Charlie Chan im Zirkus (1936) Online

Filmed and released in 1936, CHARLIE CHAN AT THE CIRCUS is the eleventh film in the Chan series--and although many tend to dismiss it as "only average," it is among my favorites of the Chan films.

This episode finds Chan on vacation on the mainland with the entire family--but when he takes the family to the circus he finds himself embroiled in the murder of the show's co-owner, a man so widely disliked by his co-workers and employees that virtually any one might have killed him. Begged into assisting the investigation by circus performer "Lady Tiny," Chan and number one son Lee join the circus train in an effort to ferret out the truth.

Like most Chan films, the plot is full of holes--but what makes this installment particularly enjoyable is the supporting cast. Son Lee (the ever-enjoyable Keye Luke) finds romance with Chinese contortionist Su Toy (the beautiful Shia Jung) and trapeze footage of Marie Normand (played by real-life trapeze artist Maxine Reiner) offers a glimpse into the circus world of the 1930s that is quite fascinating. Most enjoyable of all, however, are Col. Tim and Lady Tiny, played by popular circus stars and occasional film actors George and Olive Brasno; their sideshow dance alone would make this film worth the effort. It's all a tremendous amount of fun.

Chan films are often accused of being racist, and critics often complain that the actors playing Chan wore "yellowface" make up. The films, however, must be seen within the context of their era. In the 1930s, Hollywood presented most Asian characters as either servile or as Fu Manchu-like entities; Chan was actually just about the only positive Asian character going, and as such the films were tremendously popular with Asian-American audiences of the era.

True enough, Chan is inevitably played by an occidental actor, but this was typical of the era, in which star status was considered more important than racial accuracy. (Other Asian characters are almost always played by actors of Asian heritage, with Keye Luke and Shia Jung cases in point.) Whatever the case, neither Warner Oland or the later Sidney Toler wore significant make-up for the role, and Oland--although a Swede by birth--actually had a strong strain of Asian ancestry in his family tree. But most significantly, while Chan often allows the suspects to dismiss him through their own prejudices, as a character he is always presented in a positive light.

While I would not rank it along such knock-out Chan films as CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA or CHARLIE CHAN AT TREASURE ISLAND, CHARLIE CHAN AT THE CIRCUS is a thoroughly enjoyable entry in the series, and in many respects the film's "old fashioned" qualities (watch out for that wild gorilla suit!) add to the fun. Recommended for Chan fans everywhere.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

It was in "Charlie Chan in Shanghai", two films prior, that we learned Chan's age at 60. In "Charlie Chan at the Circus", we see the prolific Chan family in it's entirety as guests at the Kinney and Gaines Combined Circus. Charlie's offspring now number twelve, or as the ticket taker at the circus would offer - "the guy with his own sideshow". Only Keye Luke as Number #1 Son Lee is recognizable; future detective wanna-be's Victor Sen Yung and Benson Fong are at least a couple of years and a number of films away in their respective roles as Number's #2 and 3 Sons.

As in "Shanghai", Chan's vacation is interrupted by business, as circus owner Joe Kinney (Paul Stanton) asks for Charlie's help in investigating some threatening letters he's received. Roundly despised by the circus troupe for his treatment of both performers and animals, it's not long before Chan is investigating a murder, with Kinney providing the corpse. The immediate suspect appears to be Caesar the Ape, released from his cage at an opportune time; but Kinney's body was found inside the circus business trailer, locked from the inside.

It turns out that Kinney led a pretty convoluted life, engaged to circus aerialist Marie Normand after a brief affair with wardrobe lady Nellie Farrell. Farrell and her brother Dan schemed up a phony marriage certificate between herself and Kinney to claim part ownership in the circus. If that wasn't enough, Kinney intended to take over full ownership if partner John Gaines (Francis Ford) couldn't keep up his payments. So there were plenty of suspects who could have wanted Kinney out of the way, having endeared himself to so many.

As Number #1 Son, Keye Luke keeps busy between detective work by trying to romance "The Human Knot", contortionist Su Toy. Also prominent in the story are midget husband and wife entertainers Colonel Tim and Lady Tiny (George and Olive Brasno, actually brother and sister in real life). A particularly funny scene involves Lee and Colonel Tim impersonating a woman and a baby in a stroller, embarrassingly recognized by Su Toy.

By the time Kinney's killer is finally revealed, all of the prior intrigue and revelations prove inconsequential, as Charlie Chan uses Lee's help to uncover a plot by Kinney's animal trainer friend Holt, who was in legal trouble with Kinney at a prior circus venue. It was Holt who was threatening his friend, and masterminding the diversions that pointed to the other suspects. In that respect, "Charlie Chan at the Circus" follows the typical formula for this series, in that the identity of the murderer is never revealed clearly to the viewer until Chan's lucid explanation is offered to wind up the case.

Thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable Chan vehicle with the ever- adroit Warner Oland carrying off the Chan role this time in a circus venue. Charlie and his large family are out with a free pass enjoying the circus when(to use a cliché) death strikes under the big top. One of the partners and it seems a man virtually no ones likes dies from what appears to be by a rampaging fake -looking ape(sorry, this is even early for George Barrows!). Charlie must determine what could have taken place in this locked box car that might have a different explanation. Along the way we are treated to intriguing circus types - in particular two "midgets" wonderfully played by the brother/sister team of George and Olive Brasno. Some interesting red herrings are delivered as well as the light comedy touches that are customary with a good Chan film: pithy sayings laced with much wisdom, Charlie and his son Keye Luke's wonderful chemistry and humor, and Oland's general pleasant/pleasing portrayal of a man who has twelve children. Charlie Chan at the Circus isn't a great Chan film but it is a very good one and a fun one to be sure. Join the circus!

All 14 Chans go to the circus and the fun starts from the very beginning. But you know Charlie must find a case there, too. Charlie sleuths while enjoying the circus and number one son Lee (Keye Luke) gets into everything in a vigorous way, including some romance with a cute contortionist.

This film has more entertainment value than most other Chan films in my opinion. Featured are the talented Brasno dance team, trapeze action, a lot of circus animals and loads of circus atmosphere.

You also get several crooked subplots, an ape on the loose, good Chan aphorisms and a briskly directed, fast-moving film in general. Its great to see all 14 Chans in an outing with a fun atmosphere- you can't help but enjoy "Charlie Chan at the Circus".

Rousing entry in the Charlie Chan series is one of the best. Charlie (Warner Oland) takes his sizable family to the circus at the invitation of one of the circus owners, who has been receiving threatening letters and wants Charlie to investigate. When the owner is murdered, all clues point to an escaped gorilla the man was abusive to. But Charlie's not so sure and gets to work investigating the murder, with help from "Number One Son" Lee (Keye Luke).

It's great to see Charlie's wife and all of the Chan kids. They're so adorable. Keye Luke is charming as ever, especially when he flirts with a contortionist. The circus performers are fun to watch. The two midgets, George and Olive Brasno, receive prominent billing right after Keye Luke. I assume they were well-known at the time. They're both good actors and I liked their dance number. J. Carrol Naish also appears and is enjoyable to watch, as always.

This is a very entertaining movie. Fast pace, interesting setting, and nice doses of humor make it a real treat. Probably my second favorite in the whole series. Oh, and pay attention to the scene where the characters Blake and Kinney fight. Blake punches like a girl! It's hilarious! This one's also got a guy in a gorilla suit, which is always a win.

Warner Oland is Charlie Chan in "Charlie Chan at the Circus," a 1936 entry into the series. This time Charlie brings his wife and 12 kids to the circus and runs into murder.

While Lee Chan (Keye Luke) is off trying to romance the pretty contortionist, the co-owner of the circus asks Charlie to look into some threatening letters he's gotten. Then the man is murdered, and it turns out that even though he gave Charlie 14 free passes to the circus, he's not beloved. The man had enemies including his own partner, a snake charmer, and a gorilla! Very entertaining, and one of the things neat about the film is the presence of the Brasnos, a brother and sister midget team, who play Colonel Tim and Lady Tiny. The Brasnos were vaudevillians and successful enough that Olive Brasno could turn down the role of a munchkin in The Wizard of Oz because she was too busy with their act. They bring a lot of charm to the film. As a bit of trivia, Olive lived to age 80 and died within two days of her husband of 38 years.

Warner Oland is a terrific Chan, much livelier and more cheerful than Sidney Toler and less sarcastic (though I like Toler's characterization and lots of those episodes). Keye Luke as Lee is always delightful. The circus atmosphere made for a fun atmosphere. This is one of the better films in the series.

This is a very entertaining movie. The plot contrivances are well thought of and intermingle well; of course one has to love the basic format of these Chan movies. the 'son #1' comedy moment doesn't get in the way as it does in other movies and works well enough. Summoned to pay a visit to a circus with his family, Chan is asked advice about death threats that have targeted the recently appeared co-owner of the show. The man is killed later and another woman is seriously wounded in another attempt. Who may want to control the circus, whose business is shaky anyways? In the end we'll have not one culprit, but two parties guilty of two unrelated crimes. The midgets in the movie are very particular. Typically midgets are easily recognizable as such, but these two look just like miniature people. Entertaining 70 minutes.

Charlie and all 13 members of the immediate family are given passes to the Kinney and Gaines traveling circus, compliments of Joe Kinney, who wants Charlie to investigate some threatening letters he's been receiving. Anyone at the circus could have sent them, since Kinney is as popular as cancer, driving partner Gaines to bankruptcy and using violence on other performers at the circus. Naturally he is found murdered in the business wagon, which Charlie and Lee believe was done by the wild ape Ceasar. Tiny, one half of a man and wife midget sideshow, asks Charlie to work further on the case, which Mrs. Chan, Lee, and the other 11 children plead with him to do. Charlie and Lee travel with the circus and find out that one performer, Nellie Farrell, married Kinney in Mexico, which drives the rift with Marie Normand, trapeze artist and Kinney's fiancé. Marie doesn't believe that Kinney was with Nellie on the marriage date, but.... well that's her own secret and that may cost her life from the mysterious killer. Above average entry in the Chan series, and probably the most humorous entry (especially from the Fox series). The mystery angle is prevalent throughout the movie but is played down because of the humor which by the 50 minute mark does seem to get old and have the audience wanting the mystery we expect from the series. The circus setting really does look authentic giving the audience of being at the big top. Lachman uses plenty of low and high angle shots to create suspense and character interpretations, but in the context of the film itself it wasn't necessary. It was nice to see all 14 members of the family in an appearance rather than the photograph used in previous entries. Rating, 7.

This is not 'just' one of Charlie Chan's fascinating, intricate murder cases, but it's also set in very special surroundings: a circus show - and the circus atmosphere here is presented so wonderfully genuine that it really fills every circus fan with nostalgic feelings...

The whole Chan family (14 altogether...) have been invited to see the show by the circus' co-owner Joe Kinney; but not without a reason: he wants to show Charlie some threatening letters he's received. But before the show's even ended, Kinney is found murdered in his wagon - mysteriously bolted from the inside... And Charlie very soon finds out that it could have been almost any member of the circus ensemble who'd have liked to see him dead: he was a mean cheat who threatened to take away his co-owner's shares because the circus wasn't doing too well, he was rude, cruel and PRETTY unpopular with all his staff; and besides that, he was a reckless womanizer who simply used to drop his girl when he'd found another one.

And that was also the case with Nellie Farrell, whom he pushed off to the wardrobe department when he became sweet on trapeze artist Marie - but in the fight for his money, more things come to light: Kinney had been married to Nellie, according to a marriage license the police find in his safe. But Marie knows otherwise; and she promises to tell as soon as she'll have finished her trapeze act - that fact alone automatically makes our hair raise while we're awaiting her daring stunt that she always does without a net...

An incredible amount of suspense and a plot that demands a lot of our 'little gray cells' mixed with a fair amount of humor (son number one, Lee, who never can resist flirting, tries to impress a Chinese contortion artist...) - an unforgettable hour of entertainment and excitement, just like those good old-fashioned circus performances!

Earl Derr Biggers' super sleuth Charlie Chan(Warner Oland)takes his wife and 12 offspring to the circus for some fun and relaxation. Director Harry Lachman lets Chan loosen up a bit and slips in some softness with the detective and his kids enjoyment of the circus. Then of course there is the amusing dealings with Charlie and his over-zealous Number-One-Son Lee(Keye Luke). The mystery starts when a disliked co-owner of the circus is murdered and there are multiple possible suspects...the other co-owner, a snake charmer, a wardrobe seamstress and even a gorilla, yes gorilla. My favorite scene is the Chan brood passing by the ticket taker. Other players featured: Francis Ford, John McGuire, Shia Jung, Paul Stanton, George Brasno, Maxine Reiner and J. Carrol Naish.

I am a big fan of Charlie Chan, owning all the Warner Oland/Sidney Toler episodes I can find and enjoying them, but that doesn't mean they automatically are all wonderful. This one is okay, but disappointing considering how much better it could have been.

It did have its customary comic moments with Keye Luke as Number One Son and Charlie had a ton of proverbs, but they weren't particularly profound or humorous, just so-so. One thing different was the co-starring of real-life "small people" circus performers, George and Olive Branso, who were okay as actors.

With a setting like the circus, and with Chan's huge family all there (a dozen kids) they could have all kinds of interesting scenarios, but outside of a quick cobra scene and an ape making noise a few times, not much happened. This story was just plain flat overall until the final 10 minutes. The ending was pretty clever but it was a case of too-little, too-late.

Overall, it's not a bad film but there is an "edge" to this murder-mystery that is missing.

Fans of the Charlie Chan films should see this film for one reason in particular--it's a very rare chance to see the entire huge Chan clan in a single film. In most Chan films, there are one or two of the Chan children along to "help"(?) their father. However, here there are all twelve plus Mrs. Chan--a real rarity and proof that Charlie had interests other than police work!

The film is set at a circus where there is a mysterious murder--supposedly perpetrated by an ape! However, things don't add up and it's up to Charlie and his romantically challenged oldest son, Lee, to solve the crime. Along the way, you'll see midgets, tall guys, trapeze artists and the like--all providing an unusual and welcome backdrop to the investigation. Practically everything works well, though in 1930s fashion, there is an ape that is obviously just some guy in a gorilla costume (so I'll deduct a point). A bad cliché, but otherwise a great and exciting film--as are all the Chan films starring Warner Oland (the series, unfortunately, sagged a bit after his death).

Even the most dedicated of sleuths likes an occasional day off and Warner Oland as Charlie Chan wanted just such a day to spend with his family at the circus. But it actually turns out that one of the partners who owned the circus had hired him to look into some veiled threats he'd been receiving from unknown sources.

So the Chan family, all 14 of them, go to the circus and wouldn't you know it, the guy who hires Charlie winds up murdered. And Charlie's got a whole circus full of suspects.

Oland enters the case at the behest of the performers, especially two midgets played by George and Olive Brasno. The police are holding the circus up until the murder is solved, but that in itself will bankrupt the show if they miss scheduled dates.

It was nice to see Charlie on a family outing even if he couldn't escape the need for his services. As usual Keye Luke is the bumptious number one son who Charlie has to keep dispensing fortune cookie wisdom all the time to.

This is a good, if average entry in the Charlie Chan series.

If you are like me, you'll watch these old things because detective story films from the 30's are important. You could also be genuinely charmed by cultural notes from another world.

But for me, it got higher on my viewing list because movies about the circus are special in the tricks they pull, and the special cinematic vocabulary they bring.

This one has almost no real circus content or feel, except that there are midgets, a gorilla, and one attack on a trapeze.

The gorilla thing is almost obligatory in these cheap movies. The humorous thing in this case (spoiler) is that the animal is clearly a guy in a gorilla suit. The murderer it turns out is a guy posing as the "real" gorilla and who wears a slightly cheaper gorilla suit.

Its all a waste, that part. But you might want to see the siblings who play — and are — the midgets. Brother and sister, they became rather successful on Broadway I read.

The girl here is 18 and really very pretty. She's not an accomplished actress, but as she is playing herself in all respects, she really seems true and endearing, especially next to the old white guy aping what he thinks are Chinese mannerisms.

Their bit is a ballroom dance, not anything circusy. But their very presence after Browning's 32 "Freaks," forebodes Lynch and all that means.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

I once had a 16mm print of Charlie Chan at the Circus, so I know the film well. The screenplay concocted by Fox's top writing team, Robert Ellis and Helen Logan, neatly combines a circus setting with a locked room puzzle. The mystery is intriguing and I love the gorilla at large.

Oland, in fine form, is supplied with many amusing bon mots, including "Mind, like parachute, function best when open" and "One grain of luck sometimes worth more than a whole rice paddy of wisdom."

In my humble opinion, the support cast is the best ever assembled for a Chan movie. Francis Ford (in a major role for once), Maxine Reiner, Shirley Deane, Paul Stanton, Drue Leyton and J. Carroll Naish are all most ingratiating, while comedy relief is amusingly handled by Wade Boteler, Keye Luke and the wonderfully spirited Shia Jung. And a special pat on the backs of George and Olive Brasno.

Director Lachman is also in fine form. Who could resist that opening tracking shot, or the scenes on the train, or the ape on the loose, or the big top menagerie? This picturesque background, however, is never allowed to swamp the film. Detection is always at the forefront. Production values are high

I had read about Charlie Chan's character in a magazine, but never saw any movies until I happened to find them at a local library. I picked this one at random and wondered how it would be.

Chan, at least in this movie, has quite a few children, and he gets free passes to the circus for all of them from the circus's co-owner, But it wasn't a gift; said co-owner had received a number of threatening letters which he wants Chan to investigate. But soon afterward he is somehow murdered inside a locked wagon, and Chan discovers the man is disliked by many of the circus people. The circus also must travel to another destination, and it seems that some of the circus staff have shady pasts.

The mystery seems almost incidental to the story, for Number One Son tries to hit upon a lady contortionist who scorns his affections, and we see real midgets, animals, and trapeze artists, presumably to show this is a real circus. Okay as a mystery, but it's also of interest if you want to see how circuses during the 1930's actually were.

I liked this movie, lots of mystery and more. First time Chan's wife is in a movie that I saw I think there were other wives in other movies but this is the first time I saw her and their 13 kids all going to the circus. The lady that played Chan wife Annie Mar only says a few words. She is listed as uncredited which is sad. All Chan's movie kids were cute.

There was a small couple, about 3 or 4 feet tall that did a dance at the circus and were excellent. I believe were married in real life. There real name is George & Olive Brasno.

Soon after a man from the circus approaches Chan for help regarding threatening letters. He is murdered hours later. There are a lot of people that can be suspect. Everyone seems to dislike each other for some reason.

What I did not like about this movie is the way animals are treated and caged at the circus. I started seeing and thinking about how animals are treated and now from watching old black and white movies I feel sorry for the animals.I don't like the circus any more after tweets I got on Twitter and the info with it.

It was kind of hard to figure out the people that were culprits.

In this movie a gorilla named Caesar is violent when in the cage. He gets whipped from outside the cage by a man to stop the bad behavior. There are lions in a cage that are roaring and poked with a pole by someone outside the cage to "quiet them". There were also elephants.

I don't know if these animals were real or not but I felt offended by the care and treatment of animals.

Chan played by Warner Oland is good his son played by Keye Luke wants too much attention. The movie is good though if you get a chance to see it.

CC at the Circus is an introduction of a slightly new direction in the series. Instead of the Chinese sleuth solving mysteries in a specific city or country (as in London, Paris, Shanghai, etc) he began to diversify into piquant locations: the circus, wax work museum's, race track's etc. The tourist locations were not dropped, of course, but the new angle managed to keep the series from becoming tired.

This one is one of the best of the Chan films from 1931-36, with a locked room circus wagon murder giving us an enjoyable mystery, which unfortunately doesn't give the audience much chance to guess the killer's identity. How are we supposed to know the gorilla hair is from a dead animal? The casino angle in the tale is introduced pretty late, too.

However it's the entertainment value that's important this time out, and this is splendid fare. In Warner Oland we trust! He's always great in the Chan movies, and he's ably supported by the delightful Keye Luke as his no.1 son, Lee. And unlike Mrs Columbo we actually get to see Charlie's family several times in the series. Utterly delightful. And interesting to see J. Carroll Naish in an early role.

Well, bring on the next Chan....

I found all of these early Charlie Chan's on Youtube and have been watching them in order. I am a huge mystery fan who watches Sherlock Holmes, Murder She Wrote, Hercule Poirot, etc. This one has some very entertaining features.

There is the authentic 1930s era circus to start with. A real trapeze artist Maxine Reiner plays the girl on the daring trapeze. Also there are the Brasnos, brother and sister midget team, who play Colonel Tim and Lady Tiny. They do a wonderful authentic Latin ballroom dance which we get to see all of. Scenes of the circus train are there with the elephants helping to push the wagons when they unload. All the tiny details are a wonderful history lesson.

I know some find the actors portrayal racist but I tend to disagree. First of all he is clearly smarter than everyone else since he is the only one who solves the mystery in the end. I find it somewhat similar to Hercule Poirot....a Belgian detective played by a British actor on PBS. He has his little mannerisms also and faces much prejudice from people calling him a French frog and foreigner. Yet he triumphs over all solving the riddles using only his little gray cells.There is a scene in this film where the others want Charlie Chan's autograph and he signs it using what I assume to be Chinese symbols. Many times the characters break into the Chinese language. I think the writers honored his heritage in some of those small details.

I watch movies to escape reality and be entertained. I like to just go along for the ride. All and all I have been delighted with Warner Oland's portrayal and can't wait to watch the rest of them.

While the mystery is entertaining enough, there is a lot of wasted time in this one. About a fourth of it is involved in watching circus acts, looking at animals, and things that really don't progress the plot. There are also a lot of scenes with the little people who are used as comic relief. The young man has a penchant for cigars and those cigars are used in contrast to our view of these people as child like. Still, we have a good mystery where a man has been killed inside a locked wagon. There is also intrigue involving the financial success of the circus. Number one son does a decent job, but is still a bit of a buffoon as he spends most of the show pursuing a contortionist who shows absolutely no interest in him. Charlie really fires the aphorisms in this one, almost to a fault. A good but not great episode.

This Oland Chan film comes off as only "average". It is fun but nothing special. The best part is the sight of Chan and his entire family arriving at the circus. An interesting note is that supporting player J. Carrol Naish would later play Chan in the 50's TV series, "The New Adventures of Charlie Chan". Goes well on a double feature with the Marx Brothers' "At the Circus".

With possibly the best sense of place in the entire series this is another one of the films that is near the top of the entire run of Chan films.

The plot has Chan and some of his sons getting involved in the dark happenings in and a round a circus. The film manages to walk the fine line between being both light and dark. You have the humor of Number One Son's attempts to help, but you also have the seriousness of the main mystery. sometimes the two tones don't work together, but here they do and the result is truly satisfying.

I really like this film a great deal and in a twisted sort of way think that this would be nicely paired with Todd Brownings Freaks, with which it shares a setting and some of the same actors.

This is a diverting, pleasantly enjoyable Charlie Chan film with WARNER OLAND as CHARLIE CHAN AT THE CIRCUS. In this outing, he takes his entire family to the circus while they're all on vacation and has to put up with the fumbling assistance of #1 son KEY Luke, who serves as comic relief.

Even more so than in most Chan entries, every utterance from Oland sounds like a Chinese fortune cookie--non-stop. And none of them sound authentically Chinese. That's the main quibble I have with the screenplay. But for the most part, it moves at a fast pace while it examines a group of suspects, all of whom had a motive for wanting the murdered man (the financial manager) out of the way.

The circus dancing team of midgets GEORGE and OLIVE BRASNO opens the story with some neat ballroom dance steps, but most of the plot focuses on an angry ape locked up in his cage but sometimes set loose. The murderer even makes it appear that the ape might have been responsible.

The only attempt on Chan's life comes from a poisonous snake that his son dispatches with a shotgun. Other than that, he's never in any real danger and that's where the plot falters slightly.

Meantime, we hear lots of his clichés and they don't sound very Oriental: "Size of package does not indicate quality within." "Give man plenty of rope and he will hang self." "Troubles rain on man already wet." And when he has a plan to catch the murderer, he says: "Silent witness sometimes speaks loudest." Enjoyable stuff for any mystery fan of the Chan series, but the material is all too familiar even for most Chan fans.

CHARLIE CHAN AT THE CIRCUS (1936)

A good offering in the Fox series providing an interesting change of locale, with Charlie Chan enjoying a day at the circus with his rather extensive family, only to stay behind with son and partner Lee when some foul play erupts. A circus gorilla kills the owner, who happened to be a boss whom nobody liked. It's interesting to see substantial roles for George and Olive Brasno, who play the "little people" of the circus, who also were prominent in one of the old "Our Gang" shorts ("Shrimps For a Day"). Also welcome among the cast is J. Carrol Naish.

*** out of four

Enjoyed this film mostly because it finally showed the large family that Charlie Chan, ( Warner Oland) had with fourteen children all attending a circus which he was invited to along with even his wife and oldest son Keye Luke, (Lee Chan). Charlie gets involved with a murder case as usual and it seems that the two owners of this circus, John Gaines, (Francis Ford) and Joe Kinney, (Paul Stanton) are not getting along because the circus is losing money and Joe Kinney wants to take over the show. There is a wild ape who roams all over the place when someone releases him from his cage. Lee Chan has a hot romance going on with a female contortionist and always manages to put his foot into his mouth when trying to out smart his father Charlie. There is a great male and female team of midgets who give great dance performances and seem to appear in many of the scenes. In my opinion, this is one of Charlie Chan's great series. Enjoy.