lugonian
THE BLACK CAMEL (Fox Studios, 1931), directed by Hamilton MacFadden, is not one set in the Sahara desert about a sheik riding bumpily on a camel's hump, but a murder mystery set in Honolulu, Hawaii. Taken from an original story by mystery writer, Earl Derr Biggers, best known for his creation of the Charlie Chan character, THE BLACK CAMEL, offers Warner Oland a second opportunity to carry on in the role of the famed Oriental sleuth following his character introduction from CHARLIE CHAN CARRIES ON (Fox, 1931), which would lead to future "Chan" cinema mysteries to follow.Following an opening passage of men surfing on the waves to the underscoring of "On the Beaches of Waikiki," and front page spreads filling the screen of Honolulu welcoming Hollywood motion picture company, and of its leading lady, Shelah Fane (Dorothy Revier) set to marry Alan Jaynes (William Post Jr.), a wealthy globe trotter she met on the boat and known for only a week. Unable to concentrate on her scenes for the upcoming motion picture, Shelah sends for Tarneverro the Great (Bela Lugosi), for advise about her future. Upon their meeting, the psychic reveals a dark secret about her past that occurred three years ago. Later at a gathering at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Shelah is found dead. Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) of the Honolulu police, passing himself as a Chinese merchant, investigates. Among the suspects are Julie O'Neill (Sally O'Neil), Shelah's friend; Jimmy Bradshaw (Robert Young), a slogan man and Julie's romantic interest; Robert Fyfe (Victor Varconi), actor and Shelah's ex-husband; Archie Smith (Murray Kinnell), an artist who holds a portrait painting of Shelah' Anna (Violet Dunn), Shelah's maid; and her husband, Jessop (the uncredited Dwight Frye), the butler. Others in the cast consist of Marjorie White (Rita Ballou); Richard Tucker (Wilkie Ballou); and its director, Hamilton MacFadden, playing a movie director.What does this have to do with the black camel? Nothing really except from a proverb recited from Charlie Chan himself, "Death is a black camel that kneels unbidden at every gate." Those familiar with the latter Chan mysteries starring either Warner Oland or his successor, Sidney Toler, would find THE BLACK CAMEL quite formula Chan material, even during its early stages. In a scene set during the midway point, there's the presentation of Charlie and his Chan clan seated at the breakfast table, consisting of his wife, and numerous off-springs, with one of them speaking in current day slang. Interestingly, Chan's bumbling assistant is a bespectacled Japanese named Kashimo (Otto Yamaoka) rather than the familiar Keye Luke as Lee, Chan's Number One Son,introduced into the series in "Charlie Chan in Paris" (Fox, 1935). Kashimo, like Lee Chan, is played for laughs, and gets them as well. Bela Lugosi, following his legendary success of "Dracula" (Universal, 1931), almost outshines Oland with his very strong presence as the fortune teller with a mysterious past. His crystal ball gazing with interesting camera angles is certainly one of the highlights with fine dark background photography in the "film noir" tradition.While no prints survive for Oland's Chan debut of CHARLIE CHAN CARRIES ON, THE BLACK CAMEL, remade as CHARLIE CHAN IN RIO (20th-Fox, 1941) starring Sidney Toler, is available for viewing on DVD (with 20th Century-Fox logo). Though rarely or hardly televised as part of the "Charlie Chan Festival" on the afternoon or late show broadcasts of decades ago, it's something to consider being the earliest known Oland/Chan mystery to exist and some actual location filming in Hawaii to hold enough interest during its fun-filled 71 minutes. Next installment: CHARLIE CHAN'S CHANCE (Fox, 1932). In conclusion to Chan's frequent close of sentence, "Thank you, so much." (***)
utgard14
Early Charlie Chan film notable today for being the only one of the first five Warner Oland Charlie Chan films to survive. The other four are sadly lost. Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) investigates a movie star's murder and how it connects to an unsolved murder from three years earlier. The suspects include Bela Lugosi as a psychic, Dwight Frye as a butler, and Robert Young, in his film debut, as an annoying guy who keeps coming up with lame slogans.Interesting early non-horror work from Lugosi. At times, he seems so different from the Lugosi we know -- more at ease and not at all hammy. At other times he is the Bela we expect -- mid-sentence pauses and exaggerated facial expressions. Oland is good but he would get better as the series goes along. There are no sons for Charlie here, but he does have a rather unfunny sidekick named Kashimo (Otto Yamaoka). Very nice direction and a script based on Earl Derr Biggers' book of the same name. A must for Chan fans.
unbrokenmetal
Well, it's a situation that couldn't by more classic: a murder takes place on an island, the inspector rounds up everyone who was around, and one of of them must be the murderer. But who? This was the first of the 1930s Charlie Chan movies I've ever seen, and it made an excellent introduction to the series (which is said to have weaker entries later on) for me. The atmosphere, filming on location at Hawaii, is captured very well, Chan delivers his one-liners with delight, Lugosi creates a perfect 'usual suspect' and the movie is fun from the beginning to the end. Not all characters can be provided with enough background story, though, which is owed to the running time below 70 minutes. I had the pleasure to watch a fully restored DVD in great quality for the age of the source material and definitely can recommend this picture to all who like old-fashioned b/w whodunits.
jonfrum2000
I'm surprised to see so many people praising this film. If you're a Chan fan, of course you want to see it, but in this early entry in the series, the appeal had not quite been worked out. As noted by others, the asistant is a major annoyance. Sometimes the sons can be a bit over the top in later films, but this Japanese sidekick is played as a clown, without the familial excuse of the sons. It's almost as if one smart Asian was enough. As someone discussed in a spoiler, the working out of the mystery makes no sense - I realized it as I watched, and it puzzled me at the time. There is also a knife that comes out of nowhere. It was good to see Charlie in Honolulu and in charge - so often in later movies he's in another city, and humbly helping another police department. Here, he's the boss, and people do what he says - definitely more assertive.
