Dead Men Tell
Dead Men Tell
NR | 28 March 1941 (USA)
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When the elderly woman sponsoring a treasure hunt is murdered on board her docked ship, Charlie Chan must deal with a treasure map in four pieces, the ghost of a hanged pirate, a talking parrot, a recalcitrant sea captain and several suspicious passengers - and a second murder.

Reviews
Sharkflei

Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

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Hadrina

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

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Marva-nova

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

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Fleur

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

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kapelusznik18

***SPOILERS*** Our hero Charlie Chan, Sidney Toler, gets involved in this murder case when his bumbling #2 Son Jimmy, Sen Young, gets himself involved in a treasure hunt by sneaking on the ship "Suva Star" that's taking a group of passengers to far off Cocos Island in the Caribbean. It's there at Cocos where 60 million in gold has been buried by pirate Black Hook Nodbury in the 18th century for safe keeping. Black Hook's descendant Patience Nodbury, Ethel Griffies, who's financing the treasure hunt had cut the map leading to the treasure into four pieces and sent it to the four persons who on on the trip. That so that none of then can have an advantage in finding it unless the four decide to put the pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle. As for #2 Son Jimmy he's determined to find the treasure himself even though he wasn't invited on the cruse.Right for the start things go wrong before the ship "Suva Star" sets out to sea. With Mrs. Nodbury dropping dead from fright when she sees the long dead Black Hook Nodbury show up at her cabin waving his hook at her. Charlie who's only looking for his #2 son Jimmy ends up getting involved in solving Mrs. Nodbury's death as well as one of the passengers escaped murderer posing as a newspaper man Bill Lydig's, Gerorge Reeves, murder after he was found suffocated in a diving bell. ***SPOILERS**** With all the evidence now pointing to passengers psychoanalyst Dr. Anne Bonny, Lenita Lane, and her ultra neurotic patient Gene La Farge, Milton Parsons, who had earlier tried to get #2 Son Jimmy to walk blindfolded off the plank something else, out of left field, pops up to make to plot more interesting: Revenge!. Charlie finds out that the skipper of the "Suva Star" Capt. Kane, had taken advantage of the treasure hunt not to find the treasure but the person who some 20 years earlier tried to kill him and left him stranded on Cocos Island to die of starvation. Now with him in charge of the treasure hunt and his intended victim not knowing who he is Capt.Kane plans to pay back in spades!P.S As for #2 Son Jimmy he spent so many times falling or diving into the water that with all that experience he can easily qualify for the US Olympic diving team!

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utgard14

"Number Two Son" Jimmy Chan (Victor Sen Yung) sneaks aboard a ship about to embark on a treasure hunt. Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) comes looking for him and finds a murder to investigate with a boatload of suspects.Exemplary entry in the Toler Chan series. Eerie, moody atmosphere with some of the best cinematography and direction of any of the Chan films. Lots of close-ups. Nice cast includes George Reeves, Milton Parsons, and pretty Kay Aldridge. Jimmy Chan is on screen a lot in this one, so if you're not a fan be prepared. I happen to like Jimmy and I didn't think his comic relief here was too much, as some have said. Treasure maps, pirates, talking parrots, and even a future Superman -- what's not to love?

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mlraymond

This movie is so much fun! The wonderful Ethel Griffies plays an old lady whose pirate ancestor Black Hook left a map to his buried treasure. She has assembled a crew of treasure hunters, and they are due to set sail,but the night before the voyage, the ghost of Black Hook materializes and scares her to death. Detective Charlie Chan arrives to look for his runaway son Jimmy, and begins investigating the mysterious goings-on aboard the Suva Star. There are some priceless moments involving the 'helpful' son annoying his detective father with his bumbling heroics, including examining everyone he meets to see if they have a wooden leg. The grumpy sea captain and his talking parrot, a glib reporter,and various rough characters in the waterfront dive that Jimmy Chan snoops around in, are all colorfully played by familiar character actors, including George Reeves ( TV's Superman). Most of the laughs are intentional, with the exception of the bland hero, played by Robert Weldon, who seems to be doing a very poor imitation of Jimmy Stewart. Lots of fun for Chan fans and pirate movie enthusiasts.

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admjtk1701

This is an often overlooked Chan film that deserves more attention! It is short at an hour running time. But it is loaded with great atmosphere and a good cast of interesting and eccentric characters. This is a good mystery and has many humorous parts, too. Sen Yung is quite good in this one. How can you get better than a ghost pirate named Black Hook on a treasure hunt? Another one that's lots of fun. TV Superman, George Reeves is in it too. This is one to see and see again!

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