Main Cast: Warner Oland, Mary Brian, Thomas Beck, Erik Rhodes, John Miljan
Release Year: 1935
Country: US
Run Time: 72 minutes
Plot
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. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Henry Kolker as Mr. Paul Lamartine, the current head of the Lamartine Bank and father of Yvette
Dorothy Appleby as Nardi, Charlie's agent in Paris, who is killed before he can ask her questions
Plot
Chan is on his way back from completing the London case -- they always mentioned the previous case -- to go on "vacation" to Paris, but this is just a way to make people think that he is innocently there. He is on a case for some London bankers and customers who say that some bonds from the Lamartine Bank in Paris are forged, so they hired Chan to solve the case. After various murder attempts on Chan and other killings, including that of his assistant, Nardi, and the ex-boyfriend of Yvette, which was staged by a blind beggar named Xavier, a "crazed" World War I veteran who wants his money and wants it now!
The murderer was Xavier, but he is actually not real; he has alternately been played by both Corday and Latouche -- Latouche appearing as Xavier when Corday was with Charlie, and Corday appearing as Xavier when Charlie meets Latouche at the Bank. Chan takes young Victor Descartes with him to find Xavier, and while they search Corday's and LaTouche's lair where they have been printing the counterfeit bonds, Latouche (as Xavier) arrives. Chan and Descartes kill the lights, and Latouche shoots at Chan's flashlight, apparently hitting him. But Chan has mounted it on a broomstick to decoy Latouche, and Descartes is able to capture Xavier/Latouche. Then the police arrive (summoned by Chan's son Lee), giving Chan a chance to explain how Corday and LaTouche created alibis for each other by alternately playing Xavier.
