Charlie Chan at the Olympics
| Charlie Chan at the Olympics | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | H. Bruce Humberstone |
| Produced by | John Stone (assoc. producer) |
| Written by |
Robert Ellis Helen Logan Paul Burger (story) Earl Derr Biggers (character) |
| Starring | Warner Oland |
| Music by | William Kernell |
| Cinematography | Daniel B. Clark |
|
Production
company |
|
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
71 minutes |
Charlie Chan at the Olympics (1937) is possibly the most topical Charlie Chan film, as it features actual footage from the 1936 Berlin Olympics. There is also a scene where Charlie crosses the Atlantic in the Hindenburg. This is the 14th film starring Warner Oland as Chan and produced by Fox.
When Chan's oldest son, Lee (Keye Luke), is chosen to compete in the Olympics, Chan is proud as can be. Meanwhile, over the skies of Chan's Honolulu, the "Hopkins plane" is demonstrating an improvement of remote radio control to the US military. However, the aircraft is hijacked by a concealed stowaway, the device stolen, and the test pilot murdered. When Chan, followed by his astute second son, Charlie Jr. (Layne Tom Jr.), tracks down the stowaway, he finds only the man's body.
On the passenger list of the only aircraft to leave Honolulu for the mainland after the incident are Richard Masters (Allan Lane) and Yvonne Roland (Katherine DeMille). Masters was the intended test pilot, only he injured his shoulder and had to be replaced. It turns out, however, he left on the Pan Am Clipper to travel to the Olympics himself as a competitor. Perusing the list, Hopkins (Jonathan Hale) recognizes the name of arms dealer Arthur Hughes (C. Henry Gordon). Several of the suspects head for Germany by steamship. Chan, Hughes and the inventor Cartwright manage to arrive ahead of them by taking the Zeppelin Hindenburg.
Aboard the ship Manhattan, Lee Chan suspects Roland of being an "adventuress". He spots her putting a piece of paper in her book, and Hughes taking it. He confides in fellow Olympian Betty Adams (Pauline Moore), Masters' girlfriend.
When the ship docks, German Inspector Strasser, Chan and Hopkins go to question Roland, only to find her gone and her cabin rifled. Chan is reunited with his son Lee when the latter sneaks into the cabin through a porthole to play detective.
...
Wikipedia