ThiefHott Too much of everything

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Eric Stevenson I really liked this probably because it was simply so much better than the other Charlie Chan movie I saw. I find it strange how it seems like only classic movies (at least as chronicled by Leonard Maltin) are the only ones that have a long running series. They rarely use numbered sequels. It was obviously great to see Charlie Chan actually star in the movie and great to see Boris Karloff. I was originally confused because it seemed like it wasn't even a mystery. It was pretty obvious that Karloff was the killer, but it turns out to be much more interesting. I admit some of it didn't make sense, but it was still quite fun.Although I already have spoilers marked, I'm not going to spoil who the killer really is. It's quite unexpected and worth checking out. I guess in the 1930's, it was okay to make a joke about Asians looking the same. Wait, we still do that. There probably should have been more music. I am so glad that this was so much shorter than "Behind That Curtain" as a mystery like this shouldn't be that long.Some of the characters act weird, but certainly one of the best in the series. I have only seen two of course. Charlie Chan's character isn't really racist by modern standards, at least not in comparison to a lot of other stuff we saw back then. Maybe we've just been spoiled by great mysteries like "The Maltese Falcon" that we forget about decent ones like this. This is still quite nice. ***.

binapiraeus This entry in the long-running and hugely popular 'Charlie Chan' series takes us into the distinguished - and a bit decadent - world of grand opera: famous soprano singer Lilli Rochelle, eccentric and somewhat conceited, is on the brink of hysteria because she's received a death threat for the very same day - her opening night in Los Angeles, after being away for seven years. And on exactly the same day, an amnesiac breaks out of a mental asylum after seven years; because, as soon as he sees her picture in the papers, he seems to remember something...Meanwhile, we learn that second soprano Anita Barelli is madly jealous of Lilli - not only because she's the star, but mainly because she's got an affair with her husband! And then there's a young couple hanging around backstage all the time, for some reason trying by all means to get to Lilli - but then the opera performance starts, and very soon a murderous drama REALLY worthy of any opera libretto begins to take its course...Except for the comic relief provided by Lee Chan and the cops, this film is pretty earnest, at times dramatic, if not even melodramatic; but we must undoubtedly admit that Boris Karloff probably plays one of the BEST roles of his life here: mad, full of hatred, and then again pitiful and sympathetic... While in other movies he usually only showed parts of his full acting range at a time - here he demonstrates them all in one!

Spuzzlightyear Another day. another Charlie Chan mystery. This time, Walter Orland is paired up with Boris Karloff, an interesting combo to be sure, as Chan tries to figure out who bumped off a pair of philandering opera singers(!!) Boris Karloff is, of course, prime suspect #1, as he is cast here as a crazed opera singer who just escaped from the looney bin lusting for revenge on the people who tried to kill him in an opera fire many moons ago! This one is a bit strange with it's premise, so therefore it's fun as Chan tries to make sense of it all. Karloff looks to be having a ball in this strange casting as an opera singer, he lip syncs horribly. I think he knows his fans know it, so just adds to the fun.

JoeKarlosi Generally considered the best in this series, and I would agree that it's up there somewhere. Boris Karloff (the screen credits read: "Warner Oland vs. Boris Karloff" -- cute!) is a mental patient with amnesia who escapes the sanitarium when he remembers that he was formerly an opera singer who was once locked in his dressing room during a fire and left for dead. He then returns to the opera house to sing again and settle a score, with the famous Charlie Chan on the murder trail.A brisk and enjoyable installment, playing up big Karloff's infamous reputation as a bogeyman, yet I have to say he sometimes comes off as humorous while mouthing the words to the dubbed opera vocals. Though his contemporary rival, Bela Lugosi, is often slammed for overacting, Boris is no slouch himself in this department here, over-expressing and hamming it up all over the place. Charlie's number one son Lee (Keye Luke) is somewhat underused this time, for some reason. In his place seems to be William Demarest, who is entertaining in this movie, running around as a frazzled American cop also struggling to solve the case and keep up with master detective Chan (Demarest does his own stunts which includes one really impressive comedic fall). With Demarest's occasional quips toward competitor Chan, it felt like this particular entry was more heavy on the "Asian stereotype charge" than usual. But in the end, it's still Charlie Chan who remains most respectable and more brilliant than everyone else. *** out of ****