THE BLACK CAMEL

 

This is a 1931 Charlie Chan film produced by Fox, the second title to star Warner Oland as the Chinese detective, and the earliest Oland-Chan feature to survive for viewing. 

Actress Shelah Fane (Dorothy Revier) is in Hawaii appearing in a movie, but she also has plenty of relationship issues. Fane is soon found murdered, and Honolulu police inspector Charlie Chan is placed in charge of the investigation. It turns out that Fane was connected to the murder of an actor named Denny Mayo, which happened three years ago. Chan figures out who the culprit is, and discovers the killer's accomplice as well. 

THE BLACK CAMEL is notable mainly due to its supporting cast, which includes Bela Lugosi and Dwight Frye (this movie was made after Universal's original DRACULA). There are also appearances by Mary Gordon and J.M Kerrigan, who would both go on to play roles in multiple Universal horror films. Robert Young made his screen debut in this movie. 

When I was a kid the Charlie Chan movies were on TV all the time. I can't say that I'm a huge Charlie Chan fan (or expert), but I am familiar with the basics of the Chan series. Warner Oland's Chan in THE BLACK CAMEL acts very differently than he does in his later appearances. THE BLACK CAMEL Chan is much more energetic and eager, and he's even set up as kind of a what would be decades later called a Columbo type. Due to Chan's constant use of aphorisms and his kind nature, the suspects here don't take him very seriously. It is clearly established in THE BLACK CAMEL that Chan is an actual police inspector who has to answer to higher ups, instead of a world famous sleuth who can basically do whatever he wants. At one point there's a scene showing Chan at the dining table with his very large family. 

Bela Lugosi plays a professional mystic called Tarneverro. The role is a red herring type, one that Lugosi would portray over and over again during his acting career, The difference here is that except for one scene in which Tarneverro performs a phony seance in order to intimidate Shelah Fane, Bela doesn't try to be mysterious or threatening. He's congenial and chatty, and he looks great (throughout the film he wears either a tuxedo or a natty suit). Lugosi also is rather friendly to Charlie Chan, and Bela and Warner Oland play off each other very well. (As Chan Oland would later face off against Boris Karloff, and Sidney Toler's Chan would have to deal with Lionel Atwill and George Zucco.) Lugosi's spooky guy reputation hadn't been totally established yet--if THE BLACK CAMEL had been made later in the 1930s, Tarneverro would have no doubt turned out to be more of a menace. 

Warner Oland and Bela Lugosi in THE BLACK CAMEL

Dwight Frye isn't even named on the main credits, but he gets attention as a shifty butler. (Frye constantly complained about the fact that he got stuck playing shady or nefarious characters, but he has that look of someone you just can't trust.) 

Much of THE BLACK CAMEL was actually filmed in Hawaii, which was unusual for a Hollywood feature made during this time period. The locations do make the movie stand out, although it does get stagnant at times. (The director was Hamilton MacFadden.) The mystery elements are okay, but one big problem the story has is Chan's police assistant, a Japanese fellow who literally runs in and out of every scene he's in as if he's a buffoon in a vaudeville sketch. The assistant is more ridiculous than comedic. 

I haven't seen enough Charlie Chan movies to determine how THE BLACK CAMEL rates within the context of the entire Chan series, but I can say that the film should be seen by Bela Lugosi fans. Even in a supporting role Bela has more screen presence than any other male member of the cast. I viewed this movie on Tubi, and the visual and sound quality was very good.