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      Charlie Chan in Panama

      1940 1h 7m Mystery & Thriller List
      Reviews 71% 50+ Ratings Audience Score The Chinese detective (Sidney Toler) catches an Axis spy ring out to blow up the Panama Canal. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

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      Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews One of the better versions of the Charlie Chan series... Rated: B+ Sep 16, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member In Panama, walls equipped with eyes as well as ears--Honolulu sleuth called upon to serve America!! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member 1.5: Hmm. I was prompted to watch these by an article in The New Yorker that I read a year or two ago. I wasn't expecting them to be outstanding, but I was expecting something better than this. I have now seen essentially every Charlie Chan film, or at least all that were made between 1931 and 1947 (29 films). What struck me most is that these really have more in common with a television show than a feature film. Each film is essentially the same except for the "location." I guess it makes sense as they serve essentially the same purpose. One can essentially watch every film on auto-pilot comfortable in the knowledge that one knows exactly which characters will pop up and that everything will be satisfactorily resolved in the end. They are "C" picture at best. Sidney Toler is pretty good; Warner Toland is somewhat acceptable; and the other two one picture no-names are either inconsequential or awful. It is rather ludicrous that they didn't allow an actual Asian actor to play the role, but the portrayal of African-American's is much more heinous. They certainly pale in comparison to just about every other detective picture/TV series I've ever seen. None of the films rate an individual review so this will have to suffice for all 29. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Exceptional Charlie Chan mystery, certainly one of the best in the series. It's suspenseful and very well written. Great cast, especially Sidney Toler and Victor Sen Young. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Exceptional Charlie Chan mystery, certainly one of the best in the series. It's suspenseful and very well written. Great cast, especially Sidney Toler and Victor Sen Young. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      This movie is featured in the following articles.

      Lucy Liu to Play Charlie Chan’s Granddaughter

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      Charlie Chan in Panama

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis The Chinese detective (Sidney Toler) catches an Axis spy ring out to blow up the Panama Canal.
      Director
      Norman Foster
      Genre
      Mystery & Thriller
      Original Language
      English
      Runtime
      1h 7m