For his second appearance as Charlie Chan, Warner Oland is actually working and solving a case as a member of the Honolulu PD homicide squad and not retained as a private detective. The victim here is Dorothy Revier, movie star.Back on the mainland Revier was involved with an actor who was killed in a still unsolved homicide. And as it usually does in these cases a whole load of people that had previous connections with the late actor just happen to be on the scene.Bela Lugosi is in the film as well as a spiritualist who has somehow insinuated himself with Revier. He's got a score to settle with whomever killed the actor. Lugosi is his usual sinister self.Besides the mainland murder before the action and that of Revier there is a third of an itinerant beachcomber artist played by Murray Kinnell.I will say that Charlie Chan has to solve all three cases and does. But the murders are committed by three different people. And in one case an old murder mystery truism proves valid.The title The Black Camel has nothing really to do with plot itself. It is a piece of an old Chinese proverb that Charlie Chan quotes, but not fortune cookie aphorisms.You'll not figure out the three murders, they won't be people you might originally suspect.

A terrific restoration of another atrocious film! To put this review in short, if you can sit through an hour or so of Bela Lugosi portraying a Latin-American dignitary meowing like a cat(!) and El Brendel picking his nose(!) don't call us, we'll call You! Yes, it's That bad!! I'm the world's #1 Marjorie White, the only reason at all I pick out these films, to see her, but what an insult to not only the viewer, but to her memory as well, it's hard to imagine how her spunky talent got stuck in a bowser like this one! Yes, this is another in the "lost and best forgotten" category, several moderately talented actors grossly miscast in this loser, give me a script and a camera, even I can do better than this! End of story!

As with whodunits in general, the single most important element in this film is the story puzzle. Who killed the victim, and why? A sigh of relief as I watched the ending of "The Black Camel" and found the murderer was not who I was afraid it would be. In fact, I was way off in my guess.Although the story's premise is somewhat lame, "The Black Camel" is a whodunit film worth watching. It has all the classic whodunit elements: a camouflaged story puzzle, an adequate number of suspects, spine-tingling suspense, and of course a surprise ending. The two key scenes that reveal the killer's motive are pleasantly subtle.As a character, Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) is more direct and feisty, more angry, determined, and sharp edged than he is in later films. One of the weak elements here is the presence of Chan's sidekick, Kashimo (Otto Yamaoka), a manic and stupid character inserted in the script apparently for comic relief. But he isn't funny. He's just annoying.Another problem is that the plot does not provide enough background clues to point to the identity of the killer. Some additional back story could have helped to fill in missing pieces and added more red herrings.The script has some sharp dialogue, like when one suspect, trying to be helpful, tells Charlie: "You need a lie detector ... it's an invention that detects instantly when anyone is telling a lie". To which Charlie responds: "Oh I see, you mean a wife; I have one".The best element of "The Black Camel" is the cinematography. Shot in B&W, side lighting creates ghostly shadows that amplify suspense. Outdoor scenes were filmed in Hawaii, where the story takes place. A lot of care seems to have been taken in the framing of outdoor shots, giving the outdoor visuals a rich, sumptuous look. Indoor sets are okay, but driving scenes use rear screen projection, which creates a hokey look, but understandable given the era in which the film was made."The Black Camel" is an early talkie. As such, the sound effects are a tad impaired. But overall, this is a whodunit worthy of at least a one-time viewing, owing to a whodunit puzzle that is pleasantly obscure, a surprise ending, and stunning visuals. To quote Charlie Chan: "Thank you so much."

The Black Camel,made by the old FOX studios in 1931 is a cheaply made b-movie,typical of its time & period.All b-movies were shown either as part of a double bill or with some acts of vaudeville.This does not mean that it is a bad movie, It is enjoyable for what it is.Charlie Chan is portrayed by Warner Oland, The later Chan's are not as good as Mr.Oland was.In the cast is also Bela Lugosi ( whose next film was Dracula). Here in a non-menacing role he is quite good.Also cast in his first performance in a sound film, He was in one silent movie as an extra) Marcus Welby himself, ROBERT YOUNG, he was 27 at the time but looked like a late teen.In this first role, you could see the promise of the fine actor he became.The distaff side of the cast are featured actresses of the period & are OK.The film was partly made in Hawaii,Most scenes were done in the old FOX lot at Sunset Blvd & Western Ave,(Historical note: the opening credits has the 20 Th Century Fox Logo, but 20th was not founded till 1935 )One other note (SPOILER ALERT) an actress is stabbed in the heart & no blood appears,even tho this is a pre_code film,, they could not show blood or wounds. NOTE in movies where someone is shot, you never see bullet holes in clothes. This was the way they made movies back then.This movie is available as a rental from NETFLIX, watch it for curiosity sake,do not expect much. the film is fast & likable.Ratimgs: **1/2 (out of 4) 69 points (out of 100) IMDb 6 (out of 10) ****** for a old b-movie this is a relatively high rating.