Charlie Chan on Broadway is a 1937 American mystery film directed by Eugene Forde and starring Warner Oland, Keye Luke and Joan Marsh. This is the 15th film starring Oland as Charlie Chan and produced by 20th Century Fox.
Plot
While Charlie Chan and his number one son, Lee, are aboard a New York-bound transatlantic liner returning from Germany in their previous adventure (Charlie Chan at the Olympics), they have a run-in with a mysterious woman, named Billie Bronson, who secretes a package in the trunk of the Chans. After the liner docks, Chan and Lee are met at the pier by Inspector Nelson and two rival reporters, Joan Wendall and Speed Patton. Bille, having left the country hurriedly a year ago when sought as a material witness in a political scandal, has returned to "blow the lid off the town." She follows the Chans to their hotel and attempts to regain her package from the trunk, only to be interrupted by Lee. She then goes to the "Hottentot Club", where "candid-camera night" is in full progress, followed by Lee. Already present are Joan and Speed. Billie is mysteriously murdered and Charlie is summoned from a police banquet in his honor. Present in the room with the body are club manager Johnny Burke; club dancer and Burke's girl-friend Marie Collins and the two reporters. While seeking a motive for the murder, a second killing is discovered in Charlie's hotel room, the package is missing from Charlie's trunk and it is realized that it must have contained her diary. Charlie neatly puts together a few scattered clues and then springs a trap to confirm the identity of the killer.
Cast
Warner Oland as Charlie Chan
Keye Luke as Lee Chan
Joan Marsh as Joan Wendall
Marc Lawrence as Thomas Mitchell
J. Edward Bromberg as Murdock
Douglas Fowley as Johnny Burke
Harold Huber as Chief Inspector James Nelson
Donald Woods as Speed Patten
Louise Henry as Billie Bronson
Joan Woodbury as Marie Collins
Leon Ames as Buzz Moran
Eugene Borden as Louie
Creighton Hale as Reporter (uncredited)
References
Bibliography
Backer, Ron. Mystery Movie Series of 1930s Hollywood. McFarland, 2012.