biorngm Review - Dead Men Tell, released 3-28-41 This film is the ninth of eleven 20th Century Fox productions, there were five actors named after the opening title, after Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan. The larger cast is detailed at the end of the film naming eleven actors, including Toler and Yung. Two familiar names appear for me, George Reeves and Milton Parsons. The latter appeared in many films and TV series. The late George Reeves was the only Superman, in this reviewer's opinion. There was also Stanley Andrews, casted as an Inspector, appearing late in the movie, uncredited, but familiar to many as the Old Ranger in Death Valley Days, and also credited with many other western roles. The actual killer turned out to be a surprise, revealed in the end, while all suspects were genuine red-herrings throughout the film, even toward the conclusion. The scenes are all on shipboard or the sail loft nearby the vessel, which never leaves port. One victim meets her untimely death early in the film, seeing her ancestor disguised as the pirate he was and the second victim about half-way through the movie, marked as an escaped convict, hiding on shipboard, disguised as a newspaperman; how appropriate. The story entails a chartered cruise in search for buried treasure on an island somewhere in the Pacific. The adventure gets the interest of adventurers, newlyweds, a disturbed patient with his accompanying psychoanalyst, an escaped convict disguised as a newspaperman and a revenge seeking charter-boat captain. All actors were professional in their deliveries, very believable in the roles they played, except some were minor speaking parts, considering the billing they achieved. It is an hour-long movie, likely shown as part of a Saturday matinee, therefore, the attempts at humor are acceptable, mainly confined to Jimmy Chan interfering with his father's investigation. I wonder if Steve Daniels ever billed Jimmy Chan for dry cleaning; watch to learn the nature of this rhetorical question. There was not the usual cop following Charlie around, as Chan worked the case alone. In fact, the police did not become a part of the action until late in the show. Charlie is on his own linking the clues, searching for evidence, setting a trap among the red-herrings. This film was a pleasant change of pace. Chan does not require help from additional law enforcement personnel, in fact, Jimmy is incapable of following orders, so eliminate number two son; send him home, and Charlie winds this case up sooner. The theme of the movie was explained by the charter captain, as he told Charlie the history he had with the same island. There was really a treasure at one time, told by the captain, with his partner turning against him, stranding and leaving him to certain death. The captain was fortunate to survive, seeking revenge against the man deserting him. They are headed for same island the Captain survived. The story is introduced by the old lady, related to a pirate roaming the seas long ago. This same pirate, peg leg included, is present throughout the movie, disguising the killer. The same lady devises a way to lure the seekers to the island and search for the treasure, i.e. split the map up into four pieces, she keeps one, the other three pieces are spread amongst the guests, but nobody knows which guests, except the woman. Charlie uncovers the killer through a process of investigating the suspects' actions on the ship contrasting with their motive, background with the sea and the evidence found on board. This is a worthwhile watch as the film moves along its one-hundred minutes; above-average fair by far.

bkoganbing Charlie Chan arrives at a docked charter boat to retrieve his absent from college number 2 son Victor Sen Yung. But the murder of the woman who was in charge of the charter Ethel Griffies plus another of her passengers keeps him there. Good thing to have the best homicide cop around for a solution even though the second murder is committed during the investigation.As it turns out in Dead Men Tell the late Ms. Griffies was the descendant of a pirate who hid treasure somewhere nearby. The various passengers on her charter all will share in the treasure as they aid in the finding. Only one of them gets a bit greedy. What he and Sidney Toler are looking for are pieces of a treasure map that Griffies gave to the other passengersBesides the passengers is a mysterious and Eugene O'Neill like creation of a captain played by Truman Bradley. Bradley has project he's working on all his own.Dead Men Tell is a good enough Charlie Chan feature. Sadly it repeated one gag one time too many. It got less funny every time Victor Sen Yung fell in the water.

Michael O'Keefe A tidy mystery involving the ghost of a hanged buccaneer, a talking parrot, a treasure map quartered and a stowaway. A wealthy elderly Patience Nodbury(Ethel Griffles)stages a treasure hunt inviting several of her friends to partake. When the hostess is found dead in her stateroom, it is believed she has been frightened to death by a visit from one of her ancestors...the ghost of a fabled pirate. Or is it really a murder? The revered detective Charlie Chan(Sidney Tolar) happens to be on board ship looking for his #2 son Jimmy(Victor Sen Yung), a would be stowaway. In spite of the treasure map being torn in four parts, with three given to guests; someone on the ship wants the elderly woman dead. Not a whole lot of action; as far as that goes not a lot of acting either. Very little lighting in order to set the atmosphere. Should not be listed as one of the most favorite Chan flicks. Other players: Sheila Ryan, Truman Bradley, Paul McGarth, Kay Aldridge and George Reeves(of TV Superman fame).

Jim Tritten Patience Nodbury has a treasure map worth $60,000,000 that has been handed down from her pirate ancestor `Black Hook.' Someone has already tried to steal it and she cuts it into four, sending three pieces to other members of the Cocoas Island Treasure Hunt Cruise. As Charlie Chan arrives on the sailing ship Suva Star, Patience meets her long-departed ancestor (complete with peg leg and hook for a hand) and she succumbs from a weak heart. `Trouble like first love, teach many lessons.'Most of the rest of the film is set aboard the Suva Star (in port) where Charlie and his `favorite son' Jimmy set about to discover who would frighten a little old lady to death. The set is well constructed and presents an eerie location. Good camera work with lots of spooky shadows.A good array of possible suspects includes George Reeves (later Superman on TV) and since the old sailing ship used to be a pirate museum, it provides an interesting array of props. Jimmy Chan provides good comic relief and spends a good deal of the film in the harbor having even walked the plank. When Jimmy offers to help guard and wants Charlie's gun, Pop responds with `Bullet from killer much easier to take than bullet from #2 son.' Milton Parsons skulks around as an interesting character that is trying to over come psychoses. A talking parrot `Gerdy' helps Chan unravel part of the mystery.There are plenty of clues and they come fast, but this is the first Chan film that I have seen where the detective does not neatly wrap it up at the end and tell you what you should have seen or at least what he knew that you did not know. Unless the version I saw was cut (it might have been), Chan does not reveal how he knew the identity of the killer at the summation. But, there is one good clue and you might catch it. Fair but I liked this one better when I saw it as a kid.