The Scarlet Clue (Monogram) (1945)

© PUBL CITY CHAN "DOES IT AGAIN" IN SCREEN LAUGH MYSTERY (Review) DON'T LOOK NOW | Charlie Chan did it again. Last night the super-sleuth’s cunning captured an arch murderer and stopped a conspiracy to steal secret radar plans from the government in Monogram’s scream-and-laugh mystery-comedy, “The Scarlet | Clue,” at the theatre. Chiller picture fans will find this* Those popping eyes belong to Mantan Moreland as he feels the hooded menace behind him. Even the presence of the master detective, Charlie Chan, doesn’t give him courage in this scene from Monogram’s “The Scarlet Clue.” With Sidney Toler as Chan, the latest of the famous detective series is now at the theatre. Two Column Scene Mat No. S-20 “SNITCHERS" OF CIGARETTES BAFFLE FILM SUPER-SLEUTH During the filming of “The Scarlet Clue,’ Monogram’s murder-and-laugh-filled detective film now showing at the) stb ohies reuse theatre, Sidney Toler, star of the picture, discovered that acting as Charlie Chan with a well thought-out script to help him through the intricate maze of a criminal investigation is quite different than* trying to hunt up his own clues. Director Phil Rosen found Toler going over the entire set with a fine-tooth comb in true ‘Chanese’’ professional clue-searching fashion, and asked him what he was looking for so intently. “Cigarette snitchers, like horse thieves, should be disciplined by the neck,’ the screen’s best known detective replied. As work on “The Scarlet Clue” continued, “Chan” was relieved of 13 packages of cigarettes. Not a trace of any was left—not even a satisfied expression that might tip the culprit’s hand. Word got around the Monogram lot that the great film sleuth was the victim of an arch cigarette snitcher, and was helpless to stop the crimes. Toler couldn’t go anyplace without someone asking for a smoke. On the last day of work, after Toler had cinematically followed the script clues to unmask the fiend of “The Scarlet Clue,’ director Rosen called the cast together, and announced that since Chan had done such an amazing job of following the killer, it was only proper that he be rewarded. “The film killer—(you can find out who it was when you watch Chan capture him at the theatre)—-came forward and handed Toler a package—containing not only the 13 missing packages of cigarettes, but an extra carton, as| welcome salt to the wounded pride of the detective. “While you were trapping me, I’m afraid you were too intent on the script to do your own detective work,” rebuked ‘“X.” “Unburned cigarette, unlike smoke screen, is sometimes too close to smell,” replied Toler good-naturedly. Mantan Moreland, Ben Carter, his colored side-kick, and Benson Fong, talented young Chinese actor, assist Toler in following the clues to catch the culprit. James S. Burkett produced the exciting whodunit. ACTOR PLUS Sidney Toler, starred as Charlie Chan in “The Scarlet Clue,’ Mon ogram scream and laugh mystery, | now showing at the theatre, is not only an actor, but also a playwright and “script doctor.” He has also directed and produced many stage plays. Film Detective Accused as Fake Sidney Toler looks so much like his film-self—Charlie Chan—that during the making of “The Scarlet Clue,” latest of the popular Monogram detective series, soon to be seen at the theatre, he was accused of being an imposter. The little oriental mustache and goatee, which he wears as Chan, do not come out of a studio makeup kit—they are his own. His facial expressions and gestures on the screen are also a natural part of himself, which heightens the Ulusion that he has just stepped down from the motion picture screen. The result of both living and playing the part of the famous investigator is that Toler is as ac customed to being called Charlie Chan as by his own name. So he took course when an elderly lady greeted him as Mr. Chan, while he was hiking in the mountains near his home. After he spoke to her, she suspected that all was not right, and turned the tables on the screen detective to try a little cross examination of her own. “What is your real name?” she wanted to know. When he told her that he was Sidney Toler, the lady accused him of masquerading as Charlie Chan. Toler reminded her that Chan was a fictional character, but she insisted that he couldn’t possibly be the actor who portrayed Chan. “I admit that you look exactly like him,” she said, “but your manner of speaking is entirely different. So there’s really not much chance of your fooling anyone.” Mantan Moreland, master. of “pop-eyed surprise’ comedy; Ben Carter, his dusky partner, and Benson Fong, MHollywood’s most talented young Chinese actor, are featured in support of Toler in “The Scarlet Clue.” Others in the cast of the suspenseand laughfiled picture are Jack Norton, Reid Kilpatrick, Helen Devereaux, Janet Shaw, Charles Jordan, and Virginia Brissac. James S. Burkett produced, and Phil Rosen directed. it as a matter of| | plunged right in the middle of the one of the top suspense dramas of the year. There are bodies found left and right scattered about a radio station and a radar laboratory. | { of nifty little gadgets for ridding the world of persons who stand in their way of obtaining the government’s war plans. As usual, Sidney Toler turns in a top performance as the shrewd Chinese detective who puts an end to all of this skullduggery. Toler fits the Chan role like a new pair of nylons. The complete wisdom with which he attacks his screen investigation is nicely spiced with his sly sense of humor. But the biggest source of solid laughs is the delightful comedy routine of Mantan Moreland and Ben Carter. Moreland is well known as Chan’s pop-eyed colored assistant, set in his desire to avoid contact with the great detective’s investigations, but always, somehow, fray. Benson Fong, who plays the part of Chan’s “number three son,” is one of MHollywood’s outstanding Oriental actors. Assisting the leads is a capable cast including Virginia Brissac, Jack Norton, Robert Homans, Janet Shaw and Victoria Faust. Director Phil Rosen did an excellent job of mixing up the murders and laughs for producer James S. Burkett. The killers have devised all sorts] : | COMEDY ROLE | Saucer-eyed Mantan Moreland gets many laughs as Charlie Chan’s assistant in “The Scarlet Clue,” Mon ogram’s mystery thriller to be shown next ........ re Tet ol erg ae ie theatre. Sidney Toler stars again as the well-known Oriental sleuth. One Col. Scene Mat No. S-2 CHINESE ACTOR OF HOLLYWOOD Hollywood’s outstanding young Chinese actor, Benson Fong, comes to the pop-eyed assistant. Fong, a California native son, is on the top of a wave of popularity | now being enjoyed by motion picture actors of his race. He is in such demand at the studios that he is unable to fulfill all of the engagements which are offered him. During the past year, Fong has been featured in nine films, an unusual record for such a young ac-| tor. While “The Scarlet Clue” was still before the cameras at Monogram, he had already begun making film tests for a tenth picture. On his way to the studio every morning, he passed two of the famous theatres on Hollywood boulevard, each playing one of his films —‘The Keys of the Kingdom” and “Thirty Seconds over Tokyo.” In addition to Fong, Toler is supported in “The Scarlet Clue” by an able cast which includes Mantan Moreland, Ben Carter, Jack Norton, Reid Kilpatrick, Helen Devereaux, Janet Shaw, Charles Jordan and Virginia Brissac. Phil Rosen was responsible for the well-paced direction. James S. Burkett produces the popular Charlie Chan series for Monogram. MAKEUP Sidney Toler, Charlie Chan of Monogram’s fnystery-comedy, “The Scarlet Clue,’ now showing at the aie a apes theatre, thinks that heavy makeup makes an actor virtually unknown to the public. Until he started the Chan series, in which he uses practically no makeup, fans never asked him for his autograph, although he played in a large number of pictures. The reason for the lack of attention was that most of his roles called for so much makeup | that the fans couldn’t recognize | Toler. | * | | as Charlie Chan’s “number three 'son” in “The S Monogram’s suspense-packed mystery, starrin ler as the master detective, with Mantan Mo HITS CREST FILM WAVE theatre, starting ; carlet Clue,” g Sidney To reland as his CHARLIE CHAN Sidney Toler, who portrays Char |lie Chan in Monogram’s mystery comedy, “The Scarlet Clue,’ now showing at the theatre, has been so closely connected with the great detective in the public mind that he is frequently addressed as “Chan” by his film fans. | CHILLER-THRILLER | Mysterious murders have Mantan Moreland and Benson Fong puzzled until Sidney Toler, as the shrewd Charlie Chan, deciphers “The Scarlet Clue,” latest Monogram detective whodunit at the theatre. One Col. Scene Mat No. S-4