Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum (1940)

Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum (1940) starring Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan is my favorite Charlie Chan film.  Charlie Chan is searching for a murderer in a wax museum.  The wax museum is a front for a plastic surgeon, who changes the appearance of wanted criminals for a price.

The surgeon Dr. Cream, played by C. Henry Gordon, also hosts a radio show about historic criminal cases.  He and a radio reporter manage to talk Mr. Chan into a debate about a past case involving  one of the criminals that Mr. Chan is hunting.  I like this movie for several reasons.

First, the atmosphere complements the film.  Charlie Chan hunting murderers in a wax museum on a rainy stormy night seems particularly appropriate.  The storm gives the film an “old dark house mystery” feel to the film.

 Second, the supporting characters all played their roles very well.  It is difficult to single out a specific actor in this film but Michael Visaroff playing Dr. Von Brom was particularly strong in his supporting role as the criminologist, who was debating Mr. Chan on the radio show.

Third, Victor Sen Young returns as Jimmy Chan.  I found Jimmy to be the most likable of all of Charlie Chan’s film sons with Keye Luke a close second.  According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), he enjoyed playing Jimmy Chan.  However, he found the Hollywood atmosphere for Asian actors outside of the series to be toxic.

Tragically, Victor Sen Young would die of accidental asphixiation in 1980 at the age of 65.  He was using his stove for partial heating of his home.  It had an undetected gas leak, which killed him.  He was found ten days after he actually passed away.

What do you think of this movie?  Is it as good ad I said it is?

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