The otherwise standard series entry
Charlie Chan in Paris is distinguished by the presence of actor
Keye Luke, making his first appearance as Charlie Chan's (
Warner Oland) "Number One Son" Lee. Summoned to Paris by undercover agent Nardi (
Dorothy Appleby), Honolulu detective Chan hopes to get the goods on an international counterfeiting ring. Alas, Nardi is promptly murdered, but not before leaving behind a cryptic clue. With the none-too-expert assistance of son Lee, Charlie puts the pieces together and exposes the identity of the head counterfeiter (which, once again, is no surprise to veteran movie-mystery buffs). More action-oriented than most films in the series,
Charlie Chan in Paris makes excellent use of the Fox Studios backlot, which doubled over the years for Paris, London, Prague and any number of European capitals. Long believed lost,
Charlie Chan in Paris was restored and released to television in the early 1980s, providing a ray of hope that such earlier "Chan" installments as
Charlie Chan Carries On and
Charlie Chan's Courage will one day resurface as well.
