That was an excellent one.

Pretty Good

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Since "Charlie Chan Carries On" seems to be lost, for us today "The Black Camel" is the beginning of the magnificent, hugely popular and uniquely long-running film series about the gentle, polite, sometimes funny but also VERY clever Chinese detective, played by three different actors at two different studios. The first one, of course, was Warner Oland, who for many fans until today remains THE 'screen' Charlie Chan, utterly faithful to the character created by Earl Derr Biggers in 1923.And "The Black Camel", the first 'surviving' movie of the series, certainly is among the very best. It tells us a very intricate story about the murder of a famous actress, which seems somehow connected to the murder of another Hollywood actor a few years before; there's a mysterious 'fortune teller' in whom the actress used to confide all her secrets, and whom she'd summoned to Hawaii, where the film shooting takes place, especially to ask him whether or not she should marry a rich young playboy she'd fallen in love with; there's her ex-husband, who 'happens' to be in Honolulu as well; there's an impoverished painter who lives nearby and obviously knows too much - and so on...And Charlie Chan handles the case with the utmost delicacy, humble and courteous, and philosophical: 'Death is a black camel that kneels unbidden at every door', he cites one of his many old Asiatic sayings - hence the title... But when it comes to finding out who the murderer is, he becomes tough and unrelenting - seemingly...Charlie Chan is a REALLY special case in the history of crime movies: he was not only one of the few REALLY intelligent and capable cops (who used to be presented as plain flat-heads most of the time), but he was also the first Asian protagonist in Hollywood to be depicted in a VERY positive and sympathetic light (in contrast to the 'yellow danger' represented by 'Dr. Fu Manchu' and others at the time) - and until this day remains to us, no matter what color we are, the most amiable of all classic Hollywood police detectives! But back to "The Black Camel" seen purely as a movie, a murder mystery: the beautiful Hawaiian background is wonderfully photographed, in contrast to the very suspenseful nightly scenes, with menacing shadows masterfully used to send shivers up our spines. The cast is absolutely great - with none less than Bela Lugosi as guest star, playing the mysterious 'Tarneverro', and giving one of his best and most moving performances. In short, it's not just the 'beginning' of a wonderful and unforgettable movie series, but also an absolute masterpiece in itself.

Well, it's a situation that couldn't by more classic: a murder takes place on an island, the inspector rounds up everyone who was around, and one of of them must be the murderer. But who? This was the first of the 1930s Charlie Chan movies I've ever seen, and it made an excellent introduction to the series (which is said to have weaker entries later on) for me. The atmosphere, filming on location at Hawaii, is captured very well, Chan delivers his one-liners with delight, Lugosi creates a perfect 'usual suspect' and the movie is fun from the beginning to the end. Not all characters can be provided with enough background story, though, which is owed to the running time below 70 minutes. I had the pleasure to watch a fully restored DVD in great quality for the age of the source material and definitely can recommend this picture to all who like old-fashioned b/w whodunits.

The quality of the film isn't the best, the acting is stilted and over the top, but 1931's "The Black Camel," the earliest extant Charlie Chan featuring Warner Oland, makes for fun viewing. Charlie is on his home court of Hawaii, where an actress, Shelah Fane (Dorothy Revier) is found murdered after consulting a psychic (Bela Lugosi) about whether or not she should marry someone she has fallen in love with.This is only the first murder; another one follows. On investigation, Charlie discovers a connection to the case with a previous Hollywood murder, which went unsolved.It's an absolute riot to see Bela Lugosi as a psychic named Tarneverro whose real name is Arthur Mayo. Better yet is Robert Young, who looks like he's about 16, as Jimmy Bradshaw. Then there's this nut job (who at one point actually ran onto a scene and scared me), Otto Yamaoka, who plays Kashimo. Kashimo is the forerunner of Lee Chan and Birmingham the chauffeur but he's crazier than a coot with his flapping arms and explosive voice.We also get a chance to see Charlie at home with his large family, admonishing his son: "Why are you always last in your class? Can't you find some other place?" Son: "They were all taken." This particular entry into the series is steeped in cinematic history: it is the only surviving film out of five films starring Warner Oland that were based on the novels of Earl Derr Biggers; and it was shot in Honolulu in 1931. Back then location shoots were a rarity. Also, Earl Derr Biggers visited the set in Honolulu with a copy of his 1929 novel and gave it to Chang Apana, the real-life Charlie Chan.Definitely worth seeing, and a neat mystery. There is a gaping hole in the plot; see if you can find it.The title is based on the saying: "Death is a black camel that kneels unbidden at every gate."

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.