THE TRAP

US, 1946, 68 minutes, Black-and-white.
Sidney Toler, Mantan Moreland, Victor Sen Yung.
Directed by Howard Bretherton.

A touch of sadness. This is the last Charlie Chan film with Sidney Toler in the role. He had succeeded Warner Oland in the late 1930s and made a great number of Charlie Chan mysteries.

Mantan Moreland is here once again as Birmingham Brown, with his now politically incorrect comic rolling of eyes and nervousness which proved amusing at the time. He is very energetic. Moreland was to continue as Birmingham Brown in the four Charlie Chan film starring Roland Winters. Victor Sen Yung reappears as third son, Jimmy.

The director this time is Howard Bretherton, a prolific director from the 1920s to the late 1940s, many films are year, and many, many westerns.

The look of the film is different from the previous episodes, particularly with the end of the war, some outdoor photography, contemporary cars, a car chase. The lighting is much brighter. However, there are some studio sets, inside a beach hotel resort.

The focus of the film is on a group of theatrical people, actresses, wardrobe managers, doctor, impresario, press agent. When one of the girls is murdered, Charlie Chan is accidentally called in by Chinese girl phoning for Jimmy to come to solve the case. Then another murder. There is a variety of suspects, mysterious goings-on, Birmingham Brown being afraid, Jimmy flirting with the Chinese girl, Charlie Chan taking his time to assess all the clues – and, once again, a solution that the audience might not have been anticipating.

An average episode, but a farewell to Sidney Toler who died, aged 72, in February 1947.