Charlie Chan’s Secret (1935)

Charlie Chan’s Secret (1935)

“Charlie Chan’s Secret” is a 1935 mystery film directed by Gordon Wiles, written by Robert Ellis, Helen Logan and Joseph Hoffman, based on a character created by Earl Derr Biggers.

The heir to a huge fortune is presumed drowned, then shows up, is then murdered.

Cast:

• Warner Oland – Charlie Chan, famous Chinese-American detective from Honolulu
• Jerry Miley – Allen Colby, the murdered heir, son of Bernard Colby and nephew of Henrietta Colby Lowell
• Henrietta Crosman – Mrs Lowell, Allen’s aunt, who is currently administering her late brother’s fortune – she awaits his son’s return
• Rosina Lawrence – Alice Lowell, one of Henrietta Lowell’s daughters, engaged to Dick Williams, lives at Lowell House with her mother
• Charles Quigley – Dick Williams, Alice’s fiancé, a newspaper reporter, always on the lookout for a big story
• Astrid Allwyn – Janice Lowell Gage, Mrs Lowell’s other daughter; she thinks her mother should be entitled to something from her late uncle’s estate, regardless of Allen’s claims
• Edward Trevor – Fred Gage, Henrietta’s son-in-law, married to Janice; he is the accountant for the estate and knows the layout of Colby House
• Herbert Mundin – Mrs Lowell’s butler, Baxter, who despite the butler stereotype decidedly did not do it; he provides comic relief throughout the film
• Jonathan Hale – Warren Phelps, Mrs Lowell’s attorney and executor of Bernard Colby’s estate; he recently suffered serious losses on the stock market, and will be out of a job if Allen returns
• Egon Brecher – Ulrich, the caretaker at Colby House; he has a grudge against Allen for jilting his daughter, who subsequently committed suicide
• Arthur Edmund Carewe – Prof. Bowen, Mrs Lowell’s advisor psychic researcher; he apparently knows of Allen Colby’s death, but it is not explained how
• Gloria Roy – Carlotta, Prof. Bowen’s wife; she is a genuine medium although Bowen is somewhat fraudulent; but both will no longer be employed by Mrs Lowell if Allen returns
• Ivan Miller – Detective Inspector Morton of the San Francisco Police, in charge of the case
• William Bailey – Detective Harris
• Bud Geary, Chuck Hamilton and Brick Sullivan – SFPD officers
• James T. Mack – the forensic officer dusting for fingerprints
• Landers Stevens – the pathologist who examines Allen Colby’s body at the scene
• Francis Ford – the captain of a ship salvaging the remains of the S.S. Nestor, on which Allen Colby was travelling when it sank

„Charlie Chan’s Secret“ ist ein Krimi aus dem Jahr 1935 unter der Regie von Gordon Wiles, nach einem Drehbuch von Robert Ellis, Helen Logan und Joseph Hoffman, basierend auf einer von Earl Derr Biggers geschaffenen Figur.

Der Erbe eines riesigen Vermögens gilt zunächst als ertrunken, taucht dann wieder auf und wird schließlich ermordet.