Review - Murder Over New York One of the best from Sidney Toler out the Fox Studios by far, due to an excellent story holding the actual identities of the guilty until the very end, with plenty of red-herrings, trickery present to prove the guilty parties, exceptional acting from the cast members, recognizing one supporting member, i.e. Donald MacBride as Inspector Vance. Actually there were other cast members, uncredited Shemp Howard, with a funny bit, deserves mention. Unique features included twenty-one uncredited cast members, along with the thirteen credited cast members, not including the star, Sidney Toler. This was a large cast compared to later Charlie Chan movies, and it worked well, everyone figuring into the story. Marjorie Weaver as Patricia Shaw was a welcome cast member in her second of two Charlie Chan movies, each from 1940, as was Joan Valerie playing June Preston, as the only blond. The movie is a good watch seeing how each character plays an important part in the ultimate apprehension of the guilty, both killer and accomplice. Careful study of the players as the plot moves along provides insight of the way Charlie Chan captures the killer-ringleader and nabs the accomplice first. His loyalty to his friend, Inspector Drake keeps him in New York, solving the case, with help from a few people furnishing evidence or clues for the quest to go forward to conclusion. His friend Drake is killed in an apartment during a party with several guests, and the killer was amongst them at the party. Charlie Chan learned from his late friend, a prime suspect was known to be involved in sabotage, but he was not found as yet, as was the man's wife. She is found through help from a party guest providing her address where Charlie visits to learn of her actual status and any insight he can learn of her missing ringleader husband. Her life is endangered while Charlie and the NYPD Inspector question her. The host of the party is found dead in his apartment where the party occurred. The prime suspect's valet is murdered just before an attempt was made on his wife, two bullet holes through a police headquarters' window. From the assistance of a few more people Charlie creates a ruse to force the guilty parties out into the open before there was any further bloodshed. Watch for all the clues to be presented as the case comes to a conclusion. There were no unnecessary scenes throughout the show, despite Charlie having help from son Jimmy.

It appears the formula for Charlie Chan mysteries is wearing itself thin. Even this movie's title could have been better or more descriptive. The Honolulu detective Chan(Sidney Toler)is in New York for a police convention when a Scotland Yard inspector friend of his falls victim of toxic gas poisoning. The gas is relatively new and is also being used by saboteurs plaguing an airline. Number Two Son Jimmy(Sen Yung)offers aid to the investigation, but you know how that is going to work out. The plot seems to lack urgency and just isn't one of the better films in the Charlie Chan series. The supporting cast features: Marjorie Weaver, Robert Cortez, Melville Cooper, Donald MacBride and Joan Valerie.

taking into consideration the Chan films that would follow, this isn't bad. Plenty of stereotypes beginning with the Black man in the beginning and when the police captain orders that "every Hindu in town" by rounded-up. A parade of stereotypical characters enter the scene including Shemp of the Three Stooges. Charlie seems to move quickly around the city going from Sutton Pl. to the W. Village in a flash.The ending is silly. An obvious toy airplane is used as it climbs through the sky and then nose dives. Ed Wood couldn't have done it better. The final scene is absurd as the murderer will obviously incriminate himself in his attempt to quiet the one person who knows his identity. Overall, it is worth watching.

"Murder Over New York" is fun, but not as good as most of the other Fox Chans. This film would have been better named, "Charlie Chan in New York", the film's working title. This is Toler's chance to play Chan in the Big Apple. There is a lot to like here, though, including guest star Shemp Howard of the Three Stooges.This has one of my favorite Chan sayings, "Coincidence like ancient egg--leave unpleasant odour." Toler and Yung are good in this one and so is the supporting cast. But there is little or no mysterious atmosphere which I look for in these films. Still, it is good to see.