Charlie Chan in the Secret Service (1944)

An average Chan - and I'm being generous calling it that, 13 August 2006


I've been a Charlie Chan fan as long as I remember. Some of my earliest memories involve watching Chan late at night on television. But Charlie Chan in the Secret Service doesn't work for me the way most Chan films do. Sure, it has its moments (like introducing Birmingham Brown), but there are too many problems I have with the movie for me to call it anything other than average.

What are the problems with Charlie Chan in the Secret Service? Glad you asked. Two areas where I have real issues with the movie are the means of murder and the padding. First, Charlie Chan in the Secret Service features a couple of fairly elaborate murder weapons that would have taken some time to set up. But the killer was just a guest in the house. So when did the murderer get inside and re-do the electrical wiring to be able to commit murder? Second, Charlie Chan in the Secret Service has a runtime of only 63 minutes. But if you were to take out the numerous instances of padding, you might end up with a movie less than 45 minutes in length. The most egregious example is the scene where Chan leaves the Secret Service building. We see Chan walk down the hall, through the doorway, down the steps, wait for a cab, get in the cab, ride to his destination, exit the cab, and finally get inside the house. Alone, these scenes take a good two or more minutes and add absolutely nothing to the film other than stretching its runtime.

I realize that most of the Monogram Chan films can't compare with what came before. But Charlie Chan in the Secret Service is weak even by Monogram standards.

5/10