The Golden Eye (1948)

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The first must-see film of the year.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

By this point, the Charlie Chan series seemed to be going on autopilot: neither the director nor the cast (save maybe for Mantan Moreland) were showing much enthusiasm for the proceedings. In "Golden Eye", about half of the "action" takes place inside a mine, which makes the film look even cheaper and more underlit than usual. It's a bargain-basement and sleep-inducing production, and there aren't even any memorable lines for Chan! There is, however, (precisely) one scene that I did like: Wanda McKay grabbing a fake "nun/nurse" from behind and struggling a gun away from her; such initiative from a woman in a 1940s movie is uncommon to see. *1/2 out of 4.

An Arizona gold mine becomes the location for another murder that Charlie Chan happens to be around when it occurs. As the series began to reach its inevitable conclusion, the plots just got more outrageous, yet this one is perhaps one of the more accessible of the later part of the series. Roland Winters doesn't have the cleverness of either Warner Oland or Sidney Toler, and sometimes it seems like the writers just put together their plots by simply just changing the location, the motivation, the names of all the suspects and toss in a couple of comic bits for Mantan Moreland and whatever # son happens to be there. Victor Sen Yung gets his opportunity to be a dude as he tries on chaps and Mantan Moreland does his usual pratfalls and scaredy-cat double-takes, even talking directly to the camera. Of course, all the usual suspects are there, as is the vulnerable heroine (Wanda McKay), a tough-talking nun (veteran actress Evelyn Brent) and a dumb-as-nails cop (Tim Ryan). These later day entries confound the audience with confusing twists and turns that sometimes make no sense, and give the impression that towards the end, they weren't even really trying.

Oriental sleuth Charlie Chan(Roland Winters), Tommy Chan(Victor Sen Young)and chauffeur Birmingham(Mantan Moreland)head to Arizona at the request of a Mr. Manning(Forrest Taylor), owner of The Golden Eye mine. Manning finds it very odd that his mine losing a lot of money for a good while suddenly has become a gold bonanza. Lt. Mike Ruark(Tim Ryan) is also investigating Manning's mine manager Driscoll(Ralph Dunn)on a different matter that may help Chan's investigation of the situation at The Golden Eye. This mystery franchise is nearing its end and you can tell by the lack of any scenery and flat dialog. But this is a Charlie Chan flick, man. Just not one of the best. Other players: Wanda McKay, Evelyn Brent and Bruce Kellogg.

A formerly unproductive gold mine suddenly turns out to be highly profitable; it's owner Manning insists someone is out to murder him. He turns to Charlie Chan (Roland Winters) for help, and the Oriental detective and his two assistants, Number #2 Son Tommy (Victor Sen Yung) and driver Birmingham Brown (Mantan Moreland) embark on a pseudo Western adventure. The story is set in Arizona, and to downplay suspicion in their involvement, the Chan party heads off to the Lazy Y Dude Ranch, from where they can keep an eye on developments at the Golden Eye Mine. Sen Yung and Moreland make quite a sight in their Western attire, particularly Birmingham in his buffalo inspired jodhpurs. Tim Ryan is back in a reprise of his role as Lieutenant Mike Ruark (The Shanghai Chest), but this time he's undercover as teetering lush Vincent O'Brien at the Lazy Y. He's there independently, but it turns out his investigation runs parallel to Chan's, so they use the coincidence to hook up. It turns out that the Golden Eye is a pass through for a gold smuggling operation originating in Mexico. The obvious brains of the smuggling gang appears to be the mine's superintendent Driscoll, but as usual for a Chan mystery, the obvious is always done one better, in this case, the mastermind is the handsome local assayer Talbot Bartlett (Bruce Kellogg), who's only too happy to assist Chan in any way he can so that he can throw him off the mark. Bartlett is also busy courting Manning's daughter Evelyn (Wanda McKay) to be better positioned to remove the mine's owner from the picture."The Golden Eye" is an average Charlie Chan mystery, made somewhat more interesting with the comedic bits by Mantan Moreland and the quite effective interplay of Tim Ryan's drunken character O'Brien. If you're a Charlie Chan fan, you'll have to add this one to your list.