BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

SoftInloveRox Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

Peereddi I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

Lachlan Coulson This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

bnwfilmbuff Strong entry in the Chan series with Charlie's friend, writer Louis Heydt, mysteriously dying on the flight from Honolulu to San Francisco after receiving a cable that bothered him deeply. Chan's investigation into the death leads him to the eerie black magic and occult world of Dr. Zodiac. The character of Dr. Zodiac is probably the most bizarre adversary in the Chan series. Uniformly good acting from a good cast with Cesar Romero and Douglass Dumbrille standouts. Even Sen Yung managed to tone it down and gave a good performance. I enjoyed some of the magic and revealing how some of the tricks are done. Highly recommended especially to fans of the series.

MartinHafer This movie is the third Charlie Chan film to star Sidney Toler and is definitely the best of this new actor's Chan movies. That's because even though this film is a bit silly (with all of its psychic mumbo-jumbo), the film is much more interesting and different than the last two films. It helped that the film had support from Cesar Romero as well as the unusual motivations behind a string of suicides.The film is called CHARLIE CHAN AT TREASURE ISLAND because it was set on this brand new island created for the San Francisco Golden Gate Exhibition--a world's fair that was held at the same time as the one in New York. While you see a bit of the exposition in the film, it's really not at all prominent in the movie and film really could have been set anywhere.The plot involves several suicides and Chan's investigation into the connection this has to a psychic. My only complaint about all this is that one person in the film actually did have amazing psychic powers--something that seemed pretty silly to me. However, who the evil psychic was, how he manipulated people to kill themselves and why was all very impressive. Plus, the magic show sequence towards the end of the film was a welcome change from the usual drawing rooms of Chan films. Very entertaining and fun--just what the series needed.

bensonmum2 While in route to San Francisco, Chan's friend Paul Essex dies of an apparent suicide. The only clue is a threatening note from someone calling himself the Zodiac. Chan soon discovers that the Zodiac is a successful mystic. Together with a would-be psychic-buster and magician named Rhadini (Cesar Romero), Chan sets out to discover the source of the Zodiac's mysticism and unmask a killer.I thought I had seen the best of the Charlie Chan series. Man, was I ever wrong. After a first viewing, Charlie Chan at Treasure Island has become one of my very favorite Chan films. It's not just one of Toler's best, it's one of the three or four best entries in the entire series. It's got everything a fan could ask for – an interesting plot, a larger than life villain, solid acting, compelling characters, real suspense, comic relief that's actually funny, and some of the best writing I've seen in a Chan movie. The final reveal is also one of the best in the series. It's not the usual drawing room gathering of the suspects (which I usually prefer), but a drawn out, tension filled scene in a theater full of people. And speaking of tension, Chan's first meeting with the Zodiac is amazing, if not a bit frightening. Charlie Chan at Treasure Island also benefits from a strong supporting cast. Cesar Romero, Douglas Fowley, Pauline Moore, and, personal favorite, Douglass Dumbrille add considerably to the film. Overall, this is one Charlie Chan film that I'm very much look forward to revisiting – and soon.

classicsoncall "Charlie Chan at Treasure Island" is at the top of many Chan fan lists as their favorite; it certainly deserves that distinction. Even when the film gets creepy it's fun, as in the séance scene at the home of Dr. Zodiac.Charlie Chan's friend Paul Essex is an apparent suicide aboard a San Francisco bound plane flight. His suicide note - "Can't escape Zodiac, Good Bye my Love, Paul".Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is warned not to investigate: "Do not challenge the supernatural unless you are prepared to visit your ancestors." But investigate he does, and as usual we are introduced to a colorful cast of characters and suspects along the way. There's The Great Rhadini (Cesar Romero), who challenges other magicians and psychics, his mind reading assistant Eve Cairo (Pauline Moore), and insurance investigator Salsbury (Douglas Dumbrille). Aiding Charlie on the case are Number #2 Son Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung) and Deputy Chief Kilvaine (Donald MacBride).Watch for a neat scene when Chan returns to the Zodiac home a second time - a black cat crosses his path.The twist to the story comes when we learn that Romero's character Rhadini is also Dr. Zodiac, blackmailing victims with secrets from their past. He even takes a knife to the shoulder during an on stage performance in an attempt to throw suspicion in a different direction. The film borrows from a Bela Lugosi trademark, piercing dark eyes attempting to overcome psychic Eve Cairo's thoughts while under Chan's influence to flush out the killer of Zodiac's Turkish servant.The film is set against the backdrop of the 1939 San Francisco World's Fair, Treasure Island being an attraction, along with the Century of Progress Exhibition. But as in most of the Charlie Chan films, the locale is secondary to the mystery, and this time it's a good one, with clever writing and just enough imagination to make you wonder whether mind reading might actually be real!