The Scarlet Clue

Charlie Chan is investigating a murder mystery when he gets tangled up in solving a plot to steal top secret government radar plans., Though it isn’t saying much, The Scarlet Clue is probably the best of Monogram’s “Charlie Chan” mysteries. This time, oriental sleuth Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) and his bumbling assistants, son Tommy Chan (Benson Fong) and chauffeur Birmingham Brown (Mantan Moreland), search for a gang of spies who’ve stolen plans for a revolutionary new radar system. The trail of clues takes Chan and company to a television studio, where they confront such suspects as comedian/announcer Willie Rand (Jack Norton), leading lady Diane Hall (Helen Devereaux) and pompouse ex-horror star Horace Carlos (Leonard Mudie). The mystery itself is unimportant: The Scarlet Clue is highlighted by such bizarre touches as having veteran movie “souse” Jack Norton playing a female role on a daily soap-opera broadcast! And as usual, the film’s duller stretches are enlivened by the stream-of-conscious ramblings of comedy relief Mantan Moreland.