CinemaSerf
6/20/2022
Maybe one of the more far-fetched "Charlie Chan" stories, this one. This time, No. 1 son "Lee" (Keye Luke) is en route to take part in the Berlin Olympic games. Simultaneously, an plane testing a revolutionary new guidance system is mysteriously hijacked and "Pop" tracks same to Berlin, and so onto the "Hindenberg" he goes in a race to stop the Nazis from obtaining this crucial bit of kit. This has a slightly more sinister plot, with some genuinely menacing scenes tempered by "Lee", as ever on the lookout for a pretty girl, ultimately getting himself into some serious hot water with the baddies! If there are clues, then they went over my head - I was none the wiser until the denouement, which is no bad thing. Well paced direction, solid efforts from the supporting cast - including Allan "Rocky" Lane (think "Mr. Ed"!) and of course the chief suspect, C. Henry Gordon, who makes another CC appearance - this time as the devious "Hughes". It's got a little actuality from the Olympics too - and, thankfully, "Lee" doesn't need his dad to use the paddle...
