
“FOUR TIMES IN 18 EERIE MINUTES CHARLIE CHAN FACES DEATH! -- Death from a poison dart! -- Death from a streaking bullet! -- Death from a gleaming dagger!”
A wax museum run by a demented doctor contains statues of such crime figures as Jack the Ripper and Bluebeard. In addition to making wax statues the doctor performs plastic surgery. It is here that an arch fiend takes refuge.
Release Date: 9/6/1940
Runtime: 63 minutes
Languages: English
Director: Lynn Shores
00Companies: 20th Century Fox
Countries: United States of America
CinemaSerf
C. Henry Gordon is a bit like Leo Genn, or Sir Cedric Hardwicke - you always recognise his voice long before you see his face. In this jolly mystery for "Chan" (Sidney Toler) and "Jimmy" (Victor Sen Yung), they find themselves in a macabre wax museum run by our aforementioned thespian - here playing the bonkers plastic surgeon ("Dr. Cream"). They are on the trail of a murderer who has absconded from justice and hopes to avail himself of the services of our good doctor to change his appearance and then to seek revenge on the sleuth who helped get him convicted in the first place. It all culminates in a radio show that serves as a criminologist's wet dream - and the journey to this entertaining denouement is a sort of hybrid between the "Mummy" and "What's My Line". Again, I feel a little bit sorry for poor old Jimmy, who can never do right for doing wrong - and who is always on the wrong end of honourable father's acerbic tongue, but that just goes with the territory I guess.

Sidney Toler
Charlie Chan

Victor Sen Yung
Jimmy Chan

C. Henry Gordon
Dr. Cream

Marc Lawrence
Steve McBirney

Eddie Marr
Henchman Grenock

Charles Wagenheim
Willie Fern

Joan Valerie
Lily Latimer

Marguerite Chapman
Mary Bolton

Hilda Vaughn
Mrs. Joe Rocke

Harold Goodwin
Edwards

Ted Osborne
Tom Agnew

Archie Twitchell
Carter Lane
1945