Charlie Chan in Panama (1940)

Charlie Chan in Panama (1940) stars Sidney Toler as Inspector Charlie Chan. In this film, Inspector Chan is on the trail of the spy Riner. Riner intends to carry out an act of sabotage, when the American fleet passes through the canal.

Inspector Chan experiences an unusual situation, when he is arrested for the death of an American agent in his hat shop. Inspector Chan is impersonating a merchant named Fu Yen. He assumes this identity to gain information from some of the local workers. When he arrives at the jail, he is reunited with his son Jimmy, played by Victor Sen Yung.

Although the United States had not entered World War II yet, the inference is that Riner is a German agent. In the film, agents of both the United States and Britain are pursuing Riner. Some of the suspects are a night club singer, a canal engineer, a night club owner, biologist and tobacco salesman. The film also starred Kane Richmond, a familiar “”B” movie actor, and Lionell Atwill.

Kane Richmond was born Fred Bowditch on December 23, 1906 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Among other characters he played Lamont Cranston aka the Shadow. A rather burly individual, he normally played the leading man in “B” movies. He married actress Marion Burns. The marriage appeared to be a happy one as they remained married until his death at age 66 on March 22,1972.

The film runs about 67 minutes and has somewhat of a surprising ending. Let me know what you think of the film.

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