and early 1930s. Her career declined in the sound era and ended following a rom ...

as Becky Fothergill *

Walter Johnson Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946), nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in Major League Baseball as a right-ha ...

as Jerry Garton *

Murray Kinnell Murray Kinnell (24 July 1889 – 11 August 1954) was a British-born American actor, recognized for playing smooth, gentlemanly, although rather shady characters. He appeared in 71 films in the USA between the pre-code era of 1930 and 1937. He ...

as Captain Seton (alias Phillips, the butler) *

E. E. Clive Edward Erskholme Clive (28 August 1879 – 6 June 1940) was a Welsh stage actor and director who had a prolific acting career in Britain and America. He also played numerous supporting roles in Hollywood movies between 1933 and his death. Biog ...

as Detective Sergeant Thacker *

Elsa Buchanan Elsa Buchanan (22 December 1908 – 17 January 2004) was an English character actress with a brief career in theatre and film. Born Elsie Winifred Buchanan Tinker, Buchanan made her stage debut at age three at the Palace Theatre, London at a pe ...

as Alice Perkins (maid) *

Reginald Sheffield Matthew Reginald Sheffield Cassan (18 February 1901 – 8 December 1957) was an English-American actor. Life He was born as Matthew Reginald Sheffield Cassan on 18 February 1901 in the St. George's, Hanover Square district of London, to Matth ...

as Flight Commander King *

Perry Ivins Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also mad ...

as Assistant Home Secretary Kemp * John Rogers as Lake (chief groom) *

C. Montague Shaw Charles Montague Shaw (23 March 1882 – 6 February 1968) was an Australian character actor, often appearing in small supporting parts in more than 150 films. Shaw was born in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. He began his acting care ...

as Doctor *

David Torrence David Torrence may refer to: *David Torrence (actor) (1864–1951), Scottish-American film character actor * David Torrence (athlete) (1985–2017), Peruvian-American Olympic runner See also *David Torrance (disambiguation) David Torrance may ref ...

as Home Secretary Sir Lionel Bashford *

Claude King Claude King (February 5, 1923 – March 7, 2013) was an American country music singer and songwriter, best known for his million selling 1962 hit, "Wolverton Mountain". Biography King was born in Keithville in southern Caddo Parish south ...

as RAF aerodrome commander * Arthur Clayton as Warden

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Charlie Chan In London 1934 films 1930s mystery thriller films 1930s crime thriller films American crime thriller films 1930s English-language films American black-and-white films Charlie Chan films American detective films Films set in country houses Fox Film films Films directed by Eugene Forde Films set in England Films set in London American mystery thriller films 1930s American films