KnotMissPriceless Why so much hype?

PlatinumRead Just so...so bad

Maidexpl Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

Orla Zuniga It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

garysheski-800-163660 A terrific restoration of another atrocious film! To put this review in short, if you can sit through an hour or so of Bela Lugosi portraying a Latin-American dignitary meowing like a cat(!) and El Brendel picking his nose(!) don't call us, we'll call You! Yes, it's That bad!! I'm the world's #1 Marjorie White, the only reason at all I pick out these films, to see her, but what an insult to not only the viewer, but to her memory as well, it's hard to imagine how her spunky talent got stuck in a bowser like this one! Yes, this is another in the "lost and best forgotten" category, several moderately talented actors grossly miscast in this loser, give me a script and a camera, even I can do better than this! End of story!

jonfrum2000 I'm surprised to see so many people praising this film. If you're a Chan fan, of course you want to see it, but in this early entry in the series, the appeal had not quite been worked out. As noted by others, the asistant is a major annoyance. Sometimes the sons can be a bit over the top in later films, but this Japanese sidekick is played as a clown, without the familial excuse of the sons. It's almost as if one smart Asian was enough. As someone discussed in a spoiler, the working out of the mystery makes no sense - I realized it as I watched, and it puzzled me at the time. There is also a knife that comes out of nowhere. It was good to see Charlie in Honolulu and in charge - so often in later movies he's in another city, and humbly helping another police department. Here, he's the boss, and people do what he says - definitely more assertive.

Jay Harris The Black Camel,made by the old FOX studios in 1931 is a cheaply made b-movie,typical of its time & period.All b-movies were shown either as part of a double bill or with some acts of vaudeville.This does not mean that it is a bad movie, It is enjoyable for what it is.Charlie Chan is portrayed by Warner Oland, The later Chan's are not as good as Mr.Oland was.In the cast is also Bela Lugosi ( whose next film was Dracula). Here in a non-menacing role he is quite good.Also cast in his first performance in a sound film, He was in one silent movie as an extra) Marcus Welby himself, ROBERT YOUNG, he was 27 at the time but looked like a late teen.In this first role, you could see the promise of the fine actor he became.The distaff side of the cast are featured actresses of the period & are OK.The film was partly made in Hawaii,Most scenes were done in the old FOX lot at Sunset Blvd & Western Ave,(Historical note: the opening credits has the 20 Th Century Fox Logo, but 20th was not founded till 1935 )One other note (SPOILER ALERT) an actress is stabbed in the heart & no blood appears,even tho this is a pre_code film,, they could not show blood or wounds. NOTE in movies where someone is shot, you never see bullet holes in clothes. This was the way they made movies back then.This movie is available as a rental from NETFLIX, watch it for curiosity sake,do not expect much. the film is fast & likable.Ratimgs: **1/2 (out of 4) 69 points (out of 100) IMDb 6 (out of 10) ****** for a old b-movie this is a relatively high rating.

JoeKarlosi This is the earliest surviving Charlie Chan film to star Warner Oland as the detective (not counting 1929's BEHIND THAT CURTAIN, which only briefly featured Chan), an entertaining mystery nicely directed with stylish shooting and locations for such an early talkie. Chan is in Honolulu investigating the murder of a young movie actress and tries to untangle the relation between her death and a prior killing of another actor she used to know. Bela Lugosi, fresh after "Dracula" and riding its successes for a brief time in his career, is very good as a mystic involved in the mystery. A real treat of the picture comes whenever watching Lugosi and Oland interacting together. Dwight Frye, Bela's sidekick "Renfield" from "Dracula", also has a part as a butler. A very young Robert Young (of FATHER KNOWS BEST fame) is also on hand albeit in a rather insignificant part. This was the only time Chan was assisted by his bumbling sidekick Kashimo, and it's for the best, as this character is extremely irritating. *** out of ****