Charlie Chan in Rio (1941)

"Watch out, Pop, he's oily and slippery.", 6 July 2015

Charlie Chan travels to Rio to arrest a woman wanted for murder in Honolulu. But before he can take her into custody, she's murder. As is usual for a Chan film, there are no shortage of suspects.

Charlie Chan in Rio is another nice entry in the series. The mystery itself may be a little run of the mill, but it's fun enough to watch Chan get to the truth. I will say, however, that this one doesn't play fair, with Chan privy to information not available to the viewer. But then again, I suppose that's the case with most of these movies. Highlights for me include: a nice cast (especially Victor Jory, Mary Beth Hughes, and Kay Linaker), rock solid cinematography, and excellent lighting. I've recently watched several 30s and 40s B mysteries and have really noticed these movies are not created equal. A big studio B looks a million times better than its Poverty Row counterpart. Overall, a solid 7/10 from me.

One more thing before I end this, I've complained in the past about the comic relief provided by Victor Sen Yung's Jimmy Chan. In Charlie Chan in Rio, some of it actually works. His wooing of Lili is even tolerable. I also appreciate that Harold Hubert's comedy was toned down. He's downright annoying at times in Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo.

7/10