Lucybespro It is a performances centric movie

Beanbioca As Good As It Gets

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

Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Vogonavich You have to understand that I love these mystery movies from the 30's and 40's, hence the 8/10. It's fun to just suspend disbelief and watch the films for what they are. Get a bowl of popcorn then sit down in your comfy place and let your mind go back to a time before all of the special effects and CGI, before political correctness, and enjoy the show. There are terrific gems to be found in these old films. If you are like me then pick up the DVD; you won't be sorry. "Charlie Chan in London" is a good'un. The digital restorations are excellent. Same ol' cheezy sound and dialogue centric script but without the audio and visual noise. The shakiness of the original is gone as well.Sure you can criticize some of the ham acting but I find the characters and the dialogue fascinating. Although IMHO Elsa Buchanan is wonderful as the distraught maid who is shocked by the evil oriental skulking about the place, others would likely be less kind.E.E. Clive as the more than a little thick Detective Sergeant Thacker is perfect, especially his uncorrected references to Charlie as "Mr. Chang".I didn't realize Ray Milland was in the movie till I heard his unmistakable voice. What a distance from portraying Luke Skywalker's father! While I'm on about it: the quality of the acting in "Charlie Chan in London" is not much different from "Star Wars Episode IV". ;->The "Charlie Chan" character and its portrayal by non-Chinese actors has come under some heavy, and valid, criticism for stereotyping and for washing over issues of racism. However, I think that such criticism should be noted and should not prevent enjoyment of these wonderful films. We (audiences) are not stupid; we can see plenty of evidence of paternalism, sexism, and racism in these movies. Eh, so what? The story and the script are a product of the time and are a window into the past. Not into real life directly, but the film is enlightening with respect to what was acceptable. Eighty years from now, I'm sure many current films will be condemned for all sorts of things that we take for granted now. Food for thought.For me, the controversy and obvious difference in cultural values from today just makes these films more interesting. Mr. Chan's quiet approach to life in general and to racism in particular speaks well of his character. We pay attention to what Chan says because he is always interesting and insightful. What may be interpreted as a stereotyped, obsequious and blandly inoffensive "chinaman", is really a thoughtful individual with obviously strong family values and who is so confident that he does not have to try to change all of the flaws in the world around him.He just has to solve the mystery and go back to his family.

r-c-s This won't go past 7/10 because of the overacting typical of many movies from the 1930s...people fainting, overdisplayed distress and other 'drama queen' tricks of the trade that do not appeal to me much. HOWEVER I really enjoyed this charming little movie, deprived of profanity, violence and nudity often associated with today's similar productions. Olund as Chan is very charming and inoffensive (or so he wants to look to fool suspects ): only 3 days to save an innocent from execution and many potential killers to choose from...hint by hint Chan turns what courts believed to be a 'crime of passion' into a case of industrial espionage (ingenious plot contrivance for those times ). Mona Barrie is the prettiest of the bunch and it's hard to believe she died in 1964. Barren the few 'drama queen' moments, acting is good and actors definitely help to support an interesting plot full of twists and intelligently argued. Too bad these silver screen movies are for the merely curious or the connoisseur these days.

Spondonman Chronologically it's the 2nd Chan film extant after Black Camel, 4 others remain lost - Charlie is either getting into his stride in this or had already done so previously! The formula was in place, all they had to do from now on was reprise it with variations a couple of times a year. Whenever on TV in the past it always appeared murky to me but the copy I've just seen was pristine, with an astonishingly clear soundtrack.Paul Gray is incarcerated in Pentonville for murder but in a few days time is to hang – his sister believes him innocent, and apparently so does Charlie as he postpones his voyage to Honolulu to help them out. When arriving at the country house in Retfordshire where the deed was done he finds himself up against a wall of suspicious British stereotypes, ranging from Cockney idiots and brusque snobs to out and out racists, which of course he continually uses to his advantage in his unravelling of the case. And he unravels it perfectly, with a plethora of marvellous aphorisms and red herrings, but as so often had to happen also with a fool-the-murderer-into-finally-exposing-him/herself denouement.Swedish Warner Oland gave a wonderfully urbane performance as usual as the Chinese detective. Sadly as time goes on it's shown less and less on TV, partly because the schedulers who may not want to offend Chinese sensibilities also prefer to show violent and deviant films to the public instead, and partly because the public want it that way too. Hunt a copy down and revel in it!

piccadillyjim-1 CHARLIE CHAN IN London is a good example of a well-produced, lower budget "B" film from Fox studios in 1934. Three earlier films seem to be lost, so this is the first in the line-up that remains today. As such, it stars Warner Oland, Swedish by birth, as the Chinese detective, Charlie Chan. Today's film historians grant Oland much credit for creating the screen persona of Chan. This film lends support to their belief. Oland presents Chan as a detective who looks for even the smallest of clues in his search to find the killer. His euphemisms during the hunt are so engaging that they draw the viewer in even closer until, by the end of the film, one is convinced that Chan is without peer in his chosen profession.CHARLIE CHAN IN London also stars Drue Layton as the distraught woman who pleads with Chan to save her brother from execution for a murder she believes he never committed. Layton only made ten films in her entire career. She is well cast in this one.Ray Milland supplies the star quality as Layton's fiancée. Milland bear's that quality of sincerity that characterized him in later years.Not to be overlooked is that fine British actor, Alan Mowbray. Mowbray excelled at comedy and, in fact, became quite a favorite with audiences of the 30s and 40s. This is an example of his earlier work where he excelled in straight dramatic roles.The action takes place in a British mansion. Included in the goings-on is a fox hunt, an attempt on Charlie's life, and other events guaranteed to keep the audience guessing. Missing is Charlie Chan's number one son, Keye Luke. Luke makes his first appearance in the next production, CHARLIE CHAN IN Paris.Twentieth-Century Fox pulled these programs from their broadcast schedule because of the political pressure exerted by today's Asian-American actors in Hollywood who object to a non-Asian playing an Asian character. Accordingly, you will not find CHARLIE CHAN IN London, nor any other Chan film for that matter, on your television set. It's a shame, for this is an authentic piece of motion picture history. However, CHARLIE CHAN IN London can be purchased as a DVD release from Fox in the retail stores. This motion picture is well worth the purchase price.