Review - The Scarlet Clue, released 5-11-45 A good story plays well right through for our mystery movie with Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan. This time number three son, Tommy Chan and Birmingham Brown, appear, to help the detective solve the crimes. Worth a watch, due to plenty of characters and unique murders; clues gradually open the case toward the end, as Charlie Chan solves this one, with the help from a few police officials. The suspect list is plentiful, until some are mysteriously killed. The police chemist, the police technician and a voice impersonator are made a part of the investigation. Certain precautions are taken by Chan, which are revealed when the killer is found near the movie-end. There was no risk to the documents being stolen, for Charlie had them put in a safer place early on and the daffy office cleaning lady was really a government operative, requested by Chan, watching the traffic through the experimental radar laboratory. It was Chan's intention to catch the suspected killer alive, but an error in judgement brought the killer to a fatal end. She was killed in the same manner as an earlier suspect, i.e. a fall down an elevator shaft from the seventh floor through a trap door. Charlie's mission is made clear early on in the plot when he meets his friend, police Captain Flynn, who has overindulged his efforts tracking a known espionage suspect. He is scolded by Chan, for Charlie simply wanted the man to be located, in order for the police to determine all the players, i.e. catching the ring leader stealing the radar secrets. The police make their presence known to the suspect, who manages to get himself killed by another conspirator, unbeknownst to Charlie Chan. A car seen leaving the first murder scene provides a clue, as does a right-shoe print, left from stepping in the victim's blood; i.e. the scarlet clue is the print found at the scene and later found at another location. The car belonged to an actress, reporting it stolen, only to have it returned the same evening, coincidentally, around the same time as the murder. Following the vehicle clue to its owner brings Charlie to a radio station in the same building as the radar laboratory. After discussing her vehicle reported stolen, now returned, Charlie steps out of the radio studio, only to notice another right-shoe print matching that left at the murder scene. Charlie observes the killer is someone who walked here recently, perhaps someone we have all seen. Chan adds, a most interesting place, will visit here again tomorrow. They will return to the studio building many times during the movie, in order to find the killer and the ring-leader. Charlie gathers information, piecing together available evidence after two members of the radio entertainers are killed under similar circumstances. He eventually tracks the perpetrator to the studio's building, after receiving assistance from the police forensics team. The movie is complete with mystery, unusual crime methods, and a surprise ending with the capture of the espionage ring-leader. Watch the movie from the beginning, not missing any clues, you won't be disappointed. I recommend this Charlie Chan movie nearing the end of Sidney Toler's career and life.

Being a genuine murder mystery, this movie starts - with a murder: Rausch, a dangerous enemy agent, is stabbed by his own accomplices. Charlie Chan, on the case already (the gang is trying to steal a new radar that hunts down enemy planes), discovers the body, and a stolen car and a bloody shoe print (the 'scarlet clue') lead him and his assistants Tommy and Birmingham to the Cosmo Radio Center, where, as Charlie finds out very soon, the head of the ring must be found: on the floor there's an identical shoe print, and the car was reported stolen by radio actress Diane Hall...And WE soon find out that Brett, the manager, is a member of the gang: he makes strange conversations over the phone, getting his answers and orders only over a teletype device... Meanwhile, Diane's friend Gloria finds out that it was Brett who stole the car and blackmails him - which doesn't do her good at all: during the next broadcast, she suddenly feels dizzy, then asks for a cigarette, and after the first puff she drops dead. Then Charlie finds Brett's shoe, which is the one that left the 'scarlet clue', Brett panics and asks his unknown boss for protection - but he gets something entirely different instead...This is a REALLY classic 'whodunit', immensely suspenseful, but also entertaining: we get a glimpse into the 40s' world of radio broadcasting and also into the technological innovations of the time - and especially 'Birmingham' Mantan Moreland is at his BEST again providing us comical relief amid all the thrills and scares; the scenes where he 'communicates' with a friend of his in half-finished sentences are absolutely wonderful! But BEWARE: screenwriter Callahan invented a VERY unusual and creepy elevator trick for this thriller that'll make people who suffer from elevator phobia take the stairs for weeks...!

This is my tenth review of a Charlie Chan movie in series chronological order on these consecutive days. In this one, he's investigating some murders at a radio station. Along with him are his "No. 3 Son" Tommy (Benson Fong) and chauffeur Birmingham Brown (Mantan Moreland)...This was another Monogram series entry of the Chan franchise that I highly enjoyed despite a not-always-believable structure. Still, there's plenty of good comedy from Fong and Moreland. There's also a special treat when the latter meets an old friend named Ben Carter who plays himself as they exchange some words where they keep interrupting each other but understanding what each is saying just the same! This was an act that both did successfully on stage and what a wonderful thing to see this preserved on film. Anyway, besides those I've mentioned as well as Sidney Toler as the lead character giving good performances, there's also some supporting players from previous Chan features that are also fine here. Among those players-and I'm only going to mention those Chan pictures I've actually seen and reviewed here-are Robert Homans-Capt. Flynn here-who was also in The Black Camel as Chief of Police, I. Stanford Jolley-Ralph Brett here-who was also in The Chinese Cat as Gennet, Charles Jordan-Radio Actor Nelson here-who was also in Black Magic (a.k.a Meeting at Midnight) as Tom Starkey, Emmett Vogan-Mr. Hamilton here-who was also in Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum as the prosecuting attorney, and Charles Wagenheim-Rausch here-another one also in C. C. at the Wax Museum as Willie Fern. With all that I've mentioned, I highly recommend The Scarlett Clue. P.S. Charles Sherlock-Sgt. McGraw here-is another player in these series entries that's a native of my birthtown of Chicago, Ill. And Milton Kibbee-Herbert Sinclair here, brother of familiar character actor Guy Kibbee, was another player from my favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life. He was a photographer at George Bailey's house when George came back from experiencing the never-been-born sequence.

Charlie Chan is back once more in another one of B-studio Monogram Pictures' releases.This time around Chan (Sidney Toler) along with No.3 son Tommy (Benson Fong) and series regular friend/assistant Birmingham Brown (Mantan Moreland) are at a radio station on the trail of a murderer and on the look out for someone who may be trying to steal governmental radar plans.There is a lot more tasteful comedy this time around from Moreland, with his real-life double-act partner Ben Carter also appearing in a couple of scenes.The scenes with the elevator are well made and well thought through, but I do have a small gripe in that when the killer is finally revealed there is no explanation who the person worked for or how Chan figured out who it was, but again you shouldn't think too much when it comes to low budget B-movies'The Scarlet Clue' is probably the best I've seen up to now (bearing in mind I have only seen the Monogram Pictures releases and not the higher budgeted 20th Century Fox ones), The acting is of a better calibre than what I've seen in other episodes as it's nowhere near as wooden and stilted, There also seems to have been a lot more care put into the script and entire production this time around too - although it's still a low budget affair, and the same sets are used from earlier episodes - but this time around Monogram have put their restricted budget to better use.*** out of *****