Charlie Chan in Paris

Plot synopsis:
Chan is on his way back from completing the London case—they always mentioned the previous case—to go on "vacation" to Paris, but this is just a way to make people think that he is innocently there. He is on a case for some London bankers and customers who say that some bonds from the Lamartine Bank in Paris are forged, so they hired Chan to solve the case. The suspects Chan meets include; Max Corday, a local artist who wants to reap the financial rewards of fame; Albert Dufresne, the assistant to the bank president who is living beyond his means; Henri Latouche, a bank officer who has access to financial bank records; Yvette Lamartine, the daughter of the bank president who is determined to recover old love letters from the bank vault; and Marcel Xavier, a crippled and blind beggar and "crazed World War I veteran who thinks that the bank is cheating on him and wants his money.
After various murder attempts on Chan and other killings, including that of his assistant, Nardi, and the ex-boyfriend of Yvette. Chan realizes that the murders were staged by Xavier. But it turns out not to be the case.
The murderer was Xavier, but he is actually not real; he has alternately been played by both Corday and Latouche; with Latouche appearing as Xavier when Corday was with Charlie, and Corday appearing as Xavier when Charlie meets Latouche at the Bank. Chan takes young Victor Descartes with him to find Xavier, and while they search Corday's and LaTouche's lair where they have been printing the counterfeit bonds, Latouche (as Xavier) arrives. Chan and Descartes kill the lights, and Latouche shoots at Chan's flashlight, apparently hitting him. But Chan has mounted it on a broomstick to decoy Latouche, and Descartes is able to capture Xavier/Latouche. Then the police arrive (summoned by Chan's son Lee), giving Chan a chance to explain how Corday and LaTouche created alibis for each other by alternately playing Xavier.

Tags: flashback

Review:
Charlie Chan goes to Paris, he says on a vacation, but is investigating the Lamartine bank (the richest and most prestigious bank in France) where several forged bonds have circulated across Europe.
Dufresne is murdered by a mysterious beggar, Xavier Marcel and the blame is placed on Yvette Lamartine, daughter of the bank's president.
This is one of the better Chan's in the series, with plenty of mysterious goings-on throughout the film.
This is the first film to feature Keye Luke as number one son Lee, which gives Oland to play Chan as the fatherly genial type, which is an improvement over the previous entry, Charlie Chan in London.
As in, 'Charlie Chan in Egypt', this little gem reeks with early film atmosphere and sustains itself with the wonderful portrayal by Warner Oland.
This entry in the Charlie Chan series has a great deal of signifigance due to the fact that it is the first entry to "feature" one of Charlies kids as a major part of the story.
Charlie also has to help another young lady in the same group who has been wrongly accused of murder As these multiple storylines weave together this becomes a really good mystery tale that leaves you guessing right up to It,s conclusion.
Thought to be a "lost film" for almost 35 years,this is an excellent entry in the series and is commercially availible...So if you like a really good mystery...pick this up and enjoy!.
"Charlie Chan in Paris" (Fox, 1935), directed by Lewis Seiler, the seventh installment to the long running and extremely popular 'Charlie Chan' mysteries starring Warner Oland, is an immediate sequel to "Charlie Chan in London" (1934), in which the story opens with the Oriental sleuth arriving in Paris following his latest case in London.
What makes this particular episode special, other than the near perfect Paris backdrop sets and interesting suspense buildup near the conclusion, is the introduction of Keye Luke playing Charlie Chan's Number One Son, Lee. The chemistry between Oland and Luke worked out so well that Luke became a regular, thus, setting the pattern to the future installments that has made the series based on Earl Derr Bigger's created character so successful.
Following the montage of stock footage of Paris, the story immediately gets underway as Charlie Chan (Warner Oland), getting off the airplane where he is set to visit his friend, Victor DeCartier (Thomas Beck).
Having met other characters, including Max Corday (Erik Rhodes), Yvette Lamartine (Mary Brian) and Renee Jacquard (Ruth Peterson), Charlie is entertained at a café where he witnesses the Apache dance, where Naldi (Dorothy Appleby), a woman working as a dancer, actually an undercover agent, is murdered.
Aside from his involvement with Yvette, accused of murdering her blackmailer, Albert DeFresno (John Miljan), Charlie encounters an intruder in his hotel room only to find him to be his son, Lee (Keye Luke), taking time away from college to visit and afterwards assist his father in solving his latest caper.Featured in the supporting cast are: Minor Watson as Mr. Renaud; Henry Kolker as Monsieur LaMartine; John Qualen as Concierge; Murray Kinnell as Henri LaTouche; and Perry Ivins as Bedell.
Close to being virtually forgotten today, "Charlie Chan in Paris" is best known as being a lost entry in the series with a print to actually be discovered in the 1970s, while earlier episodes, "Charlie Chan Carries On" (1931), "Charlie Chan's Chance" (1932), "Charlie Chan's Greatest Case" (1933) and "Charlie Chan's Courage" (1934), all featuring Oland, continue to be among the missing links.
Thanks to its discovery, "Charlie Chan in Paris" has become a welcome addition to the television markets, and at long last, introduced to television, in the New York City area anyway, on August 12, 1978, becoming the final installment to the eight-week television series, titled "Lost and Found" (1978) hosted by Richard Schickel on WNET, Channel 13.
For the "Chan" segment, Schickel did go on to mention in his discussion about Keye Luke's performance as Chan's son to be actually a one-time commitment resulting becoming an addition to the series.
With Warner Oland as one of the more notable Charlie Chan portrayals, his venture in Paris ranks one of the better entries and worthy screen entertainment for any mystery lover or follower to the 'Charlie Chan' mysteries.
Next installment: "Charlie Chan in Egypt" (1935), with Warner Oland, but without Keye Luke.
A Warner Oland classic that takes place in Paris.Excellent mystery in all respects.No doubt one of the best written Chan dramas and brought to fruition by some excellent acting.
Charlie Chan In Paris was recently released on VHS and DVD in the UK and I was pleased I purchased a VHS copy.Charlie Chan comes to Paris making out he is having a holiday but is actually over to investigate a forgery racket but also ends up investigating murders after two people are killed.
With the help of his No 1 son, he gathers clues and the investigation takes them under Paris in the sewers and the culprit is caught at the end, in heavy disguise...This mystery is atmospheric at times, especially the sewer scenes.Charlie Chan is played well by Warner Oland.
I'm not familiar with the rest of the cast though.If you like a good old mystery, you will enjoy Charlie Chan In Paris.
Between 1931 and 1942 the studio produced no fewer than 27 Charlie Chan films, first starring Warner Oland and later Sidney Toler.
Unfortunately, of the sixteen films starring Warner Oland, four have been "lost." For a great many years, however, the number of "lost" films stood at five--until a single print of the 1935 CHARLIE CHAN IN Paris was located.Like the earlier CHARLIE CHAN IN London, this film shows the series in full stride, a neat mixture of comedy and mystery bolstered by a solid cast.
It is particularly notable as the first film in the series to introduce Chan's son Lee, memorably played by Asian-American actor Keye Luke, who would continue the role through several films.
This episode finds Chan in, of course, Paris--pretending to be on vacation while in fact investigating counterfeit bank bonds in a mystery that leads Chan to the infamous sewers of the city.Chan films, particularly those starring Oland, often use the device of allowing other characters to show vulgar racism toward Chan--and Chan often encourages such dismissiveness to his own ends; underestimation of Chan's talents often delivers the killer into the detective's hand.
At times, however, the device has an unfortunate tone, and that occurs here, particularly in an early scene which presents Chan speaking in pidgin and then joining others in their laughter at the "joke." This sort of patronization would be soon dropped from the series, but it is significantly offensive when it occurs.That aside, however, CHARLIE CHAN IN Paris is quite a good entry in the series, which features dancing spies, stolen love letters, and shots in the dark.
Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) goes to Paris to investigate a forger and winds up investigating a murder alongside his son Lee (Keye Luke).
I love old detective films and the Charlie Chan series are among the best.
This film is also the debut of another favorite, Keye Luke as Lee Chan aka Number One Son. Luke was a wonderful addition to the series, providing Charlie with a sidekick to do physical action as well as be comic relief.
Like good old Charlie says in the movie: «Must turn many stones to find hiding place of snake»!
This is another Warner Oland Charlie Chan classic!
It has everything--a great performance by Oland in the title role; the introduction of Keye Luke as Lee Chan; an ingenius mystery; loads of atmosphere; and strong supporting players.
Charlie Chan in Paris is slow but enjoyable mystery.
Charlie Chan in Paris is the second Warner Oland entry I've seen, the first was Charlie Chan at the Opera some twenty years before.
Charlie goes to the French city, ostensibly on vacation, to visit a son of a banker friend and with his fiancée and another couple whose male part likes to draw pictures of people he knows, they go to a nightclub where an apache dancer, actually an assistant of Chan's named Nardi, gets murdered.
This film is notable as Keye Luke's first appearance as Chan's number one son Lee, here seen quite helpful in the case.
From 1935, "Charlie Chan in Paris" was considered one of the lost of the series, but a print was found.Years and years ago, when I first discovered the Chan films, the TV station I watched at the time showed Sidney Toler films.
Oland brings different qualities to the role, and he's a delight - very upbeat, more active, and in this one anyway, Lee Chan (Keye Luke) was a welcome addition to him, not a bother.
He really radiates a special warmth.Part of the energy difference is due to age -- Oland was about 12 years younger than Toler when he began the series.In this story, Chan goes on vacation to Paris, but it's just a cover.
He has someone there, Nardi, working undercover, but she is murdered shortly after the film starts.Good film, and somehow, even working in a studio, the film manages to create a dark and mysterious atmosphere.Enjoyable.
Directly from solving successfully the London murder mystery, Charlie Chan goes on to Paris - on account of a British bank, who's discovered there's some strange business with bonds going on at a Parisian bank, with huge sums of money involved, of course.
In Paris, Charlie has got an undercover helper who's been working on the case for a while and has gathered quite some information; and they agree that he and the beautiful young dancer meet right after her performance - but, there's a pretty gruesome beginning to this new case: at the end of her magnificent dancing performance, pretty Nardi is brutally stabbed before she can give any information to Charlie.At least, he finds something in her apartment: a notebook with everything she'd found out, which contains the name of one of the bank's employees, Dufresne, who's been spending surprisingly high amounts of money lately...
To his good fortune, his 'number 1 son' Lee (Keye Luke, in his first appearance in the series) appears in Paris to assist his father!
In one of the few times that another Charlie Chan film made reference to its immediate predecessor, Charlie Chan In Paris notes that Warner Oland is in Paris having picked up a client in London.
Fans of the series will remember that Oland was in London solving the murder in a stable on an estate, a fact also specifically mentioned.The clients who hired Oland are some bondholders who have bought what looks forged bonds from a respected Paris bank.
That other racket though manages to cast suspicion on a false perpetrator.Charlie Chan In Paris is one of the cleverest films in the Chan series and fans of Charlie should not miss this one..
Charlie Chan in Paris (1935) *** (out of 4)Another good entry in the Fox series has Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) working in Paris trying to crack some fraudulent bonds.
He receives a warning to leave town but of course he doesn't but the stakes rise when his undercover assistant is murdered.Up to this point in the series, CHARLIE CHAN IN Paris was without question the best.
This is due in large part to the fine performances, a great little mystery and one of the most memorable murder sequences from this period of films.
It's clear that the series kept making money for Fox or else they wouldn't have kept making them but it also shows that the studio was willing to treat the series with respect and that includes coming up with a very good screenplay.The story itself is one that works extremely well because all of the twists and turns are nicely done and help build up a very good mystery.
The movie will certainly keep the viewer off guard as we get several suspects but the mystery of the killer is never given away early in the film, which just helps keep you more involved with the plot.
The strong supporting cast includes nice work from the likes of Mary Brian, Erik Rhodes, John Wualen and of course Keye Luke who makes his appearance as the #1 son.
CHARLIE CHAN IN Paris really succeeds on all levels making it one of the more memorable films of the series..
A reviewer wrote this: "Chan films, particularly those starring Oland, often use the device of allowing other characters to show vulgar racism toward Chan--and Chan often encourages such dismissiveness to his own ends; underestimation of Chan's talents often delivers the killer into the detective's hand.
At times, however, the device has an unfortunate tone, and that occurs here, particularly in an early scene which presents Chan speaking in pidgin and then joining others in their laughter at the "joke." This sort of patronization would be soon dropped from the series, but it is significantly offensive when it occurs." Which, of course, couldn't be more wrong.
After solving the Stable Murder, Charlie finds his way to Paris and a meeting with a contact, who is a dancer, performing In a nightclub.
I think this is the best of the Chan films that I have seen so far.*Involving mystery.*Some suspense.*Very good lurking in the dark room/sewers scenes.*Engaging banter between Chan and son Lee(Keye Luke).*John Qualen cameo(line in the Searchers-Next time I raise Pigs by Golly!), blink and ya miss him.*Oland very good here.*Check out the pseudo-Astair and Rogers-like opening dance number where Nardi is killed.
Arriving in Paris under pretense of a vacation break, Charlie is on a case for a London banking house investigating fraud at the Banque Lamartine.
Forged bonds have surfaced with the actual signatures of the bank president and portending a potential bank crisis.The investigation begins at the Cafe de Singe Bleu, where the Chan party encounters the mysterious beggar once again, and at this point one begins to wonder why this character chooses to be so conspicuous.
With his contact gone, Chan must now use other devices to uncover the murderer and the bank fraud.It's in this film that the first of the Chan offspring make an appearance; Number #1 Son Lee (Keye Luke) turns up at Charlie's hotel room following a business trip to Rome, and eagerly entreats "Pop" to join the case.
Nevertheless, the ruse is effectively carried out, and makes "Charlie Chan in Paris" an effectively entertaining mystery..
Charlie Chan in Paris is another solid entry in the Charlie Chan series.
And the sewers in Charlie Chan in Paris are as uninviting a place as Chan ever visited.
Ably assisting Chan is son Lee played by Keye Luke.
Unlike later Charlie Chan films where the offspring are there for little more than comic relief, Lee actually helps his father and saves his life on more than one occasion.
The criminals' identities will keep you guessing up to the very end.I suppose that this is as good a time as any to write about my feelings on the racial aspects and controversy surrounding the Charlie Chan films in recent years.
There's an unfortunate scene in Charlie Chan in Paris where one of the characters attempts to make a joke at Chan's expense by speaking to him in pigeon English.
The Honolulu sleuth Charlie Chan(Warner Oland), is undercover in Paris investigating a bond forgery scheme, when a fellow agent is murdered.
Although the covert assignment becomes public, the detective's Number One Son Lee(Keye Luke) provides important assistance.
One of the better films in the popular Charlie Chan mystery series.
"Charlie Chan in Paris" is one of the better Charlie Chan films I have seen so far.
It also introduces Chan's no.1 son, likably played by Keye Luke.
Charlie Chan In Paris is a little too melodramatic for me; it has a murder take place during an apache dance, and it's main plot device is the killer disguising himself as a disabled war veteran to commit the murders.
It reminded me of Conan Doyle's The Man With The Twisted Lip, and with its botched murder attempt on Charlie, The Final Problem.In Paris isn't a bad film by any means.
Warner Oland is always welcome and the entrance of Lee Chan (Keye Luke - not as comic relief here but straight support) was to prove a popular staple for a number of years.
The scene where Lee first meets his father in Paris is very warm and beautifully played by both actors.The plot concerns Charlie investigating Bank bond forgeries in Paris, which involves several murders and an innocent person again suspected of the crime (a very hoary scene of the murderer throwing the gun he's used into the room and the innocent girl immediately picking it up and holding at gunpoint the people who turn up to investigate the shots!) So what we are really left with are a number of good scenes in a movie that never quite gels.
The mystery itself is not as engaging as the one in the previous film Charlie Chan In London, but this is still a reasonably enjoyable detective movie.
for a Charlie Chan film, it's good stuff.
The famous Charlie Chan series of the 1930s starred Swedish actor Warner Oland as the main character.
Since this is one of the earlier Fox Charlie Chan films, it is a definite step up in quality and entertainment.In this film, Charlie is supposedly on vacation in Paris but is actually on the trail of a counterfeiting scheme.
The best of Chan's sons, #1 son Keye Luke, is there to assist him and Mantan Moreland of the Monogram films is NOT--a good recipe for success.
I'm plowing through a boxed set of Fox's Charlie Chan movies with Warner Oland and maybe that's a mistake.
Best to have only once in while.Charlie Chan is supposed to be investigating some bank fraud and, inevitably, a couple of murders in Paris.