The Scarlet Clue (1945)

Charming and brutal

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

A mystery movie crafted with gusto, there's something of Brando in Toler's role, MGM teases us a bit with electric gadgets and a monster mask, there is a heartfelt interest in the technology (teletype, elevator, early TV, radar, 'death capsules' for the ingenious poisoning, also moments of radio and early TV broadcasting, the weather simulation tunnel) in this merry espionage story with a grim body count (two spies, two comedians), Toler's role foretells Brando (also in the quiet but sharp humor), Birmingham Brown is very funny, and the _janitress seems intriguing and nice, possibly handsome; but Birmingham Brown is the most likable character. The script was neat: a set of suspects, the puzzle plot doesn't get lost in humorous banter, the storyline is dynamic and the sets, appealing; though the denouement has the randomness known from these mystery movies they made 75 yrs ago.

The Chan series was probably the most popular and enduring of the many detective series of the 1930's and 40's. Mainly, I think, because the entries relied on genuinely brain-teasing whodunits, where the suspects were individualized and developed by caring screenplays. Then too, the comedy mix was entertainingly worked in, along with occasional noirish atmospherics. Of course, much of the humor and style is politically incorrect by today's more enlightened standards. But that shouldn't override the sheer entertainment value of the series as a whole.The Scarlet Clue, to me at least, is an average entry, a pretty good whodunit with one real shocker that comes out of nowhere. I like the radio studio setting that should be nostalgic for some and edifying for others. The question is which one of the station employees is the killer and how is it they've murdered two other employees. So, it's not only a question of who did it, but of how they did it. Of course, Toler is Toler, while Moreland gets to do shtick with his long-time partner Ben Carter, which is pretty funny and not demeaning. Unfortunately, except for the one shocker, Rosen's direction is pretty unimaginative.Anyway, it's an entertaining but unexceptional 60-minutes from an exceptional series.

Once again, I have watched a Charlie Chan movie and then noticed that a significant number of people have rated this movie as a 10!!! While the early and well-made Chan movies from Fox were pretty good, none of them came close to meriting a 10. And this later product, from "poverty row" studio, MONOGRAM, is far from one of the better Charlie Chan films--especially since these films were well-known for their cheap production values, poor writing and short turnover (being made in just a few days in most cases). In fact, it's poorer than average for a Chan film and anyone giving it a 10 must be joking!! After all, do you really believe that this film is as good or better than MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON or BEN HUR or THE SOUND OF MUSIC? These movies might merit a 10, but not a routine series film that has a pretty shallow script. The antics of Mantan Moreland as Chan's stupid Black servant (sadly, this was a role typical of many Black stars in white films of the 30s and 40s) were often offensive and stereotypical, but at least in this film Moreland had a few good moments as well. The Moreland and Ben Carter scenes are hilarious but irrelevant to the movie. In fact, the funny little vaudeville routine that Carter and Moreland do together does make the movie worth watching--you just have to see and hear it for yourself. The banter between them is just strange and infectiously funny. The only other GOOD thing about the film are some of Chan's one-liners (that are MUCH meaner than usual and refer to his #3 son as an idiot). But, as for the story itself, it's pretty limp and forgettable. Like most of the wartime Chan films it has to do with espionage and murder and as such it's awfully predictable.

Famed detective and government agent Charlie Chan is back again for this Monogram film where Charlie is trailing a suspect who may be involved with plans to steal radar equipment/secrets from our government for foreign spies and who has just killed aboard a ship. Chan and detective friend trace suspect back to a radio show and from there on Charlie helps at least three more people get killed with his investigation. This is an interesting Chan vehicle and gives Sidney Toler plenty of screen time to hone his Chan skills. Benson Fong and Mantan Moreland are back once again and lift the mundane to the amusing with their comic routines. Moreland, again, steals his scenes and gives the film a lot of vitality it would otherwise not have. I particularly like a couple of routines he does in the film with a guy he knows and neither one lets the other finish the sentence. The comic timing was first-rate! As for the mystery, it is not too terribly confusing though when the end is told no real explanation as to why and who did crimes is revealed fully. I enjoyed many of the characterizations of the show people. I thought the means of death were very inventive, and I loved the whole thing with the elevator. Very clever.