Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat (1944)

     A businessman is murdered in his locked home office.  After a few months, the police, having found no leads, abandon the case.  The victim’s daughter decides to seek out famous sleuth Charlie Chan to solve the case.  This is the basic plot of Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat starring Sydney Toler as the Chinese detective.  This time out he’s helped by his #3 son, Tommy, and Cabbie Birmingham Brown. 

     The Charlie Chan series began as novels, a total of 6, the first being The House Without a Key in 1925.  He made the jump to the big screen with a silent multichapter serial of The House Without a Key then in The Chinese Parrot in 1926.  Chan was portrayed by Japanese actors and played a supporting role in both films.  The series as we know it began in 1931 with Swedish actor Warner Oland playing the part in Charlie Chan Carries On.  It was a hit, and Oland would go on to star in 15 more before his death in 1938.  Sydney Toler took over the role in 1939 with Charlie Chan in Honolulu.  He would make 22 Charlie Chan films.  The Chan series moved from 20th Century Fox to the small independent studio Monogram Pictures in 1942 with Toler continuing in the part.  His final 5 films in the series were all released in 1946, and by this point Toler had tired of playing the part and was suffering from intestinal cancer.  He passed away in February of ’47.

     The Chinese Cat was the second of three Chan movies released in 1944.  You can see that Toler was still having a good time with the role.  As a modern viewer the fact that a Chinese character is speaking in broken English and being played by a white actor can be off putting.  Taking that fact out of the equation is the only way to enjoy the series.  Luckily, at least in my opinion, Chan’s sons were always played by Asian American actors- Benson Fong playing Tommy here.    African American actor Mantan Moreland became a member of the Chan team in the previous entry Charlie Chan in the Secret Service as Birmingham Brown.  He was known for the, now considered stereotypical, bug-eyed coward comic relief role.  While I understand how his performance can be seen as minimizing, I just see him as a funny.  Birmingham Brown is never treated differently because of his race.  He is treated as an equal by the other characters.  (with the possible exception of a hotel clerk)  While he is a highlight the dialogue is fun to listen to as well.  Especially Charlie Chan’s good-natured jabs at his #3 Son.  The mystery itself is sort of secondary to the enjoyment that comes from watching Toler, Moreland, and Fong.  I guess it’s about halfway through the mystery is blown for the viewers when we also follow the villains, so it becomes a story about how Chan figures it all out. 

    I had a good time with Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cast.  Again, you have to put aside the fact that Toler is “playing” Chinese and I can imagine that being more difficult for some viewers.  Along with Morland’s “coward” act, though he’s far from the extreme of someone like Stepin Fetchit.  The pace of the movie is great.  It moves right along and runs a very tight 66 minutes.  The dialogue is clever and funny and performed by actors who know exactly how to deliver it.  It’s a good time. 

    I watched Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat as part of the MGM released DVD collection of 3 Chan films—The Chinese Cat, The Secret Service, and The Jade Mask.  It’s available for around $20.00.