JohnHowardReid Director: LESLEY SELANDER. Screenplay: Oliver Drake, Clint Johnston. Story: Clint Johnson. Based on the character, "Charlie Chan", created by Earl Derr Biggers. Photography: William Sickner. Supervising film editor: Otho Lovering. Film editor: Roy Livingston. Art director: David Milton. Set decorator: Raymond Boltz, junior. Make-up: Web Overlander. Special effects: Ray Mercer. Production manager: Allen K. Wood. Music director: Edward J. Kay. Assistant director: Wesley Barry. Sound recording: Tom Lambert. Producer: James S. Burkett. Copyright 1 May 1949 by Monogram Pictures Corp. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 1 May 1949. U.K. release through Associated British-Pathé: 24 September 1949. Australian release: 8 December 1949. 6,129 feet. 68 minutes. Alternative title: Charlie Chan and the Sky Dragon.SYNOPSIS: All the passengers and the crew of an airliner on which Charlie Chan is travelling, are drugged. The plane continues its journey on automatic pilot. When the great detective awakes, it transpires that the sum of $250,000 is missing. NOTES: 47th and last entry in the Charlie Chan series, and the 17th of the Monogram films. COMMENT: The last of the Charlie Chans boasts a reasonably impressive cast, a moderately intriguing mystery, competent enough direction and an extremely modest budget. Everyone agrees that this is not one of the better films, but all the same, it's a pity the series finished off just as Roland Winters was finally getting into stride.

gridoon2018 "The Sky Dragon", the final film in the Charlie Chan series, is described as the "nadir" of the series by Leonard Maltin and given a BOMB rating in his book. Now, I haven't seen many Chan films (yet), but this cannot be the worst when it is in fact better than another one which I saw only yesterday, "Golden Eye". It opens with a rather unusual setup (a murder, plus the robbery of a quarter of a million dollars, aboard a plane), and if it had stayed on the air it might have been a much-needed change-of-pace. It soon (crash)lands on earth, and becomes deadening at times, but at least it returns to the scene of the crime in the last 10 minutes for a traditional gathering of the suspects and unveiling of the culprit(s), and there is some cleverness in way the robbery is carried out (though the main killer is obvious). It's a movie only for the most dedicated buffs of the mystery genre, and they may get some fun out of it. My favorite Chan line: "Tired man's idea like children's nightmare: easily dispelled by light of day" ** out of 4.

Hitchcoc This is it for Chan (at least for the three actors that did the B-movie thing). It involves a plot that has been done any times since. That of a murder on board an airplane. We have a finite set of suspects. There is some history among the passengers. There is a large sum of money involved. And, Charlie and Lee (Number One Son) are on board. We have been told that Lee has been trained as a pilot for several episodes, so there is no big deal when assumes control of the plane. This has a nice cast of very recognizable actors. Noel Neill who was Lois Lane in "The Adventures of Superman" and Milburne Stone from "Gunsmoke." I also remember a show called "The People's Choice," which starred a heavy set guy who played the Mayor. There is no way to keep these people on that plane and they are allowed to leave. Of course, murders are committed and lots of drama ensues. For the final time, a light is turned out and a man is assaulted by an intruder.. How many times!!! This is the most entertaining of the Roland Winters films. I'm puzzled at the great disdain held for him. The earlier Chan movies weren't really all that great anyway. Having Caucasian men play a Chinese detective creates problems from the start. I guess there is a charm in seeing these actors do their thing for very little money. We could criticize till the cows come home, but these weren't ever works of art.

bkoganbing The Charlie Chan series ended with The Sky Dragon in which murder and a robbery are committed in a passenger airline while in flight. The ultimate of locked room homicides. Unfortunately for the ones who did this caper they had Charlie Chan and son Lee on board. After that they hadn't a chance.Roland Winters and Keye Luke bring in Tim Ryan of the SFPD who is more than happy to assist the local authorities. Pilot Milburn Stone and co-pilot Joel Marston and hostesses Noel Neill and Elena Verdugo are also suspects. Gracing the cast as she always does is Iris Adrian playing a burlesque queen who was a passenger. She's traveling with brother-in-law Lyle Talbot on a mission of her own.The guilty party is one who is rather quick on the trigger. In that it's easy to figure out who it is. How the robbery was done was a bit more clever and it involves an accomplice or two. Keye Luke who was number one son while Warner Oland was Charlie Chan returns for the final film. I had the pleasure of seeing Keye Luke on Broadway in the original cast of Flower Drum Song, my first Broadway show. Ironically he played a traditional Chinese father in that show.If they had only put a real surprise in the ending this would rate a notch or two higher. As it is The Sky Dragon is a fine film to conclude the series.