Charlie Chan ~The Black Camel, Warner Oland ~ Bela Lugosi

The Black Camel (1931) The earliest surviving of the Charlie Chan films (there were two silents and two other talkies between 1926 and 1931, which have since been lost to studio fires) stars Warner Oland as the inscrutable sleuth, who investigates the murder of a young actress in Honolulu and finds there's a connection with an unsolved murder from a few years before and an enigmatic psychic, Tarneverro (Bela Lugosi), who may know more than he's letting on.

Shelah Fane, a motion picture star who is filming in Honolulu, consults the mystic Tarneverro, her spiritual advisor, to decide if she should marry Alan Jaynes, a wealthy globetrotter whom she met on the ship to Hawaii. During a crystal ball session, Shelah confesses to Tarneverro that three years earlier she fell in love with her co-star, Denny Mayo, and that she was in his house on the night he was murdered.

Agitated following her consultation, Shelah tells Julie O'Neill, her protégé, that she cannot marry Alan. Anna, Shelah Fane's maid, is greatly upset when, as she brings Shelah an orchid corsage from stage actor Robert Fyfe, who is currently appearing in town, she sees Shelah tearing up a photograph of Denny Mayo.

That evening, just before a dinner party that Shelah Fane is giving, Julie, along with Jimmy Bradshaw, a tourist bureau employee who wants to marry Julie, find Shelah stabbed to death in her pavilion. Without explaining why, Julie has Jimmy remove Shelah's emerald ring. During his investigation, Inspector Charlie Chan finds the orchid corsage crushed next to the actress' body with their pin missing. He also notices in the sand outside the pavilion a footprint made by a shoe with a hole in it. Chan gathers the guests, all of whom were in Hollywood at the time of Denny Mayo's murder, and relates the old saying:.... "Death is a black camel that kneels unbidden at every gate," adding, "Tonight, black camel has knelt here."

Note: This film was also the film debut of later famous actor Robert Young, of Father Knows Best, and Marcus Welby TV Fame, and a leading man roles from his early days as he is shown here in his first motion picture.

Honours for this video (4)
#36 - Most Discussed (Today) - Entertainment - New Zealand
#21 - Top Favourited (Today) - New Zealand
#11 - Top Favourited (Today) - Entertainment - New Zealand
#12 - Top Rated (Today) - Entertainment - New Zealand

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• The Black Camel
• Warner Oland
• Bela Lugosi
• Charlie Chan
• Sally Eilers
• Dwight Frye
• Robert Montgomery
• Public Domain Film
• This is public domain film
• 1931

[cortodanzigese]

Great movie but a shame quality is not better :)

[cathytreks]

@cortodanzigese its the FIRST Chan movie from 1931...what do you want? 3-d hi def HD!??? Its been ramped up to 480p for gawds sake! we tried... :*(

Cathytreks

[willieluncheonette]

Honorable self like map of south. Wish had Birmingham on display. Unfortunately that honor went to Sidney Toler and Roland Winters

[cathytreks]

@willieluncheonette yes but without original here warner oland - birmingham never come along later! I only have the all the original 1st Charle Chans up online. Such is life, still pleasure to make your aquaintance

[copperbeechs]

Also Plot line very much like Charlie Chan in Rio

[cathytreks]

@copperbeechs excuse please?...rather plot line of Charlie Chan in Rio ....very much The Black Camel, this s the earliest Chan film that still survives to this day most honourable commentary person...copperbeaches, you present very good point!. :)

[panhead1219]

@cathytreks ? Personaly, I think the quality of your posts are great. compared to the Chan movies that apeloki posts that is.

Ape's are all very dark (can't see anything) and the sound track sync' goes off by as much as 3 seconds as the films progress.

[cortodanzigese]

@cathytreks Yes I'm sure of it folks and don't worry - it is pretty good!

[jmancini1037]

many thanks for posting

[MrJustin7192]

Thanks very much, love these old Chan movies!

[DavidHenesy]

@imaginashawn lol in the opinion of you... a troll.

Sophia