Charlie Chan at the Circus ** (1936, Warner Oland, Keye Luke, John McGuire, George Brasno, Olive Brasno, Francis Ford) – Movie Review 9036

Director Harry Lachman’s 1936 mystery thriller Charlie Chan at the Circus is a middling, though still entertaining enough episode, in which Warner Oland stars as Chan, who probes a circus killing, along with the help of his dozen children. Chan gets free passes to the circus for his entire family in return for investigating the threatening letters the owner has received. As usual, murder most foul follows.

Unfortunately, Robert Ellis and Helen Logan’s original screenplay is on the weak side, with some daft jokes and an obvious plot. But the attractive performances of Oland and Keye Luke, as Number One Son, keep it going. J Carrol Naish, a future Chan on TV in The New Adventures of Charlie Chan (1956-57), enjoys himself in an offbeat bad guy role as the circus snake charmer, Tom Holt, obviously a bit of a snake himself.

Also in the cast are George Brasno, Olive Brasno, Francis Ford, Maxine Reiner, John McGuire, Shirley Deane, J Carrol Naish, Wade Boteler, Drue Leyton, Franklyn Farnum, Shia Jung, Paul Stanton and Boothe Howard.

It is preceded by Charlie Chan’s Secret (1936) and followed by Charlie Chan at the Race Track (1936).

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9036

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