Charlie Chan at the Olympics

"Murderous Spies invade Olympic Games!"

1937 1h 11m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 26

MysteryCrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Get ready for a Gold Medal murder mystery! This "tense, thrilling mystery" ('California Congress of Parents and Teachers') pits Charlie Chan against international spies who are using the Berlin Olympic games as the perfect cover...for cold-blooded murder!

“Murderous Spies invade Olympic Games!”

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Cast

Warner Oland
Charlie Chan
Katherine DeMille
Yvonne Roland
Pauline Moore
Betty Adams
Allan Lane
Richard Masters
Keye Luke
Lee Chan
C. Henry Gordon
Arthur Hughes
John Eldredge
Mr. Cartwright
Layne Tom Jr.
Charlie Chan Jr

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: H. Bruce Humberstone
Writers: Paul Burger, Robert Ellis, Helen Logan
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 71-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

89 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, shot by Daniel B. Clark. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Samuel Kaylin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Fred Allen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Warner Oland and Katherine DeMille and Pauline Moore carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Murderous Spies invade Olympic Games!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

H. Bruce Humberstone directs. Daniel B. Clark behind the camera. Samuel Kaylin scores. Fred Allen cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 71-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
289 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, shot by Daniel B. Clark. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Samuel Kaylin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Fred Allen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Warner Oland and Katherine DeMille and Pauline Moore carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Murderous Spies invade Olympic Games!".
9IMDB entry: tt0028708 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 26 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Daniel B. Clark
Original score: Samuel Kaylin
Editing: Fred Allen
Costume design: Herschel McCoy
Runtime: 71 min · 1h 11m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Charlie Chan at the Olympics (1937)

Part of

Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) Collection

Charlie Chan Chanthology

Also by

H. Bruce Humberstone

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-06-20
★ 7/10
Maybe one of the more far-fetched "Charlie Chan" stories, this one. This time, No. 1 son "Lee" (Keye Luke) is en route to take part in the Berlin Olympic games. Simultaneously, an plane testing a revolutionary new guidance system is mysteriously hijacked and "Pop" tracks same to Berlin, and so onto the "Hindenberg" he goes in a race to stop the Nazis from obtaining this crucial bit of kit. This has a slightly more sinister plot, with some genuinely menacing scenes tempered by "Lee", as ever on the lookout for a pretty girl, ultimately getting himself into some serious hot water with the baddies! If there are clues, then they went over my head - I was none the wiser until the denouement, which is no bad thing. Well paced direction, solid efforts from the supporting cast - including Allan "Rocky" Lane (think "Mr. Ed"!) and of course the chief suspect, C. Henry Gordon, who makes another CC appearance - this time as the devious "Hughes". It's got a little actuality from the Olympics too - and, thankfully, "Lee" doesn't need his dad to use the paddle...

Production companies