Dark Alibi (1946)

Dark Alibi (1946) is one of the last Charlie Chan films starring Sidney Toler. This film (affiliate link) and the three subsequent movies made in 1946 were filmed while Toler was dying from cancer. He was so weak, he could barely walk during these films. He somehow managed to make these last four films even though he was 72 years old and dying from cancer during the filming.

In this film, a defense attorney asks Charlie to help his client, who has been convicted of a bank robbery and murder. The man will die in the death chamber, if Charlie cannot figure out how the man was framed for the crime. The mystery will not be easy to solve because the man was convicted by fingerprint evidence.

Charlie knows that the local prison is somehow involved but his biggest challenge is figuring out how the fingerprints were faked. If he can solve this mystery, he can save the doomed man. He is assisted as usual by “No. 3 son” Tommy, played by Benson Fong, and Birmingham Brown, played by Mantan Moreland.

Mantan Moreland’s old partner, Ben Carter, makes a couple of appearances in this film. They perform their old vaudeville routine a couple of times including one with Inspector Chan at the end of the film. By 1946, Carter was mainly a talent agent for other African-American actors and actresses.

Ironically, Ben Carter would die of diphtheria at the age of 35 on December 12, 1946. Toler would not die of cancer until February 12, 1947 at the age of 72.

Mantan Moreland brought a comedic element to most of the Monogram Pictures of the 1940s. He was originally hired to star with Frankie Darro in a number of “buddy pictures” in the late 1930s and 1940s. He is most famous for his role as Birmingham Brown in the Monogram Charlie Chan films.

Moreland would also have starring roles in all-black or “race” films of the 1930s and 1940s. He was always conflicted about the roles he was required to play but would make the best of his situation at the time.

Moreland was born in Monroe, Louisiana on September 3, 1902. He performed on the vaudeville circuit before entering the movies in the 1930s. Along the way, he married Hazel Moreland with whom he would have one child.

He worked steadily until the 1950s going into semi-retirement after a stroke in the 1960s. He passed away on September 28, 1973 not long after his 71st birthday.

Like many of the Charlie Chan films from Monogram Pictures, it runs about 61 minutes. Where do you think this film fits in the Charlie Chan franchise? You can leave a comment or ask a question about this or any post on my Facebook page, Twitter profile and Google+ page.

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