Charlie Chan in London (1934)

 ☆ ☆ ☆

Charlie Chan in London (1934) – E. Forde

Comfort-watching another Charlie Chan entry, #6 out of 16 for Warner Oland, the Swedish actor who ended up type-cast as Asian. Although definitely dated, this first series treats Chan kindly with gentle stereotyping (he often speaks in fortune-cookie riddles) and when his Number One Son shows up in later efforts, there is true affection for his family.  (The subsequent series with Sidney Toler for Monogram features considerably more racist content directed at the comic African American cab-driver Birmingham). Here, Charlie goes it alone. Having just solved another case in London, he is begged to stay by socialite Pamela Gray (Drue Leyton) whose brother is on death row for a murder she thinks he didn’t commit.  Charlie has only 72 hours to prove him innocent by finding the real killer.  Of course, the episode takes place in a British country estate (including fox hunt) and the various suspects are staying for the weekend.  There’s an attempt on Charlie’s life and another murder before all the suspects are gathered together in the drawing room for the final reveal.  But rather than announce the killer outright, Charlie lures them into a trap where they make a move and get caught red-handed in front of the police.  A fine entry, if you like this mystery-by-the-numbers genre.

Cleopatra (1934)

☆ ☆ ☆

Cleopatra (1934) – C. B. De Mille

A last gasp for the “precode” era by Cecil B. De Mille who had earlier gotten into trouble with the same star, Claudette Colbert, in Sign of the Cross (1932).  Indeed, he seems to be taunting the incoming censors by dressing her (and all of the female extras) in the skimpiest outfits possible.  Unfortunately, most of the film is still rather turgid and not particularly daring.  Cleopatra seeks to form a relationship with Julius Caesar (Warren William) who is soon offed by Brutus and a mob worried about his attack on their notion of the republic.  When Marc Anthony (Henry Wilcoxon) comes out to Egypt to capture her, he too falls under her alluring sway.  The Romans then rise up against him, leading to tragic ends.  De Mille and his art direction team (Roland Anderson and Hans Dreier) do create some magnificent sets (there is an art deco feel to this Egypt) and the war montage near the end when the Romans attack is crazy in its fast editing and over-the-top content.  But overall, I didn’t find the drama compelling – I wonder if the lost silent version (1917) with Theda Bara was any better (I’m not game for the 4-hour Liz Taylor version).  Perhaps 1930s audiences did find this a tonic to distract them from their woes nevertheless.

  

Murder at the Vanities (1934)

☆ ☆

Murder at the Vanities (1934) – M. Leisen

This “pre-Code” backstage musical from Paramount is pretty ordinary.  Not unlike in 42^nd Street, Footlight Parade, and their ilk, the performers are seen onstage and off, and the plot revolves around maintaining the show despite trouble.  This time the trouble is, of course, murder.  Victor McLaglen is the homicide detective who spends more time ogling the chorus girls than solving the crime.  Jack Oakie is the stage manager who withholds evidence in order to keep the show from being shut-down.  Everybody else is a red-herring or them who done it.  Unfortunately, the plot is hum-drum and the musical numbers are sub-Busby (though purposefully racy).  Not worth your time.