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The Black Camel

The Black Camel

  • Status: Released
  • 21-06-1931
  • Runtime: 71 min
  • Score: 6
  • Vote count: 35

Movie star Shelah Fane is seeing wealthy Alan Jaynes while filming in Honolulu, Hawaii, but won't marry him without consulting famed psychic Tarneverro first. Enter inspector Charlie Chan of the Honolulu Police, investigating the unsolved murder, three years earlier, of a Hollywood actor.

Warner Oland

Charlie Chan

Sally Eilers

Julie O'Neil

Bela Lugosi

Tarneverro

Dorothy Revier

Shelah Fane

Victor Varconi

Robert Fyfe

Murray Kinnell

Archie Smith

William Post Jr.

Alan Jaynes

Robert Young

Jimmy Bradshaw

Violet Dunn

Anna the Maid

J.M. Kerrigan

Thomas MacMasters

Mary Gordon

Mrs. MacMasters

Rita Rozelle

Luana

Otto Yamaoka

Kashimo

Dwight Frye

Jessop the Butler (uncredited)

C. Henry Gordon

Huntley Van Horn (uncredited)

Hamilton MacFadden

Val Martino (uncredited)

Richard Tucker

Wilkie Ballou (uncredited)

Marjorie White

Rita Ballou (uncredited)

James Wang

Wong (uncredited)

Robert Homans

Chief of Police (uncredited)

CinemaSerf

Warner Oland is "Charlie Chan" in this engaging marriage of the occult with the vanities of Hollywood stardom. "Sheila Fayne" (Dorothy Revier) is an actress being pursued by the wealthy "Alan Jaynes" (William Post). Before she will commit to his ardour, she consults her psychic medium "Tarneverro" (Bela Lugosi). Instead of a simple yeah or nay, though, he raises the spectre of the death of her erstwhile co-star "Danny Mayo" and next thing we know "Chan" is investigating a far more recent murder. Loads of possible culprits; some eerily lit settings, a bit of gently cerebral humour and the sight of his assembled family at a dinner table that would have made even the "Walton's" blush all helps the mystery develop nicely. Lugosi is effective as the clearly dubious mystic, and there's an early turn from the handsome Robert Young to look out for, too. It's well directed, written and the suspense builds nicely. Oland presents a "rotundness" of spirit with his performance; his frequent adages delivered with his tongue in his cheek - and I enjoyed this.