Good, Not Great
This single-disc collection of Sidney Toler's Charlie Chan is basic, but worth it if you get it at a good price. In May 2012, I found it for $5 in the bargain bin at Wal-Mart. All three movies are on one side of the disc. There are no special features and the films have not been restored. (Thus they can be a little dark or have occasional scratches, but still are comfortably viewable.)
For those not familiar with Chan film history, Sidney Toler took over the title role following the death of Warner Oland. Toler did eight (I think) Chan films for Twentieth Century Fox. Then WWII intervened and the studio stopped the series. Toler purchased the rights for Chan films from Fox and made several more Chan films during the war period. The production quality, scripts, direction, etc. were not up to the level of the studio system, but they filled demand from the public.
These three films were made in 1944 so several times in the scripts there are "propaganda" moments, but...
VERY ENJOYABLE MYSTERIES -- WELL WORTH THE PRICE
I really like the movies in this one-disc collection and have watched them several times. Great fun. I did find my copy in a bargain bin for $5. But I am paying a little more for a second copy to be a gift for another Chan fan.
Missed Charlie
So glad to see Charlie again. I loved watching his movies as a youngster. I still. It was like him Charlie for the first time.
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