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Poster for Charlie Chan's Secret

Charlie Chan's Secret

Seen it?

1936 | 72 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller

Weeknight Watchearly rating

Why it’s a Weeknight Watch

With almost no lasting buzz and soft box office, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Tailor-made for people who like their stories with a little danger and people who enjoy a knot in their stomach. Plenty of moral grey areas to chew on. If you loved The Naked City or Evil Under the Sun, start here.
The mood
Tense, gritty.
The pace
Wastes no time getting going, at 1 hr 12 min. Short enough for a weeknight.
What might put you off
  • Made in 1936: an older pace and style.
  • Skip it if you like your heroes clean-cut.

Allen Colby, heir to a huge fortune, is presumed drowned after an ocean liner sinks off the coast of Honolulu. Mysteriously, Colby reappears at his mansion only to be murdered soon after. When his body is discovered during a seance, everyone in attendance becomes a suspect, and it's up to Chan to find the murderer before he or she strikes again.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsSolid

    60% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerBelow par

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 6K people sought it out in the past year

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Cast & crew

Directed by Gordon Wiles

  • Warner OlandCharlie Chan
  • Rosina LawrenceAlice Lowell
  • Charles QuigleyDick Williams
  • Henrietta CrosmanMrs. Henrietta Lowell
  • Edward TrevorFred Gage
  • Astrid AllwynJanice Lowell Gage
  • Herbert MundinBaxter
  • Egon BrecherUlrich
  • Gloria RoyMadame Carlotta Bowen
  • Ivan MillerMorton of Homicide