CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Frances Chung Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Eric Stevenson This was slightly worse than "Charlie Chan At The Opera" but way better than "Behind That Curtain". This is mostly enjoyable because it features one of Charlie Chan's kids (the one featured before) trying to directly solve the case on his own. I can't help but thinking I was more aware of this character when I was younger. Now, there is something that could have been done a lot better. Despite the fact that the movie is titled "In Honolulu" it mostly takes place on a cruise ship. It still manages to have interesting characters and a good plot. It reminds me of that awful "Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan". This was infinitely better as it was not horribly acted and disappointing.I find it odd how one of the characters thinks he sees a ghost which everyone questions. Later, one of the characters claims he has a living brain and numerous others in store, but nobody questions that. The most amusing moments in the film are with the guy and his lion. Yeah, he finds a lion on the ship and they end up becoming friends. It makes little sense, but is very fun. I appreciate the mystery and it is pretty unexpected. ***.

Hitchcoc Warner Oland had died and Sidney Toler took over the role of Charlie Chan. While Lee is apparently in college, Number Two son, Jimmy, becomes the one aspiring to be a detective. During a rather tiresome beginning involving the birth of a grandchild, there is some banter between father and son and other child. While Charlie is at the hospital with the entire here, one of the boys gets a call about a murder aboard a ship. Jimmy and his stowaway brother end up on the ship, impersonating honorable father. In addition to two woman, a strange man who sleeps with a lion, is a weird character played by George Zucco, who was in many horror films. He has a kind of fish tank where he keeps a brain alive. Anyway, things go from bad to worse. One of the women came aboard with 300,000 dollars. It is soon missing. There are numerous suspects and eventually Charlie gets wind of his son's bumbling activities (not terrible, just not very insightful) and heads for the ship. This isn't a bad transition for the series as Toler picks up pretty well where his predecessor left off. This Chan, at least for now, is a bit harsher.

bsmith5552 "Charlie Chan in Honolulu" (1938) is notable as the first Chan film to star Sidney Toler in the title role. He had been chosen by Darryl F. Zanuck to replace Warner Oland who had passed away earlier that year. It also introduces (Victor) Sen Yung as No. 2 son Jimmy Chan. Layne Tom Jr. who had appeared in "Charlie Chan at the Olympics" the previous year as Charlie Chan Jr. with Oland, appears here as No. 5 son Tommy.The story is set in Honolulu but most of the action takes place on a freighter where a murder has been committed. We first meet Toler's Chan at home with his wife and umpteen children awaiting the birth of the family's first grand child. Charlie is called to investigate a murder aboard the aforementioned freighter but as Charlie has gone to the hospital to await his grand child's birth, No. 2 son Jimmy goes in his stead accompanied by No. 5 son Tommy. Jimmy attempts to investigate the murder but as always gets himself into trouble. Charlie arrives just in time to prevent Jimmy from being thrown overboard.Judy Hayes (Phyllis Brooks) is the only witness to the murder having been present when it occurred. She had been trying to transfer a mysterious $300K to the victim when he was struck down. Several persons of interest are placed under suspicion. First we have Judy Hayes, the mysterious Dr. Cardigan (George Zucco), Carol Wayne (Claire Dodd) who may not be who she seems, Dectective Joe Arnold (Richard Lane) and his prisoner Johnny McCoy (Marc Lawrence), the ship's Executive Officer Randolph (John King). Captain Johnson (Robert Barrat) assists Charlie and Jimmy in their investigation.The money disappears, another murder happens and an attempt is made on Charlie's life. Finally Charlie concocts a plan to fool the murder into revealing himself and........................................Sidney Toler takes a bit of getting used to as Chan but would fit comfortably into the role that he would play for the next decade. Yung makes an excellent foil for Toler and he too would continue on in the series. This film is enhanced by the presence of the ever sinister George Zucco in the cast. He was always a suspect. The comedy relief provided by Eddie Collins and his lion would fit better into a Three Stooges comedy rather than here.Just an added note, Philip Ahn who plays Charlie's son-in-law had a connection with Keye Luke who had appeared in the Oland Chans. Both appeared in the 70s TV series "Kung Fu" as Chinese mentors to star David Carradine.

Michael O'Keefe Sidney Toler makes his first appearance as the Oriental sleuth Charlie Chan. The honorable detective is at the dinner table with his brood eagerly awaiting the birth of his first grandchild. While at the hospital a call comes from headquarters for Charlie to investigate a murder aboard a Shanghai freighter bound for Honolulu. Number Two Son Jimmy(Sen Yung)takes the call and immediately sets out to prove that he has the makings of a detective and is mistaken for his father at the murder scene. Charlie arrives in time to keep Jimmy from being thrown overboard and to his surprise finds one of his younger sons Tommy(Layne Tom Jr.)on board as a stowaway. With more than enough possible suspects; Chan goes about finding a murderer and a thief, if not one in the same. His choices are an odd assortment of crew members, a real crook, the ship's captain and an heiress. Also in the cast: Phyllis Brooks, George Zucco, Claire Dodd and Robert Barrat.