Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Hitchcoc When an old friend's estranged wife is accused of murdering an evil woman, Charlie finds himself in Reno on the case. Of course, Jimmy can't keep his nose out of things and borrows his friend's car to go to Reno. On the way his car is stolen, as are his clothes. Everything now takes place in a posh hotel with Slim Summerville as an uninspired Western sheriff who has no respect for our Mr. Chan. Ms. Whitman, the accused, was found standing over the corpse and has been charged with the murder. Still, there are many other suspects, people who had reason to kill her. On is her husband, who works at a mine. Another, a slick doctor, who seems to slim his way out of any charge brought against him. One always has to weight the value of Charlie's son because he is impulsive and often on the make. Here he enlists the help of a lady's maid to investigate. The problem with him is that while he often finds interesting things, he is also a loose cannon, jumping to false conclusions. Charlie seems awfully tolerant of him. There are times here when I find too much tongue in cheek stuff. Still, it's vintage Charlie Chan and I was glad to see that none of his other kids got involved here.

mlraymond This holds up well as a good Charlie Chan mystery, with a lot of suspects and fairly involved plot. Toler is very good in one of his early outings as Chan, and the Reno, Nevada background is a different type of location than the usual exotic, foreign setting. The supporting players are good ,and the whole thing is tightly written and directed.My only complaint is with Eddie Collins as the talkative cab driver, who is meant to be annoying, but succeeds a little too well. His character belongs to a type of Thirties humor that doesn't hold up well with the passage of time. Such irritating characters turn up frequently in a lot of Depression era films, and have to be accepted as part of the period, along with wise guy reporters, hardboiled cops, tough dames and grouchy editors . My tolerance for this type of individual in real life no doubt has something to do with it.This is a minor complaint about a pretty good film. Enjoy it as a good Charlie Chan mystery, where even the annoying characters are a part of the fun.

glefeber I have never seen anyone comment on "Chan" actors in other Chan films. In "reno" there are more Chan actors from other Chan films in the same movie. I believe there are 9 Chan actors in this one film. Excluding the sheriff and some supporting roles, just about everyone in the cast has been in another Chan film. I have been keeping track of several of the Chan actors and some of them are still with us. For those of you who are unaware, Marc Lawrence died this past November after a very long career. My supreme dream is to meet one or more of the actors who are still with us. For those of us who are true Chan fans they are a true link to the movies that we love and enjoy. I have 15 Charlie Chan movies on VHS and I watch all of them. I have my favorites but I mix them up so its like having a Chan marathon whenever I want. Does anyone else have Chan marathons. later G

classicsoncall "Charlie Chan in Reno" offers a cleverly woven mystery in which the murder suspects are all revealed to have had some involvement with each other in the past. It helps when watching to keep a scorecard to keep track of events and relationships so the final revelation makes sense. Not only do we have a murder victim, but an attempted murder as well.When Mary Whitman (Pauline Moore) is found over the dead body of Jeanne Bentley (Louise Henry), she of course is the obvious suspect, and with a firm motive; Bentley was going to marry Whitman's about to be ex-husband. But Bentley had a unique way of alienating most everyone with her ingratiating manner, not the least of which was another suitor, Wally Burke (Robert Lowery). Burke comes across as suitably suspicious, as does Dr. Ainsley (Ricardo Cortez), who is surprised to be discovered in the murder room of the Hotel Sierra, claiming to be looking for the money won by Bentley at the casino, offering robbery as the motive for the crime.Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler in his second performance as the Oriental Detective) is aided in the case by Number #2 Son Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung, credited as Sen Yung). Jimmy is on spring break from the University of Southern California, and gets himself mugged by a pair of con men who steal his borrowed car; he's identified by "Pop" in a police line up. There's also Police Chief King (played straight by Charles D. Brown) and an inept Reno Sheriff Tombstone Fletcher (Slim Summerville). Fletcher is quick to dismiss Chan's serious questioning and investigative work, preferring to pin the crime on the innocent Mary Whitman.Once Charlie gets down to business, a whole host of new clues and information come to light. The investigation eventually leads to an abandoned ghost town outside of Reno, and yet another suspect, this time Jeanne Bentley's ex husband George.For trivia fans, there are two actors in "Reno" that also appeared in Toler's first Chan adventure in "Honolulu". Phyllis Brooks as Vivian Wells is ultimately revealed to be the murderer; while Eddie Collins does a comic turn as the talkative cab driver. Collins was the lion keeper aboard a freighter in the "Honolulu" film.Before the mystery is over, Chan unravels an entire network of entanglements that connect the murder victim with each of the suspects, and the suspects with one another. It's rather cleverly done, and promotes this film to one of the better Charlie Chan titles, particularly those of Sidney Toler.