DANGEROUS MONEY

US, 1946, 65 minutes, Black-and-white.
Sidney Toler, Gloria Warren, Sen Yung, Joseph Crehan, Willie Best.
Directed by Terry Morse.

This film came towards the end of Sidney Toler’s career playing Charlie Chan. Toler was to die in February 1947. He spent almost 10 years as Charlie Chan, continuing the tradition of Warner Oland, in appearance, portly, his wife Susan had, his Chinese eyes, his mannerisms, his style of English, the Chinese aphorisms.

In this film Charlie Chan is on his way to Australia – never got there. There are difficulties on board the ship as it makes its way toward Samoa. A Treasury agent warns Chan about financial difficulties, attempts on his life. But he is killed.

There is are good list of suspicious characters starting with the Captain. There is also a young woman with forged papers but it emerges that she is trying to protect artworks which had been saved by her father. There is also the officer in love with her who does some covering up. There is also a salesman who, it turns out, in a very loudmouthed way, is blackmailing her.

There is also a knife thrower on board – and there are a number of knife throws, some of them fatal.

There is a Reverend on board who seems rather suspicious – but, more suspicious, is his wife who turns out to be a man in disguise.

Plenty of investigations, interrogations, audience suspicions – and some twists in a final solution.