Charlie Chan - The Chinese Cat (2004, DVD)

WWII brought out paranoia anti-semitism, distrust of Oriental Nationals (to the point where our government placed Japanese/Americans in California in concentration camps--a national disgrace). Fox who originated the Chan Franchise dropped it and B studio Monogram picked it up. The series flourished. During the War years, the Chan movies had the sleuth working for the government and many of the movies made during this period placed emphasis on this in the plotting. THE CHINESE CAT is a nice departure and not quite as cautious and careful as the others in the series during this time period. It involves an unsolved murder and diamond smuggling wrapped around a clever plot. Chan steps in to discover the culprit(s) with the aid of of #3 son Benson Fong and sidekick Mantan Moreland (in an atypical black stereotype role so prevalent in Hollywood at the time). Fong and Moreland provide the comic relief and Chan even delivers some pretty sharp one liners.

This and MEETING AT MIDNIGHT (aka "Black Magic") are the best of the series in this timeframe. Six of these are included in the rather expensive "CHANTHOLOGY" (but can be bought separately).

The pre-war movies starring the second incarnation of Chan, Sidney Toler, are much better and less inhibited but unfortunately the copyright has lapsed and can only be found on poorly made bootleg DVD-Rs.

Until a major studio can pick up these lost treasures you can still enjoy THE CHINESE CAT (1944) and like most Charlie Chan movies, you can't guess who the killer is.