Charlie Chan in Honolulu

6.7
1938 1 hr 7 min Comedy , Thriller , Crime , Mystery

While Charlie is distracted with the birth of his first grandchild, son Jimmy impersonates his father in order to investigate a murder aboard a freighter in the harbor.

  • Cast:
    Sidney Toler , Phyllis Brooks , Victor Sen Yung , Eddie Collins , John 'Dusty' King , Claire Dodd , George Zucco

Similar titles

Aloha
Aloha
A celebrated military contractor returns to the site of his greatest career triumphs and re-connects with a long-ago love while unexpectedly falling for the hard-charging Air Force watchdog assigned to him.
Aloha 2015
Aloha Heart
Aloha Heart
A conservationist travels to Hawaii for her best friend's wedding and instead of a relaxing vacation, finds herself in wedding prep and helping the new hotel manager make changes to his family hotel.
Aloha Heart 2023
Murder by Death
Murder by Death
Lionel Twain invites the world's five greatest detectives to a 'dinner and murder'. Included are a blind butler, a deaf-mute maid, screams, spinning rooms, secret passages, false identities and more plot turns and twists than are decently allowed.
Murder by Death 1976
50 First Dates
50 First Dates
Henry is a player skilled at seducing women. But when this veterinarian meets Lucy, a girl with a quirky problem when it comes to total recall, he realizes it's possible to fall in love all over again…and again, and again. That's because the delightful Lucy has no short-term memory, so Henry must woo her day after day until he finally sweeps her off her feet.
50 First Dates 2004
Deathmoon
Deathmoon
An overworked executive vacationing in Hawaii finds that his romance with an attractive businesswoman he meets there is threatened by the supernatural powers of a strange native curse on his bloodline.
Deathmoon 1978
Punch-Drunk Love
Punch-Drunk Love
A socially awkward and volatile small business owner meets the love of his life after being threatened by a gang of scammers.
Punch-Drunk Love 2002
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
When Sarah Marshall dumps aspiring musician Peter Bretter for rock star Aldous Snow, Peter's world comes crashing down. His best friend suggests that Peter should get away from everything and to fly off to Hawaii to escape all his problems. After arriving in Hawaii and meeting the beautiful Rachel Jansen, Peter is shocked to see not only Aldous Snow in Hawaii, but also Sarah Marshall.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall 2008
Blue Hawaii
Blue Hawaii
Chad Gates has just been discharged from the Army, and is happy to be back in Hawaii with his surf-board, his beach buddies and his girlfriend.
Blue Hawaii 1961
Flirting with Forty
Flirting with Forty
A divorcee has a passionate affair with a much younger surfing instructor in Hawaii.
Flirting with Forty 2008
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch
Now, we find the rowdy extraterrestrial getting used to life with his new ʻohana. However, a malfunction in the ultimate creation of Dr. Jumba soon emerges, which reinstates his destructive programming and threatens to both ruin his friendship with Lilo and to short him out for good!
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch 2005

Reviews

Hellen
1938/12/30

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

... more
SnoReptilePlenty
1938/12/31

Memorable, crazy movie

... more
Smartorhypo
1939/01/01

Highly Overrated But Still Good

... more
Pacionsbo
1939/01/02

Absolutely Fantastic

... more
el Cambion
1939/01/03

Charle Chan in Honolulu (1938) Sydney Toler. Sen Young (as son Jimmy). Charlie detains tramp steamer investigating a murder. Classic Chan! The well-known George Zucco plays a creepy scientist (Dr. Cardigan) who keeps a human brain alive in a jar; red-herring? A detective is aboard ship returning an escaped prisoner to prison, another red-herring? Zoo menagerie including wandering lion, all aboard ship, adds distraction to cluttered but delightful story line. Lots of colorful characters and bad acting. Keeps you guessing, can YOU guess who the murderer is? Good addition to the Chan series."Mr. Chan, what's your opinion on the case?" Charlie Chan: "Opinion like tea leaves, take time for brewing."

... more
blanche-2
1939/01/04

"Charlie Chan in Honolulu" is Sidney Toler's first Charlie Chan, and the difference between him in this and in his last films is very noticeable. Here he is much more lively.As this story unfolds, Charlie's daughter is about to give birth, and while he and his wife are at the hospital, the police call Charlie at home and ask him to go to a ship where someone has been murdered. Aspiring detective Jimmy Chan (Sen Yung, Bonanza's Hop Sing) intercepts the call, and he and #5 son Tommy (Layne Tom Jr. who in real life became a distinguished architect) decide to take on the case. Tommy immediately gets stuck in an area where wild animals are being kept for importation to the zoo; chaos ensues. This takes up some footage at the beginning.Charlie finally arrives and tries to sort out the mess, but there's another murder, and a missing and reappearing $10,000, a mysterious doctor (George Zucco) who pretends to be deaf and has an interesting science experiment on board, a fast-talking detective and his charge -- meanwhile, Charlie keeps getting calls from his son-in-law.They really threw the book at this one, complete with very dramatic music, as Toler's debut. He's delightful.One of the crazier Chan films, but it's nice to see Toler so energetic, and the Chan family is fun.

... more
JoeKarlosi
1939/01/05

This was the first Chan film in which Sidney Toler took over the main role from Warner Oland, and he is immediately masterful and acceptable in the part of the Asian detective. I didn't expect to enjoy Toler, not only since I am an Oland fan, but because my first exposure to him was through seeing one of his later mediocre Monogram Chan quickies from the '40s. But this debut has Toler in fine and confident form.The film begins with a humorous dinner at the Chan home, with Charlie's wife and 10+ children. We quickly establish who the detective is and where he comes from, and then we see that his enthusiastic #2 son Jimmy (well played by Victor Sen Yung) is as excited about being a detective as his older #1 brother Lee had been in the Oland series. When a call arrives for Chan to investigate a murder aboard a small freighter, son Jimmy intercepts and decides to impersonate his dad to get some quality sleuthing in. Some fun happenings ensue before Charlie Chan himself gets wind of it and ultimately joins Jimmy on board to handle the case.This is an all-around entertaining chapter in the series, with assistance too from George Zucco, as one of the mysterious suspects aboard the ship who collects criminal brains. There are some annoying bits by one of those typical "silly 1930s funnymen" used for comic relief in the mix, but what makes it all work is how effortlessly Sidney Toler and Sen Yung slip into their roles formerly undertaken by Warner Oland and Keye Luke, as the new father and son. *** out of ****

... more
bensonmum2
1939/01/06

In Charlie Chan in Honolulu, Chan is called out to a freighter with six passengers making its way to Hawaii. A mysterious man has been murdered and $300,000 is missing. Chan must work his way through the clues, red herrings, odd characters, and other assorted obstacles to find a solution. In typical Chan fashion, he gathers all the suspects together to reveal the killer's identity.Charlie Chan in Honolulu marks Sidney Toler's first outing as the venerable detective. The movie may not be spectacular, but it's not a bad way to begin Toler's run in the series. The movie also sees Victor Sen Yung take over for Keye Luke in the role of Chan's main son. H. Bruce Humberstone would appear to have been a solid choice to direct Toler's first Chan. He was familiar with the series having already directed three installments, including the much heralded Charlie Chan at the Opera. Likewise, the supporting characters are also a solid group. George Zucco and Phyllis Brooks give exceptionally noteworthy performances. Eddie Collins provides the comic relief. The biggest weakness of Charlie Chan in Honolulu is the plot. It's just not that interesting. And, in infuriating fashion, Chan's solution to the mystery is a cheat. There's no way for the audience to have figured out the solution based on the clues presented. It takes a last minute piece of evidence to unmask the killer.

... more