gridoon2018 "Charlie Chan At The Olympics" could have been a by-the-numbers, albeit well-produced, entry in the Charlie Chan series, but there is an emotional element that sets it a little apart from the others: Charlie shows genuine concern and anguish when his No. 1 son is kidnapped. Keye Luke is a strong asset to the movie, as are the 1936 Olympics footage and the surprise at the end. My favorite Chan line: "Suspect recent activities of swimming cause water on brain!". **1/2 out of 4.

bigverybadtom Chan's Number One son is a participant in the American swimming team during the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Meanwhile, Chan is in Hawaii with a toddler son, also interested in being a detective, though they are on a fishing trip. But they soon get mixed up when a remote-controlled (full-sized) airplane crashes, its pilot murdered, and its top secret control circuit stolen from it. It winds up being taken to Europe and Chan and company follow it. Members of the Olympics also get involved.There are several subplots involving intrigues among the Olympic team, which involve Number One son and muddy the chase of the stolen robot-who is involved, and who can possibly be guilty. The very efficient German police are involved, but obviously foreign spies are after the device-who to trust?Historical note: In 1937, there was still uncertainty as to who Hitler was and what he intended, not everyone seeing him then as evil-he was even named Time magazine's Man Of The Year shortly before. Also, Chan did ride the Hindenburg zeppelin, and you see a brief shot of it, swastika included, and Jesse Owens and his Olympic victory did get shown in the movie. Even Charles Lindbergh went to Germany to admire how Hitler brought it back to life. It would not be until the 1938 Kristallnacht that the world would unmistakably discover the true nature of Hitler's regime.

David Glidden This Charlie Chan flick would be more valuable for its footage than its plot of espionage were it not for one horrifying aspect of the storyline. The 1936 Olympics were Hitler's games, heralding his Aryan racist views. By January 1937, Hitler had abrogated the Versailles Treaty. By August he had opened Buchenwald Concentration Camp. Yet, in this film, Hitler's Berlin police are praised for their efficiency, admired for their interest in protecting American military secrets, portrayed as being respectful toward a Chinese detective, and play a central role in capturing the evil foreign ambassador named Zaraka who seeks the military device in question. Perhaps in 1937 some elements in Hollywood were still undecided about Germany and Hitler? Perhaps those few seconds showing Jesse Owen's great relay race hedged the bet of the Hollywood producers? It is an uncomfortable feature of the film and a sad fact about America in 1937 that Hitler's new Germany had its American admirers.

r-c-s The most notable thing in this movie is that all Swastikas (back then a State symbol ) have been digitally hidden in a story set during the Olympics in (then) Nazi Germany (see the air ship Zeppelin and the flag hanging when the athletes' bus arrives, for example). I am not sure whether the camouflage took place decades ago in the original, or was orchestrated by some smart mind later. I am not even sure the movie was actually filmed in Berlin...it might have been stock footage with actual scenes shot in any studio...or did "n.1 son" win a gold medal swimming for the US team?! The fact, however, that most comments wish fictional Charlie Chan had "taken a stand" against the then legitimate German government AND that care has been taken to edit swastikas from a minor movie like this that surely wasn't the AAA+ blockbuster of the year tells a long story about the intellectual level of both censors eager to please the powerful and of gullible peanuts still wanting to board the winner's wagon 70 years after the fact...making it impossible to conceive life in Nazi Germany as every day's and without horror stories and death chimneys going in the background.Besides, it is unlikely a serious matter of spy rings be dealt with by simple police in Nazi Germany.The film provides mild family entertainment in the typical Chan style. The plot offers various contrivances and subplots...which at times get in the way as a distraction. The "n.1 son" bit works out much better than in most Chan movies. Ah, watch out for a ten seconds fight scene near the end: that's how Bruce Lee learnt his moves.The film revolves around a high-tech device being stolen and smuggled abroad, then purloined several times. The final conclusion falls in place to the dismay of the viewer...who would never have guessed things were as Chan swiftly explains. The drawback is that there are less hints (if any ) throughout the movie that lead to the conclusion.In spite of this all, I still find these movies entertaining and relaxing, even if -unlike the 'circus' or 'opera' one- the "olympics" angle had NOTHING to do with the story.