''There Were Thirteen'' (Spanish: ''Eran trece'') is a 1931 American

Pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

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 sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, i ...

directed by David Howard and starring

Juan Torena Juan de Garchitorena de Carvajal, known in cinema as Juan Torena (1898–1983), was a Spanish-Filipino footballer and actor. After emigrating to Argentina at a young age, he became a footballer who eventually played for the Spanish club FC Barcelo ...

Ana María Custodio Ana María Custodio (1908–1976) was a Spanish film actress.Solomon p.331 She was the daughter of a military man and the sister of the writer Álvaro Custodio. Ana Maria Custodio irregularly continued her career after leaving to mexico. Selecte ...

, and

Rafael Calvo Rafael Luis Calvo Muñoz (30 December 1911 – 9 December 1988) was a Spanish film actor. He appeared in more than 60 films including ''Miracle of Marcelino'' (1955). Selected filmography * '' Currito of the Cross'' (1926) * '' Doña Juana'' ( ...

, with

Manuel Arbó Manuel Arbó (18 July 1898 – 25 May 1973) was a Spanish film actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1915 and 1970. Selected filmography * '' Drácula'' (1931, Spanish version) * ''There Were Thirteen'' (1931, Spanish-language ...

as Charlie Chan.Jarvinen pp. 123-24 It is a Spanish-language version of the 1931 Hollywood film ''

Charlie Chan Carries On ''Charlie Chan Carries On'' (1930) is the fifth novel in the Charlie Chan series by Earl Derr Biggers. Plot summary Inspector Duff, a Scotland Yard detective and friend of Chan's, first introduced in '' Behind That Curtain'', is pursuing a murde ...

'', with a separate cast and several plot alterations. Like the English original, which has been lost, it was based on the 1930 novel ''

'' by

Earl Derr Biggers Earl Derr Biggers (August 26, 1884 – April 5, 1933) was an American novelist and playwright. His novels featuring the fictional Chinese American detective Charlie Chan were adapted into popular films made in the United States and China. Biogr ...

Cast

as Dick Kennaway *

as Elen Potter *

as Inspector Duff *

Raul Roulien Raul Roulien (born Raul Salvador Intini Pepe; October 8, 1905 – October 8, 2000) was a Brazilian actor, singer, screenwriter and film director.Solomon p.331 He is widely considered the first male Brazilian star in Hollywood. He worked briefly ...

as Max Minchin *

Blanca de Castejón Blanca de Castejón (May 13, 1906 – December 26, 1969) was a Puerto Rican actress who is best remembered for her work in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, especially her award-winning supporting role in ''Escuela de vagabundos''. She wa ...

as Peggy Minchin * Miguel Ligero as Frank Benbow * Amelia Santee as Señora Benbow * Carmen Rodríguez as Señora Rockwel *

Julio Villarreal Julio Villarreal (7 December 1885 – 4 August 1958) was a Spanish actor who later settled and worked in Mexico. He also directed two films in the early 1930s.Taibo p.155 Born as Julio Crochet i Martínez Villarreal in Madrid to a family of theat ...

as Dr. Lofton * José Nieto as Capitán Kin * Carlos Díaz de Mendoza as Walter Decker *

Lia Torá Lia Torá (born Horacia Correa D'Avila; May 12, 1907 – 1972) was a Brazilian dancer and film actress.Kohner p. 347 Selected filmography * ''The Low Necker'' (1927) * ''The Veiled Woman ''The Veiled Woman'' is a 1929 American drama film ...

as Sybil Conway *

Martin Garralaga Martín Garralaga (10 November 1894 – 12 June 1981) was a Spanish actor who worked in Hollywood from the 1930s through the 1960s. He was married to opera singer and actress Rosa Rey. Biography Garralaga first came to the United States wh ...

as John Ross * Antonio Vidal as Paul Nielson * Ralph Navarro as Inspector Gardner *

as Charlie Chan

References

Bibliography

* Jarvinen, Lisa. ''The Rise of Spanish-language Filmmaking: Out from Hollywood's Shadow, 1929-1939''. Rutger's University Press, 2012.

External links

* 1931 films 1931 mystery films 1930s Spanish-language films Spanish-language American films American mystery films Films directed by David Howard 20th Century Fox films American black-and-white films Charlie Chan films Films set in London Films based on American novels Films based on mystery novels American multilingual films 1931 multilingual films 1930s American films {{mystery-film-stub