Charlie Chan: Murder Over New York Retro Review

"Coincidence like ancient egg, leave unpleasant odor!" Charlie Chan's aphorisms are almost as famous as he himself is! I just recently watched an excellent film starring the detective Charlie Chan. It is an adventure called: "Murder Over New York". The film was made and released in 1940. The plot is straight forward enough (as always spoiler warnings are in effect! Even for a 77 year old movie).

 Charlie Chan must investigate a murder. This time however -- Charlie has a much more personal stake in the uncovering of this murder! While on flight to an annual police convention in New York, Charlie Chan runs into Hugh Drake, an old friend of his from Scotland Yard. Drake, now a member of military intelligence, is on the trail of a slippery sabotage ring headed by a man named Paul Narvo. When Charlie Chan hears that a bomber and it's pilots crashed the day before, Charlie offers his assistance. Chan is met at the airport by New York Police Inspector Vance and Jimmy Chan. Jimmy is Charlie's Number Two Son. Chan is surprised to see his Number Two Son at the airport.

 The next day, Chan goes to see Drake at the apartment of George Kirby. Kirby has a dinner party in progress. Chan discovers his friend dead in Kirby's Library. Drake had gone into the library to work on his case. He has become a victim of poisonous gas. Drake's briefcase with all of his work on the sabotage ring has disappeared ! A quick examination finds that the window is latched. From this Charlie Chan deduces that the murderer must be still there and a member of the party! Chan discovers that Drake had invited his Oxford classmate, Herbert Fenton, actress June Preston and Ralph Percy, Head Designer at the Metropolitan Aircraft Corporation. Kirby himself is President of the company. The lost bomber crashed at the company's plant. Also in attendance Keith Jeffery, a stockbroker. A servant reports that Chemist David Elliot had insisted upon seeing Drake and so was allowed in to the house.

 Chan learns that Ms. Preston also saw and spoke to Drake. She did so on behalf of her friend, Patricia Shaw. Shaw, as Charlie finds out, was married to Narvo in India! Once she had discovered that Narvo was mixed up in sabotage, Shaw fled . Narvo , and his assistant Ramullah were quickly in hot pursuit of Shaw (Shaw cannot describe Narvo, because he is known to have had extensive plastic surgery). They wanted to take care of her before she caused them any trouble with the authorities. Shaw has been running ever since. With Shaw's help, Ramullah is tracked down and is arrested (in an interesting bit of trivia, one of the men in the lineup of various suspects rounded up by the police is--Shemp Howard! He plays the role of Shorty McCoy a.k.a. "The Canarsie Kid"! He is revealed to be a "faker" rather than a "fakir"). But before Ramullah can be questioned, he is shot and killed! Shaw just narrowly avoids being murdered herself.

 A coatroom attendant shows up and informs Charlie Chan and the police that Drake checked his briefcase at the club where he works! Chan and Vance wait in a stakeout in order to see whom arrives to pick up the briefcase. The briefcase is eventually picked up by Boggs, who is the Kirby Butler ! Boggs explains to Charlie and Vance that he was instructed to go and pick up the briefcase via a note that Kirby left for Boggs. Upon a close examination of the letter, Chan concludes that the note is a forgery! Then, Kirby's dead body is discovered in his home! Chan decides to gather all of the suspects together at the airport the next day. We the audience have seen two men place a small glass ball of poison gas inside the airplane. It is set up to fall and break when the plane goes into a dive .the next day.

 In the morning, Chan and the rest arrive and board the plane for what is supposed to be a mere tour. But the aircraft takes off for an unexpected test flight with all of the suspects aboard in a panic. During the commotion, Charlie Chan sits unperturbed. He calmly observes the others. As the bomber starts to descend into its fatal dive, it is Fenton, Drake's Oxford classmate who grabs the globe before it can release the poison gas. When the plane lands, Fenton rushes out the door, throws the glass to the floor where it breaks and exits quickly  The gas does not harm the other passengers. The plane has been searched and the trap found earlier that morning. The glass globe was then filled with harmless gas in an effort to unearth Narvo. But Fenton cannot be Narvo! He is too old. Narvo is known to be a much younger man! Fenton refuses to name his leader. Due to a clever bit of chicanery on Charlie Chan's part involving Narvo's ex-wife Patricia Shaw, Chan gets Narvo to relax and let down his guard.

 When Chan asks for someone to bring Fenton a glass of water, it is Jeffrey who brings it to him. And in so doing, Jeffrey has fallen into Charlie Chan's trap! Chan inspects the water and finds the same poison as was in Kirby's brandy! Realizing that Jeffery had been ready to kill him, Fenton confesses his role in the sabotage ring and that Keith Jeffery IS Narvo!

 "Murder Over New York" is both a classic film AND a classic Charlie Chan mystery. There is only one thing that I did not like about the film. That is when they allow Number Two Son, whom has been shown to be a huge bungler, is allowed by BOTH Inspector Vance and Charlie Chan HIMSELF to take the all important briefcase to police headquarters BY HIMSELF! Vance might do that, but Charlie Chan should KNOW better! Sure enough, Jimmy Chan is attacked while getting into the elevator by an unseen assailant and has gotten away with the briefcase! But other than that, the story flows smoothly!

 Charlie Chan is one of the world's greatest fictional detectives! I recommend any and all of those films!