Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise (1940) User Reviews (27)

Sidney Toler at his best as unflappable detective

[csteidler · 8/10 · 23 August 2012]

Charlie Chan hustles a whole passel of suspects aboard their cruise ship, knowing one of them is a murderer. He risks his life by staying aboard himself. At least that's what suspect Leo G. Carroll tells him—to which Chan replies, "Life has been risked for jewels far less valuable than friendship."

An old friend has been murdered right in Lieutenant Chan's office, and Chan takes it as a personal challenge. The clues all point to some member of a round-the-world cruise as the murderer…but which one?

A great assortment of the usual suspects keeps this Chan mystery moving along nicely. Besides archaeologist Leo Carroll, there's Cora Witherspoon, a dizzy rich lady; Marjorie Reynolds, her secretary; Robert Lowery, handsome and suddenly wealthy nephew of a second murder victim; and Charles Middleton and Claire Du Brey as a weird couple who do séances. Cruise leader Lionel Atwill wants the whole story kept out of the papers—and how suspicious a character is he?

Mr. Chan is assisted in his investigation by number two son Jimmy Chan, played with energy and style by Sen Yung, who gets a couple of laughs but plays it mostly straight.

Sidney Toler is excellent as Mr. Chan; very much at the center of the action, his confidence and timing are superb. The suspects snap at Mr. Chan, bite at each other, make their noise…and Chan just keeps that little smile on his face, polite, slightly mocking, letting them have their say, waiting for someone to make a mistake….

An exciting and clever climax tops this one off and clinches it as a top notch series entry.

"Truth like oil, will in time rise to surface."

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 23 April 2005]

"Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise" is at the top of many fans favorite lists, as it is mine. Sidney Toler once again portrays the Oriental Detective, assisted by Victor Sen Yung as Number #2 Son Jimmy. Layne Tom Jr. also appears as numerically challenged Number #7 Son Willie; he had made prior appearances as Number #2 Son Charlie Jr. in "At the Circus" and "At the Olympics" with Warner Oland, and as unnumbered son Tommy in "Honolulu". Interestingly, the young Layne Tom appeared in Chan films with both Oland and Toler, though Sen Yung never appeared in a Warner Oland Chan film.

The rest of the cast is an interesting mix as well; Lionel Atwill appears as mystery cruise director Dr. Suderman, Leo (minus the G.) Carroll is introduced as archeology Professor Gordon, and Charles Middleton and Claire Du Brey portray a nervously rigid couple, the Walters. Cora Witherspoon is also on hand as a member of the cruise party, offering comic relief as socialite Suzie Watson who bewilders Chan with her confusing descriptions of characters on board.

When the dust finally clears, four murders have taken place; one in Charlie's Honolulu office, one in a Honolulu hotel, and two more on board a cruise ship heading to San Francisco. All are by strangulation using various means, a suitcase strap in one case, a leather shoelace in another. Adding additional intrigue, the murderer leaves an unusual calling card with victim number two, a small bag containing thirty dimes representing the Biblical Judas' thirty pieces of silver.

With clever attention to detail, Chan is pointed in the right direction by Professor Gordon's slip up, commenting on an aspect of Chinese history. Gordon should have known better, particularly since it's later revealed that he had the foresight to have his accomplice Ross (James Beddoe) masquerade as his own disguised double as a street beggar to throw Charlie off track. Cunning as the ruse was, it was no match for Chan's investigative ability.

Until this film, the body count in a Chan film had never gone higher than three. Sometimes more is not better, but in this movie it works, even though victim two was killed in a case of mistaken identity. The way the story unfolds, especially with the curve thrown by circumstances surrounding the second victim, makes for an entertaining and well played out mystery.

One of my favorite lines from the film - Charlie refers to son Jimmy as "miniature Sherlock".

Thirty pieces of silver.

[Jim Tritten · 6/10 · 28 June 2002]

Producer John Stone and Director Eugene Forde's last Chan films. By now Stone had done over a dozen and Forde had directed four. Sidney Toler (who appears to be ill in portions of the movie) is supported by #2 son Jimmy and #7 son Willie (Layne Tom, Jr. who was once cast in `Charlie Chan at the Circus' as #2 son Charlie Jr. and in `Charlie Chan in Honolulu' as #5 son Tommy). Lionel Atwill and Leo G. Carroll both add to the drama but Charles Middleton is best remembered in the Flash Gordon films as the Emperor Ming. Cora Witherspoon provides great comic relief. Don Beddoe is credited as playing `James' Ross but introduces himself to Chan as `Frederick' Ross, weight 168 lbs, 5'10', and he will admit to being 35.

Fast-paced who-done-it set primarily aboard a ship bound between Honolulu and San Francisco. A 'round the world cruise by ten travelers has been beset by a series of deaths by strangulation. It is clear from the beginning of the film that the guilty party is a man dressed in a dark hat and raincoat with dark classes and a full beard. But none of the passengers look like that.

Scotland Yard Inspector Duff is sent to investigate only to die as the film opens. Interesting subterfuge will keep the viewer off balance and probably unable to keep up with Chan until all is revealed at the end. `Man can more safely search for gold if world think he dig ditch.' Recommended.

Watch out for Cora Witherspoon, she is a riot to watch!! LOL

[SkippyDevereaux · 7 November 2001]

This film is a very good and has a hilarious performance by the great Cora Witherspoon!! She must be from the Edna Mae Oliver school of acting--one of those ladies that can steal every scene that she is in. All the Charlie Chan films are very enjoyable to watch, at least the ones with Sidney Toler in them, as he was the best actor to portray Charlie Chan. All around good fun film to watch!!

Thank you so much

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 27 March 2015]

From 1940, "Murder Cruise" sports a nice cast, with Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan, Sen Yung as his son Jimmy, Leo Carroll, Lionel Atwill, and Cora Witherspoon, who is very funny.

Charlie seems to have a tough time with this one -- after his friend from Scotland Yard is killed, he joins a cruise from Honolulu to San Francisco to help find a suspected murderer. There are no less than four more.

The murderer is obvious the second he's introduced for reasons having nothing to do with the plot.

Inspector Duff has been on a case case undercover. He's a passenger on a cruise ship going on a world tour from New York. One of the passengers was strangled the first night. Duff joined the cruise in Liverpool, and he is sure the criminal is on board, and he's afraid that he will strike again. You can say that again - he strangles Duff right in the office while Charlie takes a call about another of the passengers being murdered.

Jimmy shows up, naturally, and gets into all kinds of trouble. Charlie puts up with it, Toler's Chan always being on an even keel and exhibiting dry humor.

Very enjoyable. The young Chan, Willie, is played by Layne Tom, Jr. Tom is on a 2006 interview about the Chan films and became a very well known architect, dying at age 87.

Good fun.

Murder Ahoy!

[telegonus · 9/10 · 26 November 2002]

This is a tight little entry in the Charlie Chan series concerning the tracking down of a serial killer on a cruise ship. Sidney Toler and Sen Yung are in good form as Charlie and his impetuous son, Jimmy. The supporting cast would be outstanding for an A film. With Lionel Atwill on-board as (I kid you not) cruise director you know you're in for a good, scary time. The Chan series was at its peak when this one got made. Warner Oland, whose dour presence had put Charlie on the map, so to speak, was but a memory by 1940. Toler was a more jovial Chan, and his good humor set the tone for the rest of the series. The actors in the film, which include Charles Middleton and Claire Du Brey, as a stuffy religious couple, do their deadpan best to keep the story afloat and suspenseful, adding just a touch of the diabolical. There's a festive air in this one, and a neat game of shuffleboard with Don Beddoe.

How many people have to be killed before Charlie can solve the case?

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 5 March 2014]

Investigating the murder of an old friend puts Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) on the trail of a strangler, which leads to a cruise ship where he encounters more murders. Well, the title's accurate. It's kind of amusing that several people get knocked off before Charlie can solve the case. Doesn't exactly look good on a detective's résumé.

Toler's fine but his yellowface makeup seems especially exaggerated in this one. Maybe it's me but it just looks different. Always fun to see Victor Sen Yung as Jimmy Chan. Layne Tom, Jr. appears here but not as Charlie Chan, Jr. as in his previous appearances. This time he's "Number Seven Son" Willie. Cora Witherspoon is terrific comic relief as Susie Watson. Great supporting cast that includes Lionel Atwill and Leo G. Carroll, among other familiar faces.

This one's a remake of an earlier Charlie Chan film, Charlie Chan Carries On. Unfortunately that's one of the lost Warner Oland Chan films from the early '30s so I can't really compare this to that. But this one's good, with a solid cast and healthy doses of humor.

Murder Cruise!

[profh-1 · 10/10 · 16 January 2022]

I've been re-watching my Charlie Chan movies again, and I'd have to rate this as one of the VERY BEST! It starts out in Honolulu at the police station, moves to a hotel, then continues on a cruise ship, before finally concluding in a jaw-dropping way at the coroner's office.

Along the way there's a whole host of suspects and familiar actors that would do a "POIROT" story credit. As my Dad might have put it, the suspects include Professor Moriarty (Lionel Atwill), Mr. Waverly (Leo G. Carrol), Bruce Wayne (Robert Lowery), Dr. Huer (C. Montague Shaw) and Ming The Merciless (Charles Middleton). What a line-up!

As usual, Jimmy Chan (Victor Sen Yung) provides much of the comic relief, especially when his pop at one point insists he's deranged and has him locked up for pretending to be his son. When we next see him, the stowaway has been conscripted into working as a steward.

The finale blew my mind, because even when I figured I'd finally found out who the killer was, Chan had one more twist up his sleeve.

"CHARLIE CHAN'S MURDER CRUISE" is actually the 3rd film version of the novel "Charlie Chan Carries On". While the only known print of the original with Warner Oland was apparently destroyed in a fire, the SPANISH version, made at the same time, "ERAN TRECE" (THERE WERE THIRTEEN), which stars Manuel Arbo as Chan, DOES still exist for comparison. I've seen it on Youtube! It's available as a bonus feature on the "Charlie Chan In Shanghai" DVD.

Racist?

[boblipton · 6/10 · 16 March 2020]

My father's father came over from Lithuania shortly before the First World War broke out. He told me "I speak seven lengwitches, Robertil, but Anglisch the bast!" So, despite the claims that the Charlie Chan series is racist, I don't find it so; given that Charlie Chan is an internationally acclaimed detective and always the smartest man in the room, that his sons seem like typical American teenagers, I find the Charlie Chan movies agreeable B detectives thrillers.

In Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise, the whole thing starts when an old friend from Scotland Yard shows up. He's been tracking a strangler aboard a cruise, and asks for Charlie's help. When Charlie (played by Sidney Toler) goes in to ask his chief if he can help, the British 'tec is strangled...and the trails of red herrings leads Charlie and No.2 Son (played by Victor Sen Young) on the ship heading to San Francisco.

The Charlie Chan series was a reliable moneymaker for 20th Century-Fox, and this one has a wealth of fine character actors: Marjorie Weaver, Lionel Atwill, Leo G. Carroll and Cora Witherspoon are among the suspects; the trail is tangled and there are several false reveals that kept me guessing until the end.

Unfortunately, this is not a topnotch mystery, because it plays false to the rules of the game: the solution depends on information and a witness who are not supplied until the last reel. However, despite that cheat, it is a typically amusing Charlie Chan from a period when Fox produced the best Bs in the business.

This is the best Charlie Chan film starring Sidney Toler

[shakspryn · 10/10 · 31 October 2020]

Plenty of people would vote Treasure Island the best, but for my money, this one takes the prize. The film is 76 minutes long and gives us good plot turns, lots of the humor fans like, and a standout cast. Lionel Atwill and Leo G. Carroll in particular, are excellent, but all the players are good. And, much of the story is set on an ocean liner, going from Honolulu to San Francisco! I really like the old mysteries that are set on a train or an ocean liner. Sidney Toler is simply masterful in his role as Charlie Chan. He's the equal of Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes, which is the highest praise I can give. He gives the character tremendous intelligence, moral force, and a quiet humor, that are most appealing. The plot is very clever and involving, and that helps to elevate the movie. This is a classic that you can enjoy seeing more than once. You get to see Charlie in a real battle of wits with the killer. Plus, our hero looks great in a dinner jacket! Highly recommended.

Above-average Charlie Chan film

[gridoon2024 · 7/10 · 2 April 2016]

Though maybe a trifle too long, "Murder Cruise" is a superior entry in the "Charlie Chan" series. I noticed at the start that the script is based on an actual novel written by Earl Derr Biggers and not just on the character of Charlie Chan that was created by him, and indeed this is a nice thick mystery with a whole lot of suspects and multiple twists (and double-twists). There is a strong cast at work, with some recognizable names like Lionel Atwill and Leo Carroll playing two of the suspects; on the women's front, there is the lively Cora Witherspoon and the gorgeous Marjorie Weaver. Number 2 Son is more helpful (if still somewhat clumsy), and more likable, than usual in this entry. The shipboard settings add some spice to the proceedings. My favorite Chan line: "To speak without thinking is to shoot without aiming". Ain't that the truth! *** out of 4.

A whole cruise ship full of murder suspects!

[binapiraeus · 9/10 · 12 March 2014]

Now this is a movie RIGHT after every real murder mystery fan's heart - no wonder, because it's based on one of Earl Derr Biggers' original novels, "Charlie Chan Carries On" (which had already been adapted in 1931 as the - now lost - first film starring Warner Oland in the role, bearing the book's title), and can clearly be identified as a crime novel brought to the screen. A plot with so many twists and knots that it's almost impossible to follow, a whole bunch of suspects to 'choose' from, dark connections with the past...

And it was adapted in a really MASTERFUL way, with a perfect direction (the atmosphere on board the ship is wonderfully genuine, and the foggy night scenes on deck are pretty creepy), an illustrious cast including mystery specialist Lionel Atwill, Leo Carroll, Robert Lowery (who later would become famous in westerns), Marjorie Weaver (the heroine of many a good B movie), and Cora Witherspoon, and many gags included to lighten up the murderous atmosphere - as usual, mostly provoked by, or involving poor Jimmy Chan.

It all starts in Charlie Chan's office in Honolulu, where he is visited by his old friend Inspector Duff from Scotland Yard, who tells him about a strange case he's on incognito: a cruise ship started four months ago on a world tour from New York, and on the first night one of the passengers, a judge, was strangled. In Liverpool, Duff joined the cruise, and he's convinced that among the passengers must be a dangerous criminal, and it's very probable that he'll strike again. And so he does: Charlie's superior next door is informed over the telephone that a Mr. Kenyon, another one of the passengers, was murdered in his hotel room - and when Charlie gets back to his own office, he finds his friend strangled; and that makes him feel obliged to take on the case himself...

He goes on board, and is introduced to the passengers by group leader Dr. Suderman: there's archaeologist Professor Gordon, Dick Kenyon, the nephew of the murdered man, Paula Drake with whom he's in love and who's the secretary of slightly hysterical Susie Watson, Susie's admirer Freddie Ross, the strange spiritualist couple Mr. and Mrs. Walters - and Mr. Pendleton, who seems to be afraid to death that HE's the intended victim! Then there's a mysterious beggar with a huge beard creeping around, there are stories from the past involving Mrs. Pendleton, there are little bags containing exactly 30 silver dimes (...) - and of course, there's a stowaway: who else but... Jimmy Chan?

And then unfolds a plot before our eyes which is not only almost too complicated to describe, but it would also be a shame to give away too much of it - because it really has to be SEEN to be believed! An absolute 'must' for every mystery fan, equal (if not superior) even to many of the very best 'whodunits' that were ever brought to the screen!

Cruisin' to a Confusin' Finish

[bnwfilmbuff · 7/10 · 15 May 2017]

Inspector Duff of Scotland Yard, traveling incognito as a cruise passenger, contacts Charlie during a stopover in Hawaii to enlist his help in apprehending a strangler that Duff believes is part of his entourage. Before Duff can get out of Chan's office he's murdered and Charlie takes the case as a personal mission. As with many of the Chan mysteries there's a rogue's gallery of suspects (at least 10 by my count) making keeping them all straight somewhat of a challenge. However, the actors making up the suspects are a who's who of the mystery genre headed up by Lionel Atwill and Leo G. Carroll. Also notable were Cora Witherspoon, Don Beddoe, and Leonard Mudie who turned in fine performances and Charles Middleton (Ming the Merciless of Flash Gordon fame) in a somewhat lesser role. And, of course, the overbearing Victor Sen Yung, who I was rooting for Charlie to just throw overboard. Dismissing Yung's nonsense, this is a fine if very complex mystery. And I admit that it took a couple of viewings to understand the finish. Still it's enjoyable especially for Chan lovers.

The Old Man With A Beard

[Lechuguilla · 19 October 2009]

The killer in this story appears to be a beggar, a person with a white beard, glasses, black pointy hat, and black coat. The beggar relates in some way to one of some ten suspects. In actual practice, there are about six or seven genuine suspects, since a few of them can be easily ruled out.

"Murder Cruise" is one of the better films in the Charlie Chan series. Production values trend above average. And the B&W lighting is quite effective.

My only real complaint is the film's plot. At a certain point, the viewer can fairly easily identify the killer, despite the fact that the underlying mystery is complex and clever. It's one of those whodunits wherein the murderer is relatively easy to spot, but the motive and underlying story are rather opaque. A slight change in the plot could have prolonged the suspense a bit longer.

The story's ending is amusingly hokey. The killer tries to strangle one last victim, and the woman screams and screams. Rather than killing her quickly, the murderer talks to her long enough for the police and Charlie Chan to arrive in time to save her.

Despite a plot that is a bit too revealing too soon, "Murder Cruise" is an enjoyable whodunit. If only all the Charlie Chan movies were this high in quality. In the words of Charlie Chan ... "Thank you so much".

Decent

[SanteeFats · 7/10 · 27 October 2013]

In this Charlie Chan movie you find Chan trying to solve the mystery of several strangulation murders that occur during an ocean cruise put on by a doctor of dubious repute. Charlie Chan's number two son is along as a help(?) and provides a humorous aspect. There is also the black driver, who plays the stereotypical black man in this film era. Stupidly funny but not erudite. Several suspects show up and are cleared one by one until Charlie solves the case and the guilty party is found out and taken into custody. This is a typical Charlie Chan movie with several people as suspects and Chan's logic leads to the solution. Of course with good writing that is par for the course.

Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise was a fine filmed version of "Charlie Chan Carries On"

[tavm · 8/10 · 12 March 2021]

A little more than ten years ago, I read the novel "Charlie Chan Carries On" when I was also watching various Charlie Chan movies and reviewing them here on IMDb. Because it's been so long since then, all I really remember from the book was that Chan didn't appear in it until it was in the middle of it. So while watching this movie version (the second, after the previous filmed version which was the first time Warner Oland played the role. That version is lost), I didn't remember the characters that were now depicted from that novel. Anyway, this was another enjoyable film in the series with Sidney Toler doing fine in the role of the famous detective. Ditto Victor Sen Yung as his son Jimmy who's always in over his head but also always well meaning. So that's a recommendation for Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise.

Pretty Typical; Doesn't Mean It's Bad

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 10 January 2016]

There's a strangler on the loose. An old friend comes to see Charlie but stands by a window and gets himself strangled. Charlie, feeling guilt over this because the man had come to see him, vows to find the killer. This gets him on board a cruise ship where more people are being dispatched this way. Of course, Number One Son shows up, and mostly gets in the way. As is usually the case, there are bodies here and bodies there. There is the typical listening at the porthole because people talk so loud. There is the Number One Son getting arrested, mistaken for the strangler. There's the scene where everyone is in a room when the lights go out (I've seen that at least four times) and, of course, someone gets away or a piece of evidence is taken. Leo G. Carroll shows up. He was a regular supporting actor in many films of the time. I always remember him as the nonplussed Cosmo Topper in the old TV show of the fifties. Anyway, this is fun with little new to offer.

Not a Love Boat type cruise

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 8 June 2013]

An old Scotland Yard Inspector friend Montague Shaw drops in on Charlie Chan in Honolulu asking for his help in catching a murderer whom he believes is on a cruise bound for San Francisco. Shortly afterward Shaw is strangled and Sidney Toler now has a personal reason for taking over Shaw's investigation.

Also coming along is Number 2 son Victor Sen Yung as usual providing his unwanted assistance to Pop. Number 2 son as a stowaway earns his passage as a steward's assistant, but does prove useful in being able to search cabins of cruise passengers.

With such worthy villainous types as Lionel Atwill, Leo G. Carroll, Charles Middleton, and Leonard Mudie in the cast it's going to be difficult to tell who the perpetrator can be. All have been cast as villains in many films. Jewelry salesman Don Beddoe also winds up dead before the cruise is over.

With a really good cast to provide believable red herrings Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise is a top drawer feature of the Charlie Chan series. Captain Stubing never saw things like this going on with the Love Boat.

Character actress guilty of theft.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 16 September 2023]

While Sidney Toler is the star of this Charlie Chan series, he is forced to remain in the background every time Cora Witherspoon steps onto the set. A feisty matron who goes nutty when she sees a scary face at her ship stateroom, Witherspoon objects to being slapped out of her hysteria by ship detective James Burke, slapping him back. The character players in fact makes this confusing mystery a bit better, with humor added by Victor Sen Yung as the limber Jimmy Chan who may not be smart amateur detective, but faster than menacing Charles Middleton.

Longer than the average Chan film of the early 40's and temporarily stepping out of a war theme to become more traditional. Lionel Atwill, fresh from the previous entry in Panama, is here suspect rather than victim, and there are plenty of red herrings among other characters played by Robert Lowery, Marjorie Weaver and Halliwell Hobbes. But no one can out ham Witherspoon here, absolutely delightful even though nobody should ever try to mess with her.

Thirty pieces of silver

[greenbudgie · 8/10 · 2 March 2021]

Inspector Duff of Scotland Yard is strangled while visiting his friend Charlie Chan in Honolulu. Duff had been on the trail of a party of ten who were about to leave to sail for San Francisco. Chan swears to avenge his friend's death as an extra motivation to bring a serial strangler to justice. There's another strangulation murder at a hotel and then the action moves aboard ship.

This Chan plot is very good so it's brilliant that Fox made this one because the earlier lost Warner Oland version of the story has never turned up as yet. There are intriguing decoy ploys involved and the compulsion of someone's complicity that needs to be worked out. The revenge killings of the murderer involves the Judas curse of thirty pieces of silver which is transferred here to a stringbag containing 30 dimes presented to the victim before they die. A mysterious beggarman character keeps popping up to add to the intrigue.

This has a good supporting cast including Lionel Atwill and Leo G. Carroll who are always welcome in mysteries. Then there is a great comic turn from Cora Witherspoon who utters lines just like the way Agnes Morehead would do in later films. Her best line comes at the expense of the Mrs Walter's otherworldly character who is always in touch with the dead. In the morgue scene at the end she tells Mrs Walters to move into the morgue saying "You'd love it here."

Jimmy Chan pops up through a hotel window and then later as a stowaway aboard ship and helps Pop's investigations in an even more chaotic way than usual. Charlie uses his bag of tricks methodology to eventually bring the murderer to justice.

"Truth, like oil, will in time rise to surface."

[bensonmum2 · 8/10 · 9 November 2008]

Charlie Chan and #2 son Jimmy join a cruise headed to San Francisco hot on the heels of a murderer. The mad strangler has already killed Chan's friend and colleague from Scotland Yard, so Charlie has to be on his toes. And with the confined space of a cruise ship, suspects at every turn, and even more dead bodies, Charlie Chan certainly has his hands full.

When you go about 35 years in between viewings, you not only forget everything about the plot (including the killer's identity), but you also forget how good a movie can be. That's the case with me and Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise. I had the opportunity to check out it out last night for the first time in over three decades. My reaction - what a wonderful movie! An excellent and convoluted plot, a ruthless killer, red herrings everywhere you look, comic relief that doesn't get in the way of the mystery, and some of the most solid acting you'll find in one of the Toler Chan films help make Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise a real winner. The cast that includes Sidney Toler, Victor Sen Yung, the always enjoyable Lionel Atwill, Leo (no G.) Carroll, and Charles Middleton is as good as you'll find in a "B" mystery from the 40s. Another big plus is the film's location. I've always been a fan of a mystery where the killer and suspects are trapped in a place with no hope of escape. And a cruise ship is one of those kind of locations. Add to this list of superlatives I've mentioned some nice pacing from director Eugene Forde and solid cinematography and lighting and you've got the makings of a wonderful entry in the log running Charlie Chan series.

Better than usual thanks to an excellent cast and plot

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 19 April 2009]

Unlike many of the Charlie Chan films, this one had quite a few excellent actors in supporting roles. Among the stellar cast are Charles Middleton, Lionel Atwill and Leo G. Carroll, so already at the outset this film had a big advantage. Fortunately, this is not all it had going for it, as the plot was exceptional--making it among the best of the Sidney Toler films about the great fictional detective.

The film is set mostly aboard a cruise ship where, naturally, a murder occurs. A detective investigating a strangling maniac is killed and naturally other murders occur throughout the film. What makes this interesting, though, is that the murders vary and several times 'red herrings' are tossed in to confuse the viewer. Much of the reason this worked well is that unlike the average Chan film, this one is about ten minutes longer--and so the audience naturally thinks the film is finished when there are still a couple surprises to come. As a result, you can't help but see this film as a notch above the typical B detective series film.

Tanks to Fox, now one of the best!

[JohnHowardReid · 8/10 · 20 December 2017]

Based on the last quarter of an actual Earl Derr Biggers' novel, namely "Charlie Chan Carries On", this re-make, Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise (1940), very capably directed by Eugene Forde, is also a delight, particularly in its 76-minutes Australian release version which Fox has now made available to American viewers for the first time ever.

The movie was cut to 70 minutes for both its original USA release and its American TV airings. Oddly, the cuts were made in the dramatic scenes. All the comedy remained intact, with the result that the film's cleverly engineered pacing was destroyed.

Virgil Miller's atmospheric low-key photography is a stand-out as usual, and the support cast includes such favorites as Lionel Atwill, Leo G. Carroll and Kay Linaker.

To judge from the surviving Spanish version, this is a much more exciting film than the original Charlie Chan Carries On (1931), even though it is missing two of that film's best scenes.

murder takes a holiday

[pbalos · 9/10 · 16 July 2000]

in this well rounded mystery.An early Toler film, which should be seen by all Chan fans. A fine cast including Leo G. "Topper" Carroll as Prof.Gordon. A familiar formula, but well done in all aspects.The antics of Jimmy Chan (Victor Sen Young) work well here as usual.Although Toler moves through the movie sounding like he's suffering from a cold, he does one of his finest jobs here as Charlie Chan. A must see.

Multilple murders no problem for Charlie Chan.

[michaelRokeefe · 8/10 · 14 February 2011]

The now legendary sleuth Charlie Chan(Sidney Toler)boards a cruise ship from Honolulu to San Francisco to solve the murder of one of his pals from Scotland Yard. It is all but certain the killer has to be a passenger on board ship, but which one? Charlie is joined by Number Two son Jimmy(Victor Sen Yung), help or hindrance...only to find more murder and a handful of suspicious passengers. Capable killers are Professor Gordon(Leo G. Carroll), Dr. Suderman(Lionel Atwell) and Jeremiah Walters(Charles Middleton). One of the better capers from the Chan franchise. Other players: Marjorie Weaver, Robert Lowery, Kay Linaker and Don Beddoe.