Best moments are Charlie Chan's wise sayings. Here's one
from # 3-
"When a shepherd discovers three of his flock slaughtered, he usually looks for the wolf."
Best episode: #33 Man with 100 Faces. Alan Wheatley claimed this was one of his favourite roles.
Dud episode: #2 Secret of the Sea- though nearly all the American-made stories are poor.
This was rather a stodgy series, illuminated by the obviously barbed comments between the great detective and his Number One Son, who usually puts his foot into it. Barry Chan appears in 25 of the stories: Nos. 4 to 13, 15 to 17, 20, 22, 24 to 33.
Episodes 1 to 5 were made in USA, the remaining episodes were filmed in England. Some limited location shooting was done in other European countries in which stories were set: France: Story 6 (Paris) and 12, Brussels: 16, 20 and 22, Amsterdam: 19, Rome: 27, 35 and 37,Venice: 33 and 34.
Picture- In London, J Carrol Naish with his youngest client in #21.
Crime Menu
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Your Money or Your WifeAdmiring the portrait of the wife of cripple Kramer (Lowell Gilmore), Charlie is told by this rich man "somebody is trying to kill me." Charlie agrees to protect him. He goes to talk with the beautiful wife, who is sunbathing on the beach, but no wife, all he finds is a kidnap note.
The police question Kramer's long time secretary who explains the picture had been painted by "close friend" Andre. He appears unconcerned about Marsha Kramer's disappearance, as he reckons Kramer "could do a lot of strange things."
Police listen to a recording tape made by Marsha: "please do what they ask. They want $50,000." Charlie works out from this tape that "it's an inside job."
Kramer pays the money but Charlie and the police stake the place out, and it's Andre- they follow him back to his studio. But what a shock there!- the corpse of Marsha Kramer.
"I didn't kill her," claims Andre. Charlie is inclined to believe him, for he argues, why would Andre have returned to his studio if he knew Marsha's dead body was lying there? "That's a big fat question," comments the cop.
Ella Parsons, the secretary, hands Charlie his fee. She's pleased Marsha is dead, for her boss is now free of his grasping wife.
On the beach where the kidnap story had begun, Charlie "expresses his regrets" to the sorrowing Kramer. But, he adds cryptically, hate is the most powerful motive for murder.
And taking the hint, rushing as fast as he can, Kramer heads for Andre's studio where he finds that proof . A confrontation before Charlie bursts in: "you knew all the time!" The killer confesses.
This was not a good start to the series. Don't watch this one first if you can help it. The stunning beach shots are the best thing in a feeble story.
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Secret of the SeaCharlie is in San Pedro, harbour for Los Angeles. "Something big" is destined to happen on the Honolulu Star, reports an informer, who is promptly shot dead.
Charlie Chan is requested to investigate the murder of this man, a steward on the ship. Thus we find Charlie bound for a "calm, uneventful voyage," at least that's what Captain Paul Donovan promises him. But there are plenty of suspicious characters of course- the clumsy steward who has replaced the dead man, as well as the incompetent chief engineer Flynn. One of the other rare passangers is Doris, wife of Cpt Paul, and much younger than him. Oddly she wears high heels on board.
When the engine seizes up 200 miles out to sea, it's the omniscient Chan who points out the source of the trouble. Flynn is sent for to get a piece of the captain's mind but he's found "extremely dead." All Cpt Donovan can do is radio for help which is soon forthcoming from a ship out of Acapulco commanded by a Ramirez. It's an expensive operation, with the bill coming to $150,000.
So has Cpt Donovan colluded with Cpt Ramirez to share this absurdly large fee? Maybe not, as the police and Chan arrive in the nick of time to prevent Donovan from shooting Ramirez! The argument seems to centre on Paul Donovan's suspicion Doris has been two-timing him with Ramirez. "He didn't do anything," Doris promises her husband as he bursts into tears. It's Ramirez who echoes my favourite line: "will somebody do me a favour and tell me what's going on?! I don't get any of this."
Charlie "straightens" him, though not me, out, expounding his theory of collusion between Ramirez and someone on the Honolulu Star. But if it wasn't Cpt Donovan, who was it?
A gun persuades Charlie to search no further. But some exceptionally clumsy feinting from Chan incredibly enables him to snatch the dangerous gun and arrest the accomplice.
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The Lost FaceA dark opening as a woman is attacked in her home, outside a little girl plays ball.
The LA police warn Charlie Chan that Dan Randolph is "too dangerous" a man to investigate. Randolph is an attorney who specialises in getting villains released on bail, later they mysteriously get bumped off.
His latest atrocity is the one seen at the beginning. The wife of crime reporter Zac has had acid thrown in her face, she is likely to lose her sight.
Jack Hart is identified as the attacker by the child, and he's one of Randolph's "boys." His lawyer is urging his release when Charlie has a brainwave- Hart can choose whether to leave the police station with Randolph, taking his chances, or stay put. Hart departs.
Zac decides to take the law into his own hands and give the evil Randolph his due. "I didn't hit him that hard," he tells the cops, but Randolph has been killed! Zac's in a spot, and "I don't have a Dan Randolph to get me off."
Charlie is paid by the friendly neighbourhood barman to do a Randolph for Zac. He succeeds and now races to prevent "the imminent departure from this world" of Jack Hart. He achieves this by the unusual method of accusing Hart of murdering Randolph, and exposing his own paymaster of being another of Randolph's hatchet men.
Anyway, that payment comes in useful for an eye operation for Zac's wife.
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Blind Man's BluffI do wonder if this wasn't intended at some point to be the first story, for Charlie is flying in to LA from Mexico with No1 Son.
Also on the flight is a dog accompanied by his blind owner Whitey. They watch the dog being run over, his owner had just been shot dead. Charlie, against all First Aid principles, carries the dog to the Westchester animal hospital where a vet saves the poor animal. However it's puzzling that it's not actually a guide dog for the blind.
Charlie fills in the LA police and then has a great scene with No1 Son discussing the crime. No1 Son, with his giant blackboard demonstrates the Soderheim system of visual thinking. "One factor missing," quips Charlie, name of killer.
Whilst Charlie sleeps on this problem, No1 Son gets hit on the head at the hospital. Why? "Wish I had my blackboard," sighs No1 Son when he comes round. Quick as a flash, Charlie explains to the bemused cop that this method "obviates all the old system of using the brain."
Charlie's brain has grasped what we, though not No1 Son, have guessed, namely the dead man was no blind man. He was a smuggler. But what, and where were the goods hidden? In the dog's collar, which has now been given to Juanita, a young Mexican. The smugglers track him down, but so does Charlie. In a dangerous bluffing game at the end of a gun, Charlie warns them the dog had rabies. Describing the frightening symptoms, they seem to fall for the ruse. "Soon you will have cramps," warns Charlie. But No1 Son bursts in at this point, excited because he's learned where the collar is. "There it is," he shouts, unwisely pointing to the boy with the dog's collar. He further blurts out that dad is really a police inspector, whereupon the gun is prepared to fire at Charlie. But the lad's dog saves the day and the crooks are arrested. In the collar are found diamonds.
There's a nice punchline to an otherwise poor story- the police kindly suggest their success is due, well might have been due, to No1 Son's blackboard
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The Great Salvos -Now Charlie is in Washington DC, where plans for a new jet engine Project 5 have been stolen from Prof Douglas Fenton.
Rands, with a reputation for being cover for espionage, is the venue for Charlie's party with the Fentons, a farewell before the great detective flies off to Madrid. Charlie has brought Barry, No 1 Son, who has just completed his criminology course, and the only other guest of Mr and Mrs Fenton is a Dr Kruger. The Great Salvos provide the floor show, a brother and sister mind reading act. Rina tells Charlie some amazing facts about himself.
No1 Son has figured out the robbery at the Fenton's. Dr Kruger has been prescribing Mrs Fenton with tablets- he's the guilty party. Can't be him then! Charlie is bashed on the head in his hotel room, Barry grabs the attacker who squirms away. Nothing stolen though Charlie's watch is damaged.
That night Rina Salvo interrupts Charlie's sleep, "a matter of life or death." As they chat, her brother Carl tries to rob Charlie. Wise old Charlie, he know something has been hidden inside his watch, the microfilm stolen from Fenton. Rina continues to explain that she is a Hungarian refugee and is worried that unless she and Carl do what they are told, their parents will come to harm. Some checking and Charlie discovers they are safe in an Austrian refugee camp. Now he can persuade Rina to cooperate.
At Dick Rands' cabaret, he returns the Fenton's hospitality. He casually lays his watch on the table. The lights dim, all part of Charlie's trap. The Great Salvos begin their act. Charlie has a 'message' which he asks Carl to get Rina to mind read. Hearing the good news her parents are safe, she is also able to assist Charlie in his request to find his watch which has disappeared. Rina knows who will have stolen it. "Excellent demonstration," praises Charlie as his watch comes to light.
"How did she do it?" asks a baffled No1 Son.
The last US-made story, before Charlie moves to Europe.
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Pan Am Flight 654 from New York lands at London Airport with distinguished passenger Charlie Chan, accompanied by No1 Son Barry, for the first of their European based adventures.
(It had been stated Charlie was flying to Madrid in the previous story, but who cares?)
Greeting him is Inspector Duff (Patrick Holt, later to be transformed into Rupert Davies) who wants Charlie to investigate the theft of French currency plates from a venerable London firm of banknote engravers. The boss, Sir John (John Loder) tells Charlie how a courier had produced documents which later proved to be forged, and carried the plates off. Forged notes will soon be causing a crisis in France! "Wow, what a natural!" exclaims No1 Son. Charlie translates for his British hosts.
Speeding to Paris, Charlie shows the police the forged papers which are identified as the work of Spanish Roy, a valuable member of the resistance during the war. "The man's a genius," admits Insp Chauvet.
No1 Son tries to find Roy at a cafe where he's quickly relieved of his passport. "I'm looking for Spanish Roy, he's a shoemaker," explains Barry, not realising he is, by chance, addressing the very man. Later Barry realises his blunder, when Roy responds to Charlie's invitation to talk. But Roy is shot and this seems to decide him not to talk after all. Though Roy is arrested Charlie secures his release, but this favour still won't budge him "I'm still not talking." Charlie surmises Roy forged the documents for a friend, an old resistance leader, perhaps. Michel is the name, but Roy won't reveal his real identity.
However he changes his mind later and as Charlie is not there, hands Barry an envelope with Michel's real name. In absence of honourable dad, Barry hands it to Sir John. We all know who he really is, of course. All except Barry that is. Sir John scribbles a note for No1 Son to take to police, and there Barry is arrested.
At the old underground headquarters Charlie comes face to face with Michel. Why did you do it? asks Charlie. Sir John explains he wanted to pit his wits against the best, ie Chan. But his ex-colleagues are disiilusioned with such behaviour and mete out their own very summary justice.
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No1 Son is studying at the famous Stratford University, and has made friends with music student Derek Robinson (Francis Matthews). Derek is at loggerheads with his professor Dr Welman (John Bailey) who dislikes the young man's compositions- "you call that music!" He "lacks talent" and writes "undisciplined drivel," in other words Dr Welman doesn't go for avant garde stuff at all. Goaded, poor Derek responds to the stinging remarks- "there's nothing in the future for people like you, except death."
So we know what will happen soon! Derek is rusticated for such rudeness. When introduced to Charlie, the wise advice is "apologise."
Derek attempts to do so, when he catches up with Welman who's at a show In a Dancing Mood at the Palm Theatre . Musical director is Jack Pearson (William Franklyn) and Janet Rushton is his leading lady. She's Dr Welman's ex-wife. He's come to seek a reconciliation, but she tells him "it's no use." The show must go on anyway.
During the interval Welman offers to resign from his post if she will return to him. Whilst No1 Son and honourable dad enjoy show, Derek goes backstage to apologise to Welman. But he stumbles over the dead Welman. "Murder, call the police!" shouts a stagehand, and the show doesn't go on any more.
Of course Derek is chief suspect, though Charlie points out to the dim inspector that Janet Rushton might also have a motive, as does Jack Pearson, who seems smitten with Janet, although he had been conducting the orchesta at the time of the killing.
The murder weapon cannot be found. According to forensic evidence, it must have been a round object about the thickness of a pencil. "Everything now quite clear," pronounces Charlie.
It is to Barry too, for in Janet's dressing room he thinks he has found the weapon, a hat pin. So we know that eliminates her!
For Charlie moves in to corner the killer during the next performance of the show. He spots what had been overlooked- it's Jack who had killed his rival with his conductor's baton, whilst he'd had a brief respite from his orchestra during a bongo solo. Barry redeems himself by felling the fleeing Jack.
So Derek is reinstated at the university and Charlie bids farewell to No1 Son, who is to continue his studies. Barry remembers dad's birthday is coming up, so shouts to Charlie's departing taxi, asking him what he'd like. Bongos, comes back the wise answer.
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"Hoots mon," is Charlie's greeting to No1 Son, who's dressed in a kilt- for they are staying in Scotland, guests of Sir Malcolm Greig.
Malcolm's friend and lawyer Wingate (Ian Fleming) gives us and Charlie the lowdown on Malcolm's marriage to young Lady Greig, which is rather on the rocks. His son, and Lady Greig's stepson is the cause of the rift. But Wingate clearly doesn't like her: "she's as welcome as the plague."
So there are no too many dry eyes, och aye, when news is brought of her death on the Perth road. But this is no road accident, she's been shot.
After three days away, the son Donald (Conrad Phillips) is home again. On the way he'd stopped off to see his sweetheart Betsy, daughter of a convicted poacher, but had he also stopped off for anything else? A rifle in his car looks suspicious. Runnels, the butler (Ballard Berkeley) takes it out of the car. Barry examines it: "this gun was fired a short time ago." Now he has his suspect, at least until Charlie points out that he'd hardly have left a murder weapon lying around if he were the killer.
So Barry latches on to another suspect. Duncan, Betsy's father, has just escaped from prison. He'd been put there thanks to Lady Greig's testimony, and he'd sworn to get even with her. But Sir Malcolm doesn't believe this, and adds that Duncan is very short sighted.
Wingate is Barry's new suspect. In his room are travel brochures for far away places like Honduras, even though he is not well off financially. So No1 Son goes off sleuthing, but only ends up by attacking honourable dad in error. To make amends, Barry promises "I'll bring you the murderer on a plate!"
He nearly does, when he grabs a gun and orders his latest suspect Runnels to put up his hands. The well trained butler merely replies "as you wish sir." Barry reveals the result of his searches. He has found the murder weapon in the butler's room. And this butler is in fact the brother of Lady Greig. But Charlie calms his excited son and produces "plenty of proof" of the real murderer. "Didn't I tell you he did it, pop!" shouts No1 Son in triumph. "Right suspect," agrees Charlie, "but for wrong reason."
A nice little tale in the fresh Highland air.
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A well constructed story, with a strong cast.
Dr Michael Winstead (Peter Dyneley) was convicted back in 1947 in Canada
for a mercy killing. Ten years later he's working at the Mercy Hospital London
where No1 Son is enjoying being treated by Nurse Vernon (Honor Blackman). Charlie is there too,
to see Chief Surgeon George Morley and Sir Edward Pomeroy, Chairman of the Board of Directors (Raymond Francis).
Morley has received an anonymous letter about Winstead's past, plus a press cutting
of the trial in Ottawa of a Dr Liggat. "It does look like Dr Winstead," gasps Barry.
Charlie promises to do "humble best" and find if Liggat and Winstead are one and the same. His starting point
is the accusing letter, which however is stolen from Barry's room that night. A concussed Barry ends up in hospital
again, with more nice treatment from Elizabeth Vernon. Recovered, Barry is sent by dad to Ottawa to get the dope on the case first hand.
When he returns, he brings with him Anne Gerald, the victim's private nurse.
"I've never seen him before," is her observation. But though he's been vindicated, Winstead admits the truth. "I shall leave at once," he adds,
even though he claims he never killed his Canadian patient.
Privately afterwards, Charlie is curious why Miss Gerald had failed to identify him. It's clear Charlie
believes it was she who performed the mercy killing, even though she doesn't admit as much.
She then talks to Liggat: "I'd do anything to undo it," she tells him. She agrees to confess to the truth, but
inevitably before Charlie can talk to her she's been silenced, a knife in her back. However she is still breathing- just, and
Dr Winstead tends her.
Charlie discusses developments with Sir Edward, who is however unwell with acute ileitis. Morley is about to operate, but Charlie recommends
postponement as Morley has already tried to kill Anne. "You're mad," is all Sir Edward can reply with a groan, but it is enough to solve the case for
the inscrutable Charlie.
The unseen Inspector Duff is on the case. With her dying breath, Anne Gerald has at least least cleared Winstead.
But it's Charlie who solves her murder when he revisits Sir Edward, lying on the operating trolley. He tells the patient he has
arranged for Winstead to operate. But Sir Edward raves that he does not want to be treated by a murderer. In his delirium
he confesses it was he who had sent the anonymous letter, for he loves Elizabeth Vernon, and was jealous of rival Winstead. How he
got off his sick bed to murder Miss Gerald is never revealed!
But he has now admitted all. Ironically Charlie tells him, "Mr Morley will perform operation. He will save your life for the hangman."
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A guided tour of The Tower of London, with members of the group casting Significant Looks at each other. Then in The White Tower a scream! The Maharanee's necklace has been stolen.
His Highness the Maharajah of Rajput offers a reward of $25,000 for the return of the 2,000 year old necklace.
He gets Charlie on the case who examines The White Tower. A police inspector (Charles Morgan) has made an unsuccessful search for the necklace, despite a nine hour questioning of all the tourists. "How was it gotten out of here. pop?" the eager Barry asks honourable dad.
His Highness sacks Joe (Bill Nagy) his private detective, who has failed to prevent three other thefts this past year. Joe blames the Maharajah for his carelessness with his valuables. He says Ida Kelly (Jill Ireland) only consented to become the Maharanee for his cash.
Barry's theory is that Ida and Joe are secret lovers, so that can be discounted! In Joe's room, No1 Son searches for a clue to justify himself, but all he can find is a torn up picture of Ida kissing a baseball player called Lefty Ryan (Maurice Kaufmann). Lefty, Barry knows, had been "thumped out of baseball" because of his uncertain temper. Moreover he had been in the group of tourists that day in the Tower.
In fact Lefty is offering Joe a 50-50 split of the ruby. Joe refuses and makes a run for it. Barry trails him.
Charlie meanwhile is interviewing His Highness, who does know of his wife's affair. She denies Charlie's accusation of her stealing her own necklace in order to pay a blackmailer, Joe.
Barry follows Joe into Dikker's shop, where expert diamond cutting is done. Joe is offering to sell the Rajput Ruby. Lefty, who has been following them both, grabs the necklace, and as he is holding a gun, Joe agrees to that split. As for No1 Son- "you're going to be wrapped in a parcel and dropped in the Thames River!"
Luckily for Barry, his father arrives in time to prevent that. A phone call to Inspector Duff wraps this case up.
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Charlie and Barry are staying at the Archway Hotel London, planning a visit to Stratford-on-Avon. A penniless actor, the once famous Philip Royce (John Longden) interrupts their plans, asking for "a complete dossier" on Johnny Douglas (David Oxley) who is dating Royce's daughter Barbara. Her late mother Norah had left her a lot of money....
Indeed Johnny is a fortune seeker, but it seems he's actually fallen for his intended victim, much to the jealousy of his partner Claire Harris. Charlie and Barry talk to her and it's clear "pot of gold has been found at foot of rainbow."
Royce gives a report on the dubious Johnny to his daughter, which she refuses to accept. So Royce phones Charlie who then overhears Royce shouting at Johnny who has just come into his room. Royce is shot dead.
Inspector Duff can solve this one: "clear enough what happened." Despite what Charlie had heard over the phone, Douglas protests his innocence, and Charlie is amazingly inclined to accept his statement. He gives an alibi- he had been with Claire Harris, but maybe she is so envious of his relationship with Barbara, she refutes that alibi. "With woman like that," Charlie comments, "he has no need for enemies."
No1 Son is sure Claire is the killer- so we know it can't be her!! All pop had heard was a recording, according to Barry. He decides to ply her with champagne to get the truth out of her, but ends up the worse for drink himself.
Charlie finds out that there had been a splash immediately after the shooting. Four storeys down on the ground, the water butt had suddenly splashed. As Royce had once been "a brilliant actor" it's evident to the great detective, Charlie that is, that Royce had killed himself. Charlie explains to Barbara how he did it, as Duff's eyebrows are raised.
But Charlie is able to vindicate his theory that Royce committed suicide to implicate Johnny in his 'murder' when the gun is discovered in the water butt.
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Death at High Tide
Nazi war criminal Karl Brettner has excaped prison. As he's the only man alive who knows the exact location where the SS Patrick was sunk by his men during the war, it's important he's found before he gets away with the cargo of ten million dollars worth of gold bullion.
Le Bon Maranne is an inn near Bordeaux run by Henri and his wife Marie (Lisa Daniely)- she never leaves the place, having suffered in the war when both her parents were killed by the Gestapo. Here Charlie stays with Barry, the only other guest being an American, John Robey (Peter Dyneley), who just happens to have been the only survivor from the SS Patrick, and who owed his life to Henri's prompt action.
It's a wild and stormy night and whilst dad sleeps, No1 Son watches, on the lookout for Brettner. Inevitably he falls asleep, and misses an important conversation between Robey, Henri and the shadowy Brettner about how to retrieve the gold- all this opposed by Marie.
Brettner is found dead- according to Henri, Brettner had killed John Robey in a quarrel over sharing the loot, and Henri now offers to help Charlie and Barry. They meet Jakob, who's after Brettner also. He claims he has lost his job because of Brettner's escape. On the beach they do find a corpse- it's Brettner clutching a gold bar! The police conclude that Robey was the killer, whilst Charlie politely listens on. Now it's time for No1's theory- gold oxidises unless polished, but when kept underwater it should turn black, but the bar Brettner was holding was green. Charlie beams at Barry's unaccustomed astuteness.
Next night, whilst Barry sleeps, Charlie discovers Robey imprisoned in the cellar of the inn. A fight, and the killer is apprehended, the hiding place of the gold revealed.... Chan Menu
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"I can't cut the diamond," jeweller Emil van Boorman protests. It's the largest stone to have come from a Nigerian mine in the past fifty years. It's Charlie's job to recover this diamond which has been stolen.
Inspector Duff has already arrested Bert Conway (Michael Balfour, uncredited) for attacking the diamond cutter, but Bert claims he "had nothing to do with it," the robbery that is, adding that he's being framed by Webber (Arnold Marle), assistant to van Boorman.
However Emil's wife (Patricia Burke) has identified Bert as the attacker of her husband, so the Duffer's case seems pretty cut and dried. Mrs van Boorman's son Joe Hawkins (Ian Whittaker, uncredited) attends college in Amsterdam. Her doctor, Dr Laird (Leonard Sachs) stops Charlie questioning her when she gets worked up. It's clear he's in love with her. He does tell Charlie he'd been treating Emil for nerves, with a tranquilizer.
Barry, who has been strangely quiet up till now, searches the doctor's files, and finds details of Emil's prescription, only to be discovered, as per usual. The doctor phones complaining to Charlie. He counters Dr Laird's charges against No1 Son, with the information that analysis of Emil's pills show they are not tranquilizers, but stimulants.
"That doctor's mixed up somewhere in it, I know it," Barry tells dad later. Though he has to admit later "I don't get any of this."
Webber is also being prescribed tablets, and they are stimulants! It seems the war has taken its toll on him. Also Conway, who has been released- he's getting his own back on Webber, just as Charlie and No1 Son arrive. There and then, Charlie exposes a wartime collaborator and persuades Duff to arrest the real thief.
"I knew it was him all the time," declares wise No1 Son.
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At Madame Tussaud's ("entrance 3/-"), Mr Wallace (Ronald Leigh-Hunt) is showing Charlie and Inspector Duff around, when a man starts defacing the waxwork of Edward Simpson, the Brighton murderer. Quick as a flash, Duff arrests the man, an Alan Roberts (Brian Nissen), a bank clerk. He's just learned that this killer was his real father. Simpson had been hanged in 1927 for the murder of his wife. The husband's broken spectacles in her hands had proved his guilt.
Roberts is blackmailed for £1,000, and fearing for his continued employment at the bank agrees to pay up.
Optometrist Dr Antrim repairs the spectacles that the waxwork had been wearing. These were the actual glasses of the murderer.
The executor of the Simpson estate, John Kingsley, works at the same bank as Roberts, claiming he has been "like a father" to the young man. He states that a George Winslow was one of the few people who knew of Roberts' real identity, who had been adopted in the aftermath of the trial. Winslow was Simpson's solicitor. "I hardly knew him," contradicts Winslow. One thing is clear, however, that Winslow is very short sighted.
Another murder- this time Dr Antrim. Wallace finds him in Tussaud's, shot dead. Roberts' £1,000 is on his person. However though Roberts has a gun, it has not been fired recently.
It's the spectacles that yield the solution to the case of this ancient murder, and the more recent one. "Clouds are now clearing, inspector," Charlie tells the Duffer. Though Simpson had admtted the glasses were his, thus leading to his condemnation, Charlie can show that the actual lenses in them were not those of Simpson. Who knew this? Who had swapped the lenses? "I am afraid I don't understand," Duff's remark should have been an epitaph written on his gravestone. But he's not the only puzzled one.
Dr Antrim had obviously discovered the truth and had been killed for it. After some explanation, Duff believes he can see the light- but he can't! Charlie is of course able to put him on the right track: "actual person who tried to deceive humble duck…… " With a flourish he announces the killer and proceeds to the finish in a nice poetical line: "curious duck will now put foot on unsuspecting worm!"
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Sir Basil Dawson's moment of triumph as he finds the secrets of an Egyptian tomb. But it's shortlived, for his identical cousin shuts him inside to die.
Assuming Basil's identity, the imposter (Bruce Seton) meets Charlie at the British Museum. He asks Charlie to find his long-lost 'wife' Monica, so he can divorce her.
Charlie agrees to help and Inspector Duff is able to loan him a "dusty" file on Lady Dawson's disappearance. Barry bets he can find her first, and he employs the simple idea of placing an ad in the Evening News: "Lady Monica Dawson, last heard of at Wanborough Manor Hertfordshire, please contact advertiser...."
Charlie however is pursuing his own line of inquiry. At St Mary's Home Richmond he meets Monica's mother who blames her daughter for her failed marriage. An apposite scriptural quote from Charlie alleviates her bitterness and she gives Charlie a photo of Monica. At Wellington School Charlie obtains a photo of Basil, when he had been a pupil there. A teacher tells of Basil's "black sheep" cousin Richard, full of anti-establishment ideals. Charlie locates the impoverished fellow (William Franklyn) at Speaker's Corner. "This man's an imposter," he tells Charlie of the new Basil. It's something to do with his ears! Charlie learns how Basil had recently inherited a million.
Enid, the nurse to Monica's mother, reads Barry's ad, and spots the chance for a quick buck. She is able to produce some proof of who she is and the convinced No1 Son introduces her to her 'husband.' "This is wonderful!" exclaims the false Basil to his pretend wife. Over tea the couple discuss their future, it soon becoming clear Enid knows she is dealing with a phoney. He has to accept her as his wife.
But things are getting even worse for the new Basil. Charlie, with the aid of his photo, shows that young Basil's ears were a different shape to the current one's. Coolly, Basil burns the photo Charlie had obtained: "there goes your proof." But Charlie can trump that- Inspector Duff enters asking if he is Sir Basil. Of course! Then, announces Duff, "I arrest you for the murder of your wife." Charlie had found her body embalmed in a mummy, murdered years ago by her real husband.
Cousin Richard inherits the fortune and thanks Charlie, though his new wealth seems to have rather gone to his head.
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Paul Breton (Maurice Kaufmann) is forced to sell one of his paintings for a knockdown price to dealer Francois Duval (Lloyd Lamble). Paul is in the traditional state of an artist- penniless, and the story centres on the tried and trusted theme of posthumous fame. As Duval sees it- "if something very sad were to happen, his pictures would certainly increase highly in value."
Barry Chan takes a shine to Paul's girl friend Monica (Adrienne Corri) when he sees her at a Brussels art gallery. Pitying their financial plight, Charlie buys the couple a meal.
Duval's assistant Andre has gambling debts at Renaud's club. There's something about art collector Renaud that makes Charlie distrust him. With good reason, for he has forced Andre to break into Paul's studio and shoot him, to effect his posthumous glory plan. Luckily it's only Paul's shoulder that is grazed. Charlie senses another attempt will be made, but he should have also been more concerned about his own safety!
Outside Renaud's casino stands Barry's brand new sports car. No1 Son proudly prepares to start it up... but it's been tampered with and Charlie narrowly averts a tragedy.
Renaud asks Paul to come to see him to sell some pictures, but really also to finish him off. But Andre has rebelled and is threatening "I will shoot Paul Breton with your gun," he tells Renaud, "then I will shoot you." They struggle and Renaud is killed just as Paul enters: "in a moment I will make you immortal," announces Andre. But Charlie is there to prevent this: "excuse unexpected visit, " he explains to Paul, "but in digging up tree, one must start with roots."
Duval is arrested too, as Charlie ends with a line from Shakespeare.
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1940: Col Schmidt (Raymond Huntley) persuades a marquis to sell him a $200,000 first folio of Hamlet (1603) for $100, plus his own life. Having signed a bill of sale, with Nazi evil, the marquis is then shot.
1957, and Charlie and Barry are at Baron Schmidt's chateau to ask permission for No1 Son to photograph the folio, which is now being sold through dealer Zeigler. From the Shakespearean Historical Society, Arthur Fitzroy is just one potential purchaser. "I don't trust him," says Schmidt.
When Charlie and No1 Son arrive at Zeigler's shop, they interrupt a thief, clearly Schmidt wearing a mask, who escapes empty handed. Barry, right for once, relays this suspicion to Inspector Steiner.
That night, at Zeigler's bookshop, Barry, alone, photos the folio. The phone rings and Barry is told his father has been taken seriously ill. Nothing doubting, Barry rushes to his dad's side, perfectly healthy. Charlie sees the whole plot at once, but too late. Zeigler's is on fire. In the rubble is Barry's camera, the charred folio, as well as the corpse of the Baron.
Inspector Steiner proves that the fire was arson, and that the Baron was dead before the fire started. He'd been shot. Further, the burnt Hamlet, isn't the first folio at all.
Fitzroy and his friend Lebec were wartime buddies of the marquis, and had been determined to avenge his death. But they deny killing Schmidt.
"There was only one man" who could have killed him, Charlie announces. Motive: theft of the folio. Schmidt had been trying to steal his own property, in an insurance swindle, when this other thief had interrupted him and accidentally shot him.
Thus finally, the folio is returned to its rightful owner.
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In Pentonville Prison, a vicar (Richard Caldicot) is performing the last rites: “have hope my son,” he concludes. There’s no reprieve for poor Arthur Donald (John Stratton).
However this padre is convinced Donald is not guilty. “I know when a man speaks the truth,” he tells the governor (Robert Raglan), who is man enough to phone the Home Secretary to grant a temporary stay of execution.
Charlie Chan is asked by Father Dolan as a matter of urgency, to find out the truth. Cancelling his flight to America, he begins his inquiries with old friend Inspector Marlowe (Hugh Williams), who refuses to countenance any error by the police. The case is quite simple: night of March 3rd- Dr Roy Beech’s body found in a burning car on Hampstead Heath. Previously, he been clubbed to death. Next morning, Donald, Beech’s chauffeur and handyman had been arrested outside nearby Chalk Farm underground, carrying a stack of cash. In Donald’s East End room was found the murder weapon and clothing with the doctor’s bloodstains.
The doctor’s widow (Mary Laura Wood) explains her husband had picked Donald up from an East End Mission Hall and this man had worked very satisfactorily for Dr Beech for the past six months. “I could believe Arthur would have done it,” she adds, because he had been attracted to her.
At the mission hall, the vicar there believes “Donald isn’t a killer.” Charlie concurs, having endured the difficulties of “subway” (ie underground) travel. Why would Donald travel all the way to the East End with the murder weapon, leave it in his room, and then return all the way to Chalk Farm?
When Charlie tackles Donald about this, as he languishes in jail, he starts by being antagonistic. He says he hadn’t seen a lot of the “extravagant” Mrs Beech: “she’s old enough to be my mother.” So why is she lying?
The solution Charlie discovers in the doctor’s blood group. Donald is certain he was group AB, but O was the victim’s group. So the corpse is an imposter. Karl Bonner was Mrs Beech’s half-brother. He’s allegedly away on holiday abroad. Or is he?
Charlie goes to Highgate Cemetry to examine the mausoleum where Dr Beech is supposed to lie. But he is interrupted in his exploration by Mrs Beech, accompanied by her very-much-alive husband. It’s Karl who lies there dead. It was all an insurance swindle. Inspector Marlowe appears by magic and laps it all up, and makes his arrest: “you’re a marvel,” he tells Charlie, as he phones through Arthur Donald’s reprieve.
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Charlie is attending an Amsterdam fashion show to purchase a sweater for his daughter, when he meets an acquaintance from Honolulu, Virna Martin. She's just purchased an exclusive powder-blue bejewelled sweater, made by the celebrated Dirk (Conrad Phillips). However the owner of the salon van Doren has sold it to her in error, for it had been commissioned by the Contessa, who is upset when she cannot have her sweater. She offers to buy it from Mrs Martin, but her request is rejected.
Virna is found murdered. Inspector van der Reyden and Charlie comfort her husband Dick, who had been quarrelling with her over her friendship with a Londoner, so he is one suspect. But the sweater is missing, so is the Contessa.
Van Doren is sure it's she who must have killed Mrs Martin, for Dirk's sweaters are indeed unique and desirable. Charlie sees Dirk creating a new sweater similar to the missing one. "Where would first sweater be now?" is Charlie's pertinent question.
The answer is with the Contessa. Charlie finds her packing to sail to America, but she claims Mrs Martin had sold her the sweater providing she agreed to pay Dirk to make a second one.
On a boat tour round Amsterdam, Charlie is nearly knifed. Clearly someone is worried Charlie is getting close to the truth! Diamond smuggling is behind the killing, Charlie theorises: "what would be more simple than respectable notable dressmaker and social celebrity Contessa together going into diamond smuggling?"
Van der Reyden and Charlie stop the Contessa leaving, and Dirk is there with her. However surprisingly the sweater is concealing no diamonds. Apologies all round, the detectives exit shamefaced. But when she boards the liner Charlie "takes possession" of the sweater, which had been concealed successfully earlier, and the police now have all the evidence they need.
Charlie has still one more "sad duty"- to arrest Virna's killer. "It is most tragic that men are never strong enough to fight the fate their own evil has created."
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Savate- French boxing- is what No1 Son is practising in a Brussels gymnasium. The referee Georges (Ferdy Mayne) declares Barry has beaten Henri Berger, and No1 Son leaves the ring in triumph. However the ref then announces that Henri is dead!
"I only knocked him out," protests poor Barry to the police. Georges concurs: "a most unfortunate accident," though Henri's fiancee Odette is naturally distraught.
Barry tells his honourable father that he believes this was no accident. Charlie points out the problem such a theory would provide: "if murder is suspected, he advises, "you will be in boiling water."
Yet Barry knows that he last saw Henri lying in the ring, though when the police arrived the body was at the side of the ring. The few tourists who were watching might remember something, and Barry recalls one had taken photos. She's Mary Warner (Theresa Thorne), an American, who willingly gives Charlie her pictures for him to examine.
Barry explores the gym for clues at dead of night, only to be arrested: "the criminal often returns to the scene of the crime!" In jail, Charlie visits his hopeful son, who has discovered that the inspector who arrested him, Insp Renal, had once been engaged to Odette. However Renal does yield to Charlie's request for bail, and thus Barry is released from this "crowbar hotel." Together they ask Odette's mother Mme Dubois (Mary Kerridge) why Georges had been opposed to Odette's marriage with Henri. Jealousy seems to be the motive, for Henri had been given some money which Georges had expected to receive.
Examining Mary's photos, Charlie finds clear proof the body had been moved. He also spots a missing Indian club; Georges says "I didn't even notice the club was missing." There's the club- in Henri's locker. But Charlie also sees something else that, even after careful frame by frame analysis of the original, I cannot spot!
Georges decides it's time to make a run for it, but No1 Son deftly "sure fixes him" with a savate blow, and denounces him in front of Insp Renal. But of course Barry has muffed it, for, declares Charlie, it is Mme Dubois who "must be held for murder." She had planned the murder with Georges, for Charlie has discovered, what I couldn't spot, that she is in the photo Mary took.
The case over, Renal advises Barry in future to stick to American sports, so Charlie undertakes to enrol No1 Son in a Rock n Roll School.
"What is this rock n roll?" asks the puzzled inspector.
Charlie, in one of his best lines, explains: "Juvenile invention, substituting hips for brains. Only danger is when location of brains is questionable."
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Tony Hathaway's Memory of Terror is being launched at a bookshop, with the author signing copies. Charlie ("on my way to Paris") is at the shop when he notices a young lad point a gun at Hathaway (Raymond Huntley)- "loaded gun and angry boy very bad companions." Ronnie Ramsden is so worked up because he believes the writer has slandered his late father. Though Charlie prevents him shooting, Ronnie runs away straight into the path of a car.
At the Mercy Hospital he seems to have lost the will to live, so Charlie promises Norma his mother (Maxine Audley) that he will look into Hathaway's allegations in his book- these are that Captain Ramsden acted like a coward when he, Hathaway and a Chinese steward had been marooned for many days on a raft.
Hathaway's publisher takes Charlie to the India Docks to meet this servant, but it's too late, for they learn he "kicked the bucket" six months ago. Later however, Charlie obtains a notebook belonging to this Chinese and uses it as a bluff. Disguised as the Chinaman's uncle, he tells Hathaway this notebook is a quite different account of events on that raft. (That's certainly no lie, for it's actually a cookery book written in Chinese.) Hathaway produces £100 for the book. Declined.
Then Norma Ramsden has a surprising request to Charlie, "I want you to drop the case." She's very uncommunicative only warning "the truth might be as great a shock for Ronnie as that book of Hathaway's."
At the India Docks, the 'uncle' receives a succession of visitors. The "first gent" offers £200- it's Hathaway, improving his earlier price. Then it's Norma, it's clear she used to be quite friendly with our author! They start arguing over how Captain Ramsden was killed on that raft as the publisher enters, to "stop my client making a fool of himself." The last to come is Sir Arthur, Norma's new fiance, who also offers cash.
"Great heavens- it's Charlie Chan!" For Chan has now removed his disguise and is able to force Hathaway to sign a preparaed statement that his book is pure fiction.
On Waterloo Bridge, the recovered Ronnie thanks Charlie and hands him his agreed fee of £3, though with sleight of hand, the beneficient oriental returns it to the boy's pocket. Naturally
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Arriving by Sabena helicopter in Brussels are Charlie and No1 Son. They take a taxi to their hotel where, in the foyer, Barry notices a letter, just dropped on the floor, and asks a newly arrived group of tourists if it belongs to any of them.
Prof Ambrose (Alan Wheatley) is in charge of this group. Does the letter belong to "blustering" Mrs Remington, or her companion Marianne Edwards (Betty McDowall)? Or maybe it's boxer Max's, or "potential juvenile delinquent" Sharon's? None claims it, not surprising really as the envelope is addressed to a Mr Joseph Grady No7190 Sing Sing.
On the tour to the Congo Museum, Barry latches on to Sharon, Charlie tagging along with the group also. Prof Ambrose explains its delights, telling his group that Magellan discovered the Congo. That's incorrect points out the rather dumb looking Max. The prof stands corrected. Mrs Remington becomes very obnoxious when Max tells everyone more about the gorillas there. Whilst Charlie is admiring a stuffed gorilla, there's a scream and Mrs Remington tumbles down a staircase. "She is dead," pronounces Charlie, but not before she has whispered to Charlie that she had been pushed.
The police question the group, and secrets inevitably emerge. Marianne had recently been discharged from a mental home, and since she had been so obviously persecuted by her employer, she's the no1 suspect. But Charlie finds another possible motive, for a $10,000 jewel has been stolen from Mrs Remington's handbag. Now Barry pipes in with his solution. That Sing Sing letter is the key. Max confesses that it is his, and that he's the killer. But even Barry doesn't swallow that story- he's covering up for Marianne as he's "crazy" over her.
Charlie phones the USA about his own suspect; but which person is he phoning about?- he teases Barry. Whilst he does so, that suspect is convincing Marianne that she is still "tragically sick" and cannot recall killing her employer, even though she did. Jump off the bridge and end it all seems a nice solution. But she does know that she isn't guilty and she has to be pushed. Just in time, Charlie and the police stop another tragedy.
To No1 Son Charlie explains the background to the case as Marianne smiles again. "My son," Charlie concludes, "I must tell you about the birds and the bees."
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No Future for Frederick
Only a short role, sorry to say, for Derrick de Marney as a theatrical impresario who is warned by a palmist that he "has many enemies... you have no future."
Also in this distinguished cast is Hugh Williams as Inspector Marlowe who has offered to introduce Charlie Chan to this "idol of the London theatre." But backstage, there are opening night jitters as Frederick berates "incompetent fool" Beck the stage manager. Margaret, his leading lady, also receives his acid tongue: "I could kill you for that." Peter Vane is angry because his "big scene" in Act Two has been cut since Frederick finds it "dull." Even long serving dresser Bendall is in trouble, for Frederick hasn't any of his tablets, and Bendall is sent to the chemist as a matter of urgency.
When Frederick's body is found in his dressing room, Marlowe and Charlie are soon on the scene. Everyone had a "desire" to kill him, notes Charlie, though most curious, is the weird make-up that the corpse has been daubed with. There Charlie reconstructs the crime, but then Dr Moore insists death was a result of a heart attack. The inspector breathes a sigh of relief, commenting to Charlie "it's not often a case of murder turns out to be a case of natural death."
But Charlie disagrees with the optimistic policeman, and learns that Frederick's pills contain digitalis, a heart stimulant. But another bottle has a lethal dosage prescribed. As Inspector Marlowe stands by uselessly, Charlie explains the killer's motive. A lot of 'supposing' before a confession- "he deserved to die."
An admiring inspector congratulates Charlie.
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A courier is robbed of his case just outside Finlay's Bank. It's just been filled with banknotes, over £20,000 for the Allied Dairies payroll. In a neat switch, the thief bumps into Barry Chan who is innocently walking down the street.
"Pop, tell them I didn't do anything," protests No1 Son to dad, who is discussing this latest in a line of robberies with Inspector Marlowe (Hugh Williams). The man who shoved the decoy case into Barry's hands to try and create a diversion is identified as Bill Shaw from Shoreditch. Charlie interviews his dad. "Why did Bill do this?" his puzzled parent asks. For Bill is a fulfilled lad, who spends most of his time at the local boys' club, run by a Colonel Arthur Ross. At the mission hall, the vicar admits to Charlie that Bill is "no angel," though one of the volunteer helpers, Collins, manager of the Finlay's Bank, is very surprised that Bill should have so gone off the rails.
It's No1 Son for once, who makes a breakthrough in the case when his inquiries reveal that Col Ross died five years ago. Is his club a School for Crime, "like in Oliver Twist?"
In Brixton Prison, Barry tries to persuade Bill to talk. But he won't. Then outside the gates, Barry is knocked out, and police arrest him on suspicion of being drunk! Unfortunate, for he's supposed to be trailing Bill, who is being released from jail, in the hope that he'll lead police to the bogus colonel.
Bill does do just that, but finds Col Ross strangled. Bill is rearrested. His father confesses to killing Ross, but Charlie perceives it as "a sentimental sacrifice," for the killing must have been done by a black belt judo expert.
"Who would suspect.....?" Charlie addreses the killer, in an unusual scene, one-to-one, not the usual gathering of suspects Charlie does. The reason becomes obvious, as the criminal tries his judo on Charlie also, but Charlie proves he's pretty adept at the oriental art also. Well, he would be, wouldn't he?
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Rich Joseph Temple is receiving his morning shave from servant Bartou. Calling him "a sullen brute" whilst he wields a cut throat razor is asking for trouble!
Ann Temple (Ann Sears) is at loggerheads with her father over her intended, Michael Ross, whom Mr Temple brands as "a miserable fortune hunter."
It's a weekend house party, other guests being Payne, who has just discovered a rich uranium mine, and Temple's nephew, Harry Carr, Payne's assistant. Temple undertakes to purchase Payne's share in the mine and donate it to Harry.
To the assembled group, which also includes Charlie Chan and No1 Son, Michael Ross announces his engagement to Ann. Temple's grim response is that he will be consulting his lawyer in the morning to cut her out of his will.
It's no surprise therefore when Temple is found dead next day. Murder "with the usual blunt instrument," declares the police inspector (Trevor Reid, on top form). It's "an open and shut case," he confidently decides, as Bartou had been "pushed too far." Barry concurs: "the inspector has got the case sewn up." And indeed he must have, for Bartou himself confesses "I, Bartou, killed him."
But this is only the start of a series of changes of mind from the bewildered inspector, as Charlie explains that this Bartou has voodoo death fetishes in his room, and that's what he means by his words. Bartou explains "my magic killed him." So the "dejected" inspector has to admit his "bubble" has burst.
No1 Son however has his own theory. He had heard Michael Ross argung with Temple the previous night, though Michael claims "the man was alive when I left him."
The solution lies in a cablegram that Temple had recently received: "the mine faked." Notes Barry: "there's your motive, pop." And the inspector eagerly snatches at this latest idea: "he's our man all right."
But Charlie also wants to question "wildcat" Ann, who clearly never liked her father. The inspector follows this new tack happily: "could be the type to hit you over the head as soon as look at you."
So many suspects, they might all be guilty! Charlie summons them all at midnight in a dramatic finale. Bartou's "art of finding the guilty one by voodoo" is Charlie's method for flushing out the killer. Lights are switched off. Drums roll. Bartou enters, in a costume enough to frighten anyone. At last a confession: "he always despised me."
The guilty one is arrested and Bartou is thanked, Charlie presenting him with a recording of voodoo.
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An American racketeer (Alan Gifford) is searching for his long lost daughter Ellen, who's about to marry an English lord. The couple are set to be very happy together, but there's something to mar that happiness. Her adopted father Herbert warns her that she cannot marry Henry. "I'm sorry darling but I must.... I can stop it."
Now Charlie happens to be staying ("for pleasure") in the same hotel as Ellen, when is heard "unmistakeable sound of pistol shot." Herbert has been shot in the lift. Badly wounded he's taken to Queen's Hospital.
The police inspector (Russell Napier this time) questions Ellen, Charlie holding a watching brief. She does admit she'd fallen out with Herbert over her forthcoming marriage. Lisa (Delphi Lawrence), Herbert's partner in their law business demands to see Herbert, but as he's undergoing a brain operation, that's scarcely possible.
Enter the racketeer, ("long time no see" is Charlie's greeting, for he had put him away years back) and the crook confesses to shooting Herbert who had been blackmailing him. "Like finding real chicken in cafeteria shop, your confession is most surprising!" Charlie tells him.
No1 Son, who has been very quiet in this story up till now, tells the inspector the gun used in the shooting was Lisa's. "It's obviously her," declares the confident Barry, "don't you agree?" Charlie looks dubious. For he has worked out what Ellen still doesn't know, that Herbert isn't her natural father. Herbert's wife tells Charlie the whole story, in return for which Charlie gets her in to see her ailing husband.
In a hospital private room, she talks to her severely bandaged spouse. She starts to smother him. Charlie steps in quickly to prevent a murder. Behind the bandages it is only No1 Son. She explains why she was trying to kill her husband- he had been having an affair with Lisa. Anyway that's over now, for the naughty Herbert has died.
All very sad, but we get a happy end when Ellen gets married. Charlie toasts their health, and Ellen's natural father joins in. She thanks her real daddy.... aaah
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Outside a railway station in Rome, off the train from Paris where she had been buying furs, a girl is shot dead. "I need your help-" Charlie is asked by Dino Rienzi (Raymond Young) to find the killer of his ex-girl friend Joan Marsh (March?).Charlie is really here on holiday, so Barry enthusiastically takes on the case, Charlie agreeing to assist!
No1 Son's first job is to question Charlie's old friend Inspector Galvani. He confidently tells his dad "I'll let him make the arrest after I solve the case!" Galvani is currently rather busy getting "nowhere fast" on a case of a leakage of information from a top secret reactor plant, but listens patiently to Barry.
Charlie, meanwhile, is at the Arcadian Club where Miss Marsh sang. He learns Rienzi had been in love with Joan, but had recently fallen for a rich American widow Carol Vane (Kay Callard). This Carol admits she's hoping to marry Dino soon. She'd never met this Joan.
Dino confirms all this, and admits he had been still seeing Joan, but then his chat with Charlie is interrupted by Galvani, Barry in tow. They are searching for Dino's gun. "This gun has been fired very recently." He's arrested.
Charlie notes there are no prints on the gun, whilst conceding "you have a very good case, inspector." But he isn't convinced, and questions Carol again. She admits she did know Joan, who had tried to warn her off Dino, who, she claimed, was only after her for her money. But it seems Carol didn't care Dino was penniless.
Joan's source of wealth seems the key to the case. She hadn't earned that much at the "crummy club," so what was the source of her income? She had quipped about finding her fortune in a "lobster" and it so happens she had a friend who was a fisherman, and he just happens to fish off the shores near the reactor plant. Clearly blackmail.
At 2am Charlie breaks into the Arcadian Club and finds the ejected cartridge from the murder weapon (why it was there who knows?). Lobsters are there in plenty too, for it's the headquarters of a gang of spies. Joan had stumbled on the secret and had been blackmailing the owner (Gene Anderson). Charlie has a fight before the traitors are handcuffed. "The case is over." I don't think Barry quite solved that one.
The title Airport Murder Case is clearly wrong, as we see Joan at the start emerging from a train station. However as titles are not seen on screen, it's possible this title was given to the story later by some ignorant assistant
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In Nice, Monsieur Dubois negotiates with Charlie over collecting a package in Cairo from one Ali. "What's the gimmick?" asks the straightforward No1 Son. Allegedly, it's to avert a tribal conflict. "Wow, what's in the package?" blurts Barry, "an H bomb?!" Not quite, it's the golden hand of Hera Dass. Dubois must have it at precisely 8pm this Wednesday, or it could mean War.
At the Hotel Continentale in Cairo, it's very very hot. Ali brings The Hand. "He sure looked nervous," notes Barry, who is on form today. Next minute we know why. Ali is stabbed in back.
Close on Ali's heels into their room is a veiled lady, Yasmin (Eunice Gayson). She warns that one-eyed Ahmed is after The Hand. Barry escorts her home, and is rewarded with a kiss. But he notices she leaves home immediately, and he follows her to an assignation with a one eyed man. Then Barry is overcome and left unconscious, the two attackers at once go to search his hotel room. But Barry returns to stop their progress.
Then another visitor, this time an elderly gent who talks in pithy sayings like the great detective. He also wants The Hand, claiming it had been stolen from him yesterday.
Yasmin is the next in this procession to their room. She had received this note from Ahmed and had gone to talk to him, as Barry knows, and she is worried Ahmed will kill them. "Give me that hand now," she rather unsurprisingly concludes.
A final interruption! This time it's Ahmed and his cronies. He wants, you guessed it, The Hand. Name your own price. All Charlie wants is the name of Ali's killer. Easy, responds Ahmed, it was Yasmin. She draws a knife, but the police make a belated appearance to cart all the villains off.
Back in Nice Dubois receives the Golden Hand. But Charlie has brought it nine hours early, to accuse Dubois of being the killer of Ali. "You are out of your senses." But of course Charlie is not, as he hands The Hand to its rightful owner, the elderly bloke, in time to avert any tribal war
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American Tom Steele buys a pair of antique candelabras. “What do you think of them?” “Beautiful,” declares No1 Son. “Not quite,” declares Charlie, for they are fakes.
They return to Winkleman the vendor who tells them the provenance is excellent, for they had belonged to Lady Abbot.
He seeks the opinion of an expert in Georgian silver, Cecil Meadows, who however declares them “not genuine, a clever copy.”
Winkleman summons Carstairs, his assistant. The explanation seems to be that Carstairs had, at Laura Abbot’s request, made copies for her of what she was selling, and that these copies had been sold in error.
“There’s something fishy about this deal,” notes Barry wisely, and he proceeds to Lady Abbot’s where he overhears Lady Abbot’s plot with Winkleman and Carstairs, who turns out to be her wastrel brother. Then Barry is knocked unconscious. When he comes to, the butler is accusing him of murdering Lady Abbot! Thankfully Charlie is able to persuade Inspector Duff that No1Son is innocent.
In Winkleman’s shop, Charlie finds the owner burning sales documents, which Charlie rescues from the stove. “Put that down, Chan.” But Inspector Duffer steps in to examine the ledger. “Only fraud charge,” declares Charlie, for he knows Winkleman is not Lady Abbot’s killer.
All Lady Abbot’s genuine antiques are discovered in Carstairs’ rooms. These candelabras are the genuine ones, Meadows declares, and are handed to Tom. However it’s not Carstairs who is arrested for murder either.
”I don’t get it pop,” complains No1 Son. Charlie explains how he has played his hunch to expose the real killer
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A well written story directed by Don Chaffey, with a strong cast.
"You've had this coming for a long time!" shouts a girl as she shoots Charlie Chan himself. Chan collapses writhing on the ground. But he's only acting in a film studio, where he's technical adviser. "You should be in front of the camera," congratulates the director Pietro Pinero (Robert Arden).
He is one admirer of the girl, the star Sybil Adams (Joan Rice), another being producer Howard Richards (Basil Dignam). It's the latter who asks Charlie to find Sybil, when she suddenly disappears.
In her dressing room, No1 Son finds a bouquet of flowers from Pinero, and constructs an elaborate theory to prove he is behind it, but Charlie is more absorbed by an advertisement for an invalid carriage. Some questions, and he learns one Don McGruder (Philip Friend) of Ivy Cottage Lovat Green has just bought one.
With Barry posing in a wheelchair, Charlie approaches Don. "If you have come here to snoop," he warns, holding one of his many rifles. But Charlie is only inquiring after wheelchairs.But they soon find Sybil there, she's secretly married Don, secretly because "who'd be interested in a star who was tied to a wreck like me?"
Someone shoots at Don, but misses. "Could be attempted murder," pronounces Charlie, rather obviously. So Inspector Duff is phoned. He questions everyone and from the housekeeper Mrs Frost, who obviously despises Don, we learn that Don had once been a fine actor, but was paralysed after rescuing Sybil from a fire: "he uses his paralysis as a whip."
Filming recommences, Sybil rehearses a scene with Cary Norton (William Lucas). Her prop gun fails to make any noise, so the watching Don mends the bent firing pin. Scene 30 take 2. This time the gun goes off, but the bullet is real! Pinero is hit in the shoulder.
Charlie evolves a plan, persuading Sybil to start a row on the set, and storm off. Charlie then produces a friend's lucrative film contract for Don and Sybil, but Don has to decline as he cannot walk. "If only I could," he repeats. He tries but doesn't quite stay on his feet. Sybil tells Don she's suing for divorce so she can take up the contract, and Cary puts himself forward.
"You can't," claims Mrs Frost, for she had watched Cary earlier shooting at Don. She had kept silent as she hates Don. Motive- Cary is yet another admirer of Sybil.
But all this acting was Charlie's plan, so there's a happy ending as Don really does manage to walk.
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Man in the Wall (Skeleton in Armour)
The rubble of a tower block bombed during the war is at last being cleared, when a skeleton in a suit of armour brings all work to a standstill. Owner of the site Mr Packer is worried his new luxury apartments won't sell if there is a legend of a ghost hanging to the building, so he invites Charlie to solve the mystery of the 500 year old death.
Inspector Duff is keen for Charlie's help also, for the skeleton proves not so ancient as has originally been supposed, for death had come via a more recent invention, a bullet, that had pierced the arrmour.
The night of the air raid in which the apartment block had been destroyed, there had been a fancy dress party. From dental records, one Mr Torrance is identified as the dead man. His wife is still alive, living with her son Gerald (Terence Alexander) and his wife Virginia- all three had survived the raid, the latter two had been only children at the time. Mr Torrance had run his own business with a Mr Morgan, who had also attended the party.
Gerald is rather unhelpful, and is against this investigation. Virginia then approaches Charlie to stop, then Mrs Torrance. "Very singular," observes the great detective. "The Torrance family don't want to know murderer." And Mr Morgan is "opposed to the entire investigation" also! He had been playing billiards when the bomb fell, and had ended up in hospital, both legs broken. He has inherited the business, so Barry decides he is the chief suspect. No1 Son also constructs a model of the building, and is able to work out that the billiards room is adjacent to the library, where Torrance had been, when he had died.
Someone attempts to kill Charlie as he explores the rubble. It looks a hopeless task: "a seventeen year old murder, where the scene of the crime has been blasted into oblivion, and all witnesses are dead."
"Very strange case," repeats Charlie. For now Mr Packer wants Charlie to stop too! Threats from the Torrances have persuaded him.
Yet is the case solved when Charlie examines the armour? He deduces the bullet had come from a German bomber. So it's not murder after all, declares a relieved Duffer. But of course Charlie has to disabuse him. For he has noticed the late Inspector Ferguson had been on duty at the party. Duff finds out he had been investigating Torrance and Morgan for possible blackmarket activities. But with his death in the raid the case had had to be closed. To the Torrance family, Charlie explains what had happened that fateful night. Ferguson was killed by Torrance, just before Torrance had himself been shot from the air. It is what the children had seen: "you know it all, Mr Chan."
"If only we had told the truth from the beginning," is the sad conclusion.
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A thief enters a bedroom. Having pocketed a wad of cash, he overhears a woman shouting "I'm going to stop it, if it's the last thing I do." Then she screams. The thief makes a quick exit, but straight into the arms of a bobby.
Charlie is first on the scene of the murdered woman, as he was coming to see this Helen Crane. Her husband Robert (John Salew) is out at a restaurant, celebrating the engagement of Julie (Brenda Hogan), his daughter from his first marriage.
Inspector Duff is certain the thief Pete Wilson known as 'Second Storey Pete' (Patrick Troughton) is the killer. Pete protests he "would never hurt a fly... honest that's me!" It's enough to convince "big shot" Charlie to defend him. Poor Pete looks triumphantly at the Duffer and says "what a relief to know there are some real brains on the job!"
Charlie explains to the Cranes that Mrs Crane had engaged him, unbeknown to them, to report on a John Bolton. What he had discovered could have prevented Julie's wedding. For Robert Crane is to hand over half his family fortune to his daughter when she gets married. The long serving maid, Alice, is "almost glad" Mrs Crane is dead, for she was an evil woman who was enamoured of money.
The murder weapon is found, a pair of scissors. No1 Son believes Dr Pearson, Julie's fiance, is the "bet for the murderer." For this John Bolton Charlie had been investigating, is Pearson's legal father, but he is now in Broadmoor for murdering his wife. Mrs Crane didn't know this fact, although Denis Pearson had told his dark secret to Julie and her dad. But Charlie knows Barry is wrong- as usual. However he is still searching for motive.
Pete Wilson escapes police custody and asks Charlie to shield him. Chan introduces Pete to the Cranes. "What are you trying to do Mr Chan?"
It's a slight subterfuge on Charlie's part, for he explains Pete had heard the killer speaking to Helen Crane. "It was 'er, guvnor," Pete announces, dramatically pointing his finger at Julie. She looks shocked.
"I know he's a liar," declares Alice, who now confesses. Helen Crane had been going to denounce the engagement. "I couldn't stand by and let that woman spoil her life," says the loyal maid.
Charlie apologises for his ruse. "Charlie Chan succeeds again," sighs the Duffer.
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"That guy could not fool me for one minute," boasts No1 Son to dad and Inspector Rietti, who are watching the stage act of that master of disguise, Pietro Monti (Alan Wheatley), known as The Man of a Hundred Faces. But look, here comes Pietro wandering around the audience dressed as an old flower seller, to prove No1 Son wrong. Yes, it's back to the books for poor Barry, and a thorough reread of the textbook of Wolfgang Sodorheim.
Nearly 70,000,000 lire-worth of jewels have just been stolen by Vincente Donati (Eric Pohlmann) with the help of this same Monti, wearing his crooked face.
But next day, Charlie and Barry meet Pietro again, disguised as the gondolier escorting our tourists round Venice. He asks Charlie for help- he says he's being forced to use his mastery of disguise by the villainous Donati to commit robberies.
Charlie takes on the case and, in a district of "very doubtful appeal," offers Donati 15,000 dollars for a share in his export business. Donati accepts but seems suspicious of Charlie's motives. And even No1 Son can see Donati wouldn't agree a partnership with a famous detective "unless he has something up his sleeve." Murder is the answer, though not in the way Barry dramatically expects with the bullet, but in the food, as a waiter at the Hotel de Medici brings them their lunch. Yes, it's Pietro Monti as usual, now as a balding waiter, who warns the pair that Donati is going to rob the Count de Venci tomorrow at 10.30am of his $200,000 painting Virgin and Child. Adds Monti: "I shall be disguised as a curator." Then Donati phones Charlie who feigns poisoning. Whilst Donati gloats at the other end of the line, Barry panics, until he realises it's all an act.
So Donati believes Charlie is safely off the scene and he arrives at the Count's palace as planned, with a curator in tow. Charlie and Inspector Rietti are waiting and all are arrested, except for the curator.
But Charlie exposes the deeper plot. This painting is a fake- it's part of Monti's plan to get the rest of his gang arrested, whilst he clears off with the genuine painting. The Count is horrified to find his painting has been switched and helps the search for the curator who has disappeared. But there's one last ingenious twist, the count is actually Monti in disguise and Charlie is now able to clear the case up. But, asks No1 Son, how on earth did Charlie spot his disguise? Charlie refers back to the immortal Sodorheim
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No1 Son has left Venice for Paris, where he's said to be studying French culture. We never see him again.
At the Venice casino, Charlie is watching John Benson (John McClaren) who is losing. "Winning can be a bore," is his novel response. But as he's a millionaire, he can afford to be blase; he's also a keen skin diver, and a man with a beautiful wife. Alice (Jeanette Sterke) is in love with a local doctor, Paul Durant. "Keep away from my wife," is the warning Benson gives him.
Charlie is positive he's seen Benson before, he's Arthur Whalen, a swindler wanted by the Californian police. Inspector Bonini follows Charlie's tip-off and boards his gondola to arrest Benson alias Whalen, but he's dead! His clothing has been discovered on the beach, his aqualung poisoned with cyanide.
His solicitor Henry Winslow (Cyril Chamberlain) is the sole beneficiary of Benson's new will, which had been drawn up the previous evening, under Benson's conviction that his wife and her lover were planning to kill him.
Exploring the beach, Charlie finds the solution to this case, which is "not so simple" as the inspector had believed. For the corpse has not yet been washed ashore. However Bonini learns Alice had recently purchased some cyanide, she claiming her husband had asked her to, and she is under arrest. But for Charlie, such an action is too "indiscreet" if she were the killer.
Winslow is toasting his new found fortune. However Charlie throws a spoke into his happiness by pointing out the estate is not legally bound to pay out in the absence of any body. "That is the law here."
This draws Winslow to fall for Charlie's "long shot" as he speeds by gondola (the gondolier dressed the same as the Man with 100 Faces, #33), whilst Charlie and the inspector tail him. Winslow goes straight to Benson, and tries to strangle him, in his attempt at double cross. But he's arrested.
What had excited Charlie's suspicion? You see, the position of the aqualung on the shore was well above the waterline. Should have spotted that clue myself!
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This is rather different from the usual Chan story, containing a nice portrait of a bumbling tourist. This Archibald is in Rome, but he's forgotten that today, Friday the 13th, is his wedding anniversary. How fortunate that he has bumped into a salesman who offers him an "exquisite" silver bowl! After haggling ("mio molto broko"), a price of 20,000 lire is agreed.
It's disappointment for downtrodden Archibald, when his wife tells him it "belongs in a junkyard," and insists he gets his money back. As he can't find the salesman, he takes it to a jeweller and is shocked when he's offered 800,000 lire for it. It so happens that Charlie is in the shop at the same time, and offers to help Archibald trace the original seller. After a tour of Rome, they do find where the man came from, but the house is actually owned by wealthy Roberto Ricci (Martin Benson), who doesn't know, he says, about this salesman. However we learn that Archibald has accidentally been sold a genuine silver bowl instead of one of the numerous reproductions Ricci keeps in his home, to sell to unsuspecting tourists.
At the National Museum, it is confirmed to Charlie that the bowl is a genuine one by Cellini. But the innocent Archibald is then duped by one Count Veschi, who admires the bowl: "you are a very fortunate man," he tells Archibald. He switches the bowl for a fake.
Police are able, from the description of this 'count,' to identify him. He's another swindler, and when they catch up wth him, he has been strangled. Of course the genuine bowl is nowhere to be seen.
Charlie and the police know where to find it- at Ricci's. He's not at home, but that salesman is, and he shows them a cabinet containing an "amazing collection" of fake Cellinis. Ricci interrupts them, brandishing a gun. A swift move by Charlie, and he's under arrest.
Archibald is now reunited with his valuable bowl. Despite all this, there's a nice touch, as his wife still refuses to like it
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In 1950, a patient of Dr Alfred Black (David Langton) witnesses a road accident outside his Harley Street consulting rooms.
Seven years later, this woman Margaret Holmes (Jane Griffiths), is called Ann Meadows, engaged to Richard Stanton (Dermot Walsh), a travel agent. By a stroke of good fortune, Charlie Chan is at Stanton's shop, when Ann comes in, with her sister-in-law Cecilia who tells a shocked Richard and Charlie that Ann-Margaret has just found her memory of the past returning. In 1950 she'd been married to Anthony whose wild ways had already caused sister Cecilia to end up in a wheelchair. Even though Margaret had been expecting their child, she was now contemplating divorce. Dr Black is later able to fill Charlie in on the fact that police believe Margaret poisoned Anthony before he was killed in a car crash. She'd used an overdose of Cecilia's tablets, but as she had contracted amnesia, she could not be prosecuted. Instead she had been confined to a sanatorium, from where, three years ago she'd disappeared.
At Scotland Yard, Inspector Duff discusses the accident Margaret had witnessed outside Dr Black's rooms. But her name does not appear on the list of eyewitness, though Ann Meadows does! Proof that she had lost her memory before her husband had been poisoned. Their theorising is interrupted by a phone call from Richard, saying he's just got home to find Margaret there, she's been shot!
By another stroke of luck, she's OK. But how did she get into his house, as she had no key now? One key however is lying on the floor. Richard explains how they'd first met three years ago. "it was almost as if she was walking in her sleep," he recounts, on the day that she knocked at his door here. "Who lived here before you?" the perceptive Chan interposes. It was one Joyce Gibbs, who had allegedly been in love with Anthony Holmes, Lotusbud, she's called in his letters to her. This Nurse Gibbs, one time nurse to Cecilia, she's the one Anne had come here today to see.
"I begin to see daylight," claims Charlie, though Inspector Duff clearly doesn't. So where is Nurse Gibbs?
The case is really solved not by any Chan magic, but when Ann-Margaret's memory returns. She remembers her first visit to what is now Richard Stanton's home: "she stood there.... and he stood there.... I've come to finish it....." It all comes back to her.
Back in Harley Street, Charlie is able to show some of his old brilliance, whilst his baffled audience listen incredulous. The key is significant: "what are you trying to prove, Charlie?" asks the bemused Duff.
Finally Charlie congratulates Richard and Ann on their forthcoming wedding, to end this pleasing story, even though Charlie never utters even one of his pithy sayings
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In Rome, Janet Curtis and her father book into a pensiona. The receptionist Vittorio (Alan Tilvern) shows them to their rooms, she's in 16, he in 47. But she thinks she's going mad when Vittorio later tells her that her father never came to this hotel. Where is he?
Frantic, she finds Charlie Chan in the Hotel Florino. Curtis is an old acquaintance, and Charlie smells a rat, knowing he's working on a top secret ultrasonics project. She swaps rooms with Charlie whose first task is to talk to that receptionist.
He finds Vittorio's Polish wife, who is living in rather luxurious premises: "very beautiful new television set," notes Charlie. She's about to tell Charlie something vitally important when in walks her husband. "Me, I do not like police," he states, matching words to action by trying to knife Charlie. Charlie arranges to meet the wife later near the Forum, and as he clambers around the ruins sightseeing (genuine location shots), he stumbles on her corpse. He finds a series of numbers 876.500.
It's a phone number, and police chief Inspector Galvani discovers it's a private hospital for "mad persons." The receptionist there recognises Curtis' picture, as a patient being treated by a new doctor, who has "a blonde beard." She adds that the patient had died and the body taken away.
But the mortuary she's been taken to is a very expensive one, notes Charlie. Inspector Galvani merely follows Charlie as they interview Vittorio. They examine Room 47 where the occupant Gastelli has just checked out. He's the man with the "blonde beard." Charlie examines a notepad which has the impression of some words: the airport 11.30.
With the useless inspector, Charlie dashes to the funeral parlour to demand the coffin of Victor's wife is opened. Inside is "daddy," Prof Curtis, breathing, but doped. The blonde bearded doctor-crook is arrested.
Later Janet is happily reunited with her father. Charlie explains the whole plot, all about smuggling Curtis to Poland, before he heads off for the London train.
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Rhyme or TreasonMiss Linda Coslow (Lisa Daniely) has just won £375 in the quiz What's Your Answer?- a programme sponsored by The Happy Bakers Association- as this is in Britain, it's very odd, as sponsored programmes are banned!
Call in Charlie Chan! Which is what Miss Coslow does, for she is using her winnings to pay for the great detective's fee. She wants Charlie to prove her imprisoned dad James, a former poet, is not guilty of the wartime charge of treason. "I've always known he was innocent," she tells Charlie.
Inspector Duff is sceptical. He produces the evidence, which was enough to convict Coslow- a message typed on his own typewriter. Sir Aubrey Talbot, commander of the wartime cipher unit, explains that he lead a group of men breaking codes at Benham House, which incredibly is still in "roughly the same condition" as when they were there in the war.
So Charlie, presumably hoping to yet spot some vital clue, assembles the old gang there, except for Coslow of course. His typist, Miss Murdoch (Mary Laura Wood), admits she was in love with James. Maxwell Duggan, the man who denounced the traitor, shows where he found the incriminating evidence, in a secret compartment in Coslow's desk. Cecil Barrows (Ralph Michael), now a drunkard, claims to have liked Coslow, even though it was he who took over Coslow's work after he was arrested.
The real traitor seems to be Miss Murdoch (though no No1 Son here to utter that accusation), for Charlie proves that the evidence must have been typed by a trained typist, and as Linda urges, "hardly any men are typists, it must have been her." Certainly not her father, who was no touch typist.
With Linda's help, Charlie resorts to subterfuge, creating a forged Nazi document which names the quisling who would take charge in Britain when the Nazi invasion succeeded. Charlie's paper produces a sudden switching off of the lights, when the group all gather again at what Charlie terms A Vindication Party. The paper is thrown into the fire, but now the real traitor is flushed out.
James Coslow is freed, and thanks Charlie, who refuses to accept any fee
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Three For OneAme's Treasure House (sic) has acquired a collection of antique china, which a customer starts smashing. "But Cosgrove, why?" asks the shop manager Peter Ross (Derek Bond). "I don't know Peter," is the reply the vandal (Ronald Leigh-Hunt) offers.
This seems almost like a proto-Avengers script, for this is only the latest in a line of acts of sabotage at the Treasure House. And all the attacks have been by friends of Ross.
First there was Herbert Hodges, a taxidermist, who had ripped a Picasso. Then Doris Tillman (Delphi Lawrence) manager of the Hastings Grill, who had poured acid over tapestries. And now Cosgrove. All three cannot remember the damage they'd done or why they had done it.
It seems to Charlie, there's a plot to discredit Ross, but the only enemy he seems to have is Marilyn Marsh, whom he jilted when he met his present wife Betty, daughter of the owner of the Treasure House. But Marilyn is in a rest home at present, so it can't be her.
Another vandal. "Where am I?" asks Colin Prentice, yet another pal of Ross.
A common link with all four is eye specialist Dr Sanders (Ernest Clark), who runs a consultancy in rooms above the Hastings Grill. And he had once been engaged to Betty before Peter Ross had come on the scene.
Six o'clock is chiming when Charlie reports his findings to Ross. His response is to draw a gun and shoot Charlie. Charlie ducks, but realises Ross is in a trance. When he awakens from it, he asks "who did it?" He wants to know who has hynoptised him.
At the Hastings Grill, Charlie assembles all the vandals, as well as Ross and Dr Sanders- "quite a party." Hastings, the owner, (Robert Cawdron) tries to hynoptise Charlie. Charlie obeys. He's only pretending of course, and thus the tables are turned. Hastings' motive- he is the sister of Marilyn whom Ross had jilted.
So the party can continue- "To Charlie Chan!" toasts Derek Bond.
"To a happy ending, Mr Chan" declares Ernest Clark, as a finale to this series.
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