The Secret Service; A scientist working on a new invention to protect Allied shipping from U-boat torpedoes has assigned the Secret Service for protection.

Bizarrely, he invites friends to a dinner party at his mansion. Not surprisingly, he is murdered from a fatal dose of electricity.

This is a good whodunit with plenty of red herrings to keep you entertained to the very end.

This is my favorite of the set and is most definitely one of Monograms better efforts.

Film Quality 8/10;

The Jade Mask; when an eccentric scientist working on a formula to make wood as hard as steel is found dead.

Charlie Chan, with the help from his uninvited No4 son, attempt to unravel the mystery behind the missing formula.

This is a good mystery that has all the trimmings, a spooky mansion, hidden laboratory, secret panels, an inscrutable butler, and greedy relatives to boot.

This is one whodunit that in all probability will have you scratching your head to… more »

The Secret Service; A scientist working on a new invention to protect Allied shipping from U-boat torpedoes has assigned the Secret Service for protection.

Bizarrely, he invites friends to a dinner party at his mansion. Not surprisingly, he is murdered from a fatal dose of electricity.

This is a good whodunit with plenty of red herrings to keep you entertained to the very end.

This is my favorite of the set and is most definitely one of Monograms better efforts.

Film Quality 8/10;

The Jade Mask; when an eccentric scientist working on a formula to make wood as hard as steel is found dead.

Charlie Chan, with the help from his uninvited No4 son, attempt to unravel the mystery behind the missing formula.

This is a good mystery that has all the trimmings, a spooky mansion, hidden laboratory, secret panels, an inscrutable butler, and greedy relatives to boot.

This is one whodunit that in all probability will have you scratching your head to the very last. But not in a good way.. the ending is so implausible and unrealistic.

All in all, it's still an enjoyable film, just a shame about the far fetched ending.

Film Quality 8/10

The Chinese Cat; Thomas P. Manning, businessman and chess expert, is mysteriously shot in a locked room, his hand clutching a chess piece. Sounds like a job for Jonathan Creek!

Police abandon the case after making no inroads into the identity of the murderer.

Six months later, the victim's daughter, annoyed by a scurrilous book about the case, enlists the aid of Charlie Chan.

Additional murders follow, leading to a climactic confrontation in a seemingly deserted fun house involving a group of jewel thieves.

This is a good film that holds a good atmosphere for a lower budget Monogram film.

Film Quality 7/10

The Shanghai Cobra; A crook known as the 'cobra killer' attempts to steal radium from a sixth national bank.

The gang are not only keeping their identity a secret from Chan but from a man they framed 8 years before in Shanghai.

Anybody trying to thwart their evil plan turns up dead...death by cobra venom.

Can Chan discover who is behind the devilish scheme, and what of the man who disappeared those many years ago...is he friend, foe or come back from the dead?
I think the film has its moments. The idea of the jukebox in the diner was very original...can't say anymore than that without giving it away.

Although the film has some good ideas it doesnt stand up against many other Chan movies.

Film Quality 6/10

The Scarlet Clue; Charlie Chan investigates the theft of important government radar papers from a laboratory situated the floor above a radio station...still can't work that one out!

Mysterious deaths to people associated with the radio show are a result of secret radar espionage.

I did not enjoy this film as much as a lot of the others but is still worth a watch if you fancy a good old 'whodunit'.
Film Quality 6/10

Meeting at Midnight; when Chan's daughter is witness to the murder of Mr Bonner. Charlie is called in to clear her name and to expose the real killer.

There's a search for a murderer amidst numerous ghosts conjured up by a strange variety of spiritualists and occultists.

This is another Chan film that leaves the watcher bewildered at the end. It's one of those whodunits that leave the audience with a sense of disappointment.

Not once throughout the movie do you ever feel you are close to guessing the culprit.

However far fetched the ending, the film as a whole, is one to sit back and enjoy on a Sunday afternoon.

Film Quality 5/10

I think I speak on behalf of most people by saying if you can tolerate Mantan Moreland's then this set is a must buy.