biorngm Review The Jade Mask, Released 1-26-45 This Charlie Chan movie was cleverly tied together at the conclusion through some surprise character identities, with multiple murders occurring throughout the running of the show. Quite a few of unexpected and unpredicted events happening while Charlie solves the case. The actors play their parts well, no exceptions, despite a rather quirky plot. The story is concentrated in a mansion, with secret rooms included. Other than the Coroner's office, the cast is moving about the house, from mostly the inside, on usually two house levels. The red herrings are not completely conspicuous, with surprises at the close. The name of the movie references the finding of an ear from a white-jade-life-mask belonging to the scientist-owner's assistant. It is revealed the person disguised as the assistant is the killer, the ear is not the murderer's, but belonging to the victim. It is further made clear the accomplice was the killer's wife. There is less contrived humor from Chan's assistants throughout the movie, making for at least a cohesive story leading to the reveal of the guilty parties. There is the dialogue from the local Sherriff that grows thin after many attempts at humor. I hate the corn-pone clichés iterated by this character. It is not evident Sidney Toler is suffering from the cancer that would end his life in early 1947; he appears to move about the stage with no obvious problem; he delivers his lines professionally, as usual. The premise is the murder of the man making known substances, such as wood, having the strength of metal. That same man is the first victim, who cannot be immediately located, and his formulas are hidden away. Government agent, Charlie Chan, is called upon to solve the crime, locate and protect the formula from falling into enemy hands. With the film made in 1944, the war continues, Chan is stateside, now employed by Uncle Sam, allegedly near D.C. As Charlie begins his investigation, more people are fatally stricken in similar fashion, i.e. a dart is shot into the victims, likely from close range. When the red herrings are killed, too, it really becomes a mystery just who murdered whom. The home owner-scientist, his assistant, the butler, the chauffer and a local policeman are each eliminated throughout the movie. It was the butler's death, which put the finger on one of three women and the ultimate killer. Recommendations are to go forth watching how the plot thickens as each individual is struck down, and a clue is left after each victim's demise.

csteidler A gated estate on a foggy night....A mysterious figure creeps up to the door and rings the bell....A shot rings out! –This dramatic opening sets the mood for a decent Charlie Chan mystery involving a secret formula and murder in an old dark house. Sidney Toler is assisted this time around by Mantan Moreland, settling into the role of chauffeur Birmingham Brown, and Edwin Luke, who plays number four son Eddie and gets to spout some typically silly Chan-offspring dialog like "Ah, this looks like an excellent place for murder." Luke's performance is just fine but the most interesting thing about watching Edwin Luke is probably comparing him with his older brother Keye. The plot is hardly important but involves a nasty old scientist who has developed a secret formula that turns wood hard as metal. This curmudgeonly old inventor is roundly hated by one and all and so his disappearance is mainly worrisome because nobody knows where he hid his valuable formula. Was he murdered? Who was that fake policeman sneaking into the house? It gets kind of complicated….or maybe it just doesn't make a lot of sense. The movie's title refers to some life masks of people in the house— or rather the broken off ear of one mask that becomes a key clue. While slower-moving than the best Monogram Chans, this one is perfectly easy to watch. The comic relief is better than the actual mystery...in other words, thank goodness for Mantan Moreland!

JohnHowardReid One of the best of the Monogram Charlie Chans, this one was made on a top budget (reportedly $75,000) by Poverty Row standards with both enough mystery and enough Chan to satisfy the fans, plus a sterling support cast headed by Frank Reicher as the spooky scientist, Al Bridge as the wisecracking sheriff, Edwin Luke as Charlie's number four son, and Dorothy Granger as Stella Graham. And of course, Chan himself, played with a fair degree of his 20th Century Fox charisma by Sidney Toler. For me, a little of Mantan Moreland's bug-eyed act goes a long way, but in this one I'm happy to say, he is comparatively restrained and even allows good old Sidney Toler to capture and hold center stage once the Chans arrive at the murdered man's spooky mansion. True, Mantan does re-assert himself right at the conclusion, but after sitting through all the movie's daringly spooky atmospherics, a little of Moreland's heavily bug-eyed comic relief doesn't go too far astray. However, I still don't know where the jade mask fits into the story. I don't remember any mask (or any jade either), but I guess you can't expect jade as well as good imitation pearls on Poverty Row. Available on an excellent Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer DVD,

Michael O'Keefe This Charlie Chan feature is complicated as it is simple. Charlie(Sidney Toler)is summoned to a spooky mansion to solve the murder of a renowned scientist, who is working on a gas that can turn wood into a substance hard as steel. The government is interested in this project, thus Chan on the case. The mansion is full of family and help and all loathed the deceased scientist, that may have taken his secret formula to the grave with him. Everyone is a suspect, but Chan discovers that the murderer and his wife have hidden certain identities with human puppets and masks, making victims seem alive. This black & white film is crisp and well paced. Interesting banter between Chan and his number four son Eddie(Edwin Luke); and you can always count on chauffeur Birmingham(Mantan Moreland)to provide comic relief. Other players in this 66 minute caper: Hardie Albright, Frank Reicher, Cyril Delevanti, Janet Warren and Ralph Lewis.