Charlie Chan in Egypt (1935) User Reviews

Spooky fun, as Chan investigates strange goings on at archaeological site

[mlraymond · 7/10 · 31 December 2007]

Watching this film recently, after not seeing it for many years, I couldn't help but be struck by the opening scene of the scientists exploring a mysterious tomb and think that this must have been a big influence on Woody Allen's Purple Rose of Cairo.

It's a bit slow, but the location shots of Egyptian backgrounds are fun, and the whole horror movie atmosphere of curses and dreadful secrets, obviously borrowing from Universal's 1932 The Mummy, is great.The movie has plenty of atmosphere, with some genuine suspense and a clever mystery that provides some real surprises.

The controversial element of Stepin Fetchit's character Snowshoes has been written about by nearly every poster. Though very politically incorrect by today's standards, I have to admit laughing at some of his lines and actions, as the fact is simply that he is often very funny, even if we're not supposed to find him so today. I cringed often at the demeaning way he is treated by most of the other characters except Charlie Chan, and at times he is down right embarrassing, but like it or not, he does add something to the entertainment value of the picture, even if only for historical reasons.

This is a pretty entertaining movie, if you can manage to keep an open mind about the various ethnic stereotypes involved. When you get right down to it, most of the white characters in it don't come off looking too good, either, especially the neurotic heroine, played shrilly by Pat Paterson.

Luxor, Egypt CSI

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 19 February 2023]

Charlie Chan comes to Egypt to investigate why certain items found in an archaelogical dig have turned up at rival museums rather than the French museum to which they were promised. It turns out that, while first denying any knowledge, one member of the team does admit selling some smaller items in the collection because funds were needed to continue the operation because the chief archaeologist, Dr. Arnold, out in the field and on a dig, had been unresponsive to any communication and because his spending had been out of control.

But then in a completely unrelated matter Charlie notices that a sarcophagus of one of the Egyptian kings looks like it has been recently tampered with. It is decided that x-rays will be used to look in the sarcophagus, and the image shows a bullet wound in a body that supposedly died three thousand years ago. The coffin is opened and the body of Dr. Arnold is found inside. And so the investigation begins.

I found this Charlie Chan entry from the series rather claustrophobic and slow moving in the middle, although it did have a fascinating dynamite ending. There are only a few suspects from which to choose, and on top of that Dr. Arnold's two grown children are such whiners. Plus the absence of Keye Luke as "number one son" is noticeable and the presence of Stepin Fetchit was grating. On the other hand, Paul Porcasi as an Egyptian version of Inspector Clouseau was a standout.

The end is fascinating though, because Charlie shows his knowledge of forensics and that he does know his way around a crime lab. Mildly recommended, mainly for Oland as Chan.

Under the influence of mapuchari - or drugs in the desert!

[Jim Tritten · 7/10 · 11 May 2002]

Warner Oland works on behalf of French Archaeological Society concerning Egyptian antiquities being sold to private collectors and rival museums. Before the case is solved, Chan will uncover and solve a murder and avoid being done in. Mystery is pretty straight forward with fewer misleading clues than most of this series. "Theory like mist on eyeglasses -- obscures facts." Chan still (as usual) does not reveal all until the end although this time with the paucity of suspects it is more likely that you can guess the guilty party. Story relies more on travelog-type shots, similarity to real-life and contemporary film mysteries about mummies and tombs, and basic lectures on how X-rays work and archaeology to keep interest. It works. Pat Paterson (Charles Boyer's real life wife) does a credible job as the damsel in distress and under the influence of cannabis. Stepin Fetchit's role as a bug-eyed dim-witted servant will upset modern viewers and probably served as comic relief to contemporary audiences. Although an unrecognizable Rita Cansino (Rita Hayworth's real last name) is given a credit at the beginning of the film, she hardly has any lines. Not as good as Charlie Chan in London or Paris, but one that dedicated fans will not want to miss. Recommended.

Fairly good, uneven, some loose ends.

[gazzo-2 · 6/10 · 9 August 2006]

I enjoyed watching this. Had no idea that Rita Hayworth(!) was the young Egyptian girl(she was all of 17 at most there), thought the 'real killer' wasn't as believable as perhaps Red Herring #1-Ahmadi or Dr. Kenosha Racine, and like the rest here, had some real problems with Stepin Fetchit.

Mantan Moreland, 'Feets Don't Fail Me Now', whether you like him or not, was at least funny and not so grating. Fetchit's just hard to take, listen to, watch. And that's a shame, you can tell the guy was a decent comic and physical comedian. Anyways, others have already beat this one to death here.

I liked the donkey-riding scene, the Scooby Doo business inside the tomb is eerie, and there's some fine atmospheric setpieces here and there. Parts of the movie just don't hang together well w/ it-and you wonder(besides the obvious cheesecake shots) just why they spent so much time on the Hayworth character watching Chan and the Violin test. Seems like they cut some scenes out or just never got around to tying up the loose ends.

It's still worth watching of course. Just be ready to wince whenever they bring in 'Snowshoes'.

**1/2 outta ****

Warner Oland as Charlie Chan

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 5 October 2012]

Charlie Chan in Egypt isn't my favorite Charlie Chan. For some reason, I'm more used to Sidney Toler in the role, I love Mantan Moreland, and it's always fun when one of Charlie's sons is on the scene.

What this 1935 film does have is an interesting story, footage of Egypt, which even in black and white is pretty impressive, and an appearance by a heavier, brunette, pre-electrolysis Rita Hayworth (using her original name Rita Cansino here). Pat Paterson (Mrs. Charles Boyer) is the lead woman.

Chan is in Egypt on behalf of a French museum to investigate tomb treasures that were to go to the museum but instead are in other European museums. He meets Carol Arnold (Patterson) whose father, on the dig, hasn't been heard from in some time. There's a good reason for that. He's mummified in a sarcophagus that's supposed to hold an ancient priest.

Well, there's another murder and an attempted murder as Charlie attempts to figure out who killed Professor Arnold and why.

Warner Oland is fine as Charlie, though some other performances are a little over the top/melodramatic. Mainly, James Eagles, as Professor Arnold's physically challenged son, sticks out with an absolutely maniacal performance.

I won't bother to go into the controversial Stepin Fetchit's presence in this film. His life story is an interesting one, however, and worth a look. The character he developed, which made him a millionaire, is cringe-worthy by today's standards.

All in all, an okay film.

The Eyes of Horus Are Upon You.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 15 May 2011]

A tomb is opened in the Valley of Kings, an archaeologist dies quickly, another disappears, and artifacts from the tomb begin appearing mysteriously on the black market. Charlie Chan is called in to investigate the whole business by the French archaeological society. Everybody looks suspicious except the pretty young woman and Stepin Fetchit as "Snowshoes", who claims to be descended from Ameti, the recently disinterred King.

Actually, what the French Archaeological Society has to do with anything is just as big a mystery. Egypt was in British hands at the time, and they shouldn't have been fiddling around with three-thousand year-old tombs either without the most careful supervision, which was never provided.

I lost the thread of the narrative once or twice because my attention drifted and the plot is a little convoluted, but I enjoyed the mumbo jumbo and the fake ghosts and the violin with the deadly gas concealed in its belly, encased in thin glass designed to shatter when the instrument emits sound of a certain frequency.

Stepin Fetchit wasn't very amusing. The stereotype wasn't bothersome. Mantan Moreland appeared in some of the later episodes and was often quite amusing. It's just that Fetchit has little to do and nothing funny to say. Rita Hayworth appears in a secondary role but you'd never recognize her if you didn't know who it was. Her hairline was far lower at the time. Not as bad as the wolfman's, but you know what I mean. It peaked down the middle of her brow and had yet to be electrolyzed or electrocuted or whatever it is that Hollywood does to permanently remove hair and restore its line to where they believe Nature intended it to be.

I kind of like stories like this about ancient Egyptian tombs -- the narrow passageways, the confusion of multiple rooms, the profusion of hieroglyphics, the fake ghosts gleaming in the darkness, the underground streams. I wish they'd worn pith helmets.

The pyramids had uncountable numbers of corridors and shafts going this way and that like a carnival maze. Some years ago, after the invention of fiber optic photography, an investigator ran a tube a few dozen yard up a dead-end shaft that was square and about a foot in diameter. Of course there was nothing IN the tiny shaft -- except a few dangling threads of an old spider web. No one has explained what the spider was seeking at that depth, or why the spider was stupid enough to look for anything at all in a dead-end three-thousand-year-old granite-lined shaft.

Nice entry in the series

[bensonmum2 · 7/10 · 6 March 2005]

Charlie Chan arrives in Egypt and, as expected, a murder soon takes place. The murder in Charlie Chan in Egypt is among the most clever than I've seen in a Chan film. And, Chan's method of discovering how the murder was committed is equally clever. The mystery here is fairly straight forward without a lot of red herrings.

The sets in Charlie Chan in Egypt are among the best of the entire series. The Pharaoh's tomb is very impressive.

Two notes on the cast - first, look for Rita Hayworth (under her real name) playing a servant girl. She doesn't add much to the story, but it's interesting none the less. Second, There is a lot of criticism of the Stepin Fetchit character. While I understand and can see the racist stereotype, that is not as much of a problem with me as the character in general. He seems out of place. I find nothing he does to be funny or enjoyable. It's only annoying to me.

Great horror-mystery!

[admjtk1701 · 10/10 · 16 April 2000]

Warner Oland does it again with a great performance as Chan. This one also has a great setting and creepy atmosphere. It is set at a newly excavated Egyptian tomb with all the trappings. There are some genuinely scary sequences creeping around the tomb at night. A young Rita Hayworth (billed as Rita Cansino) has a small part. The only drawback for me is the stereotyped portrayal by Stephin Fechit. He is hard to understand and very annoying at times. The performances by Mantan Moreland and Willie Best in the much later Monogram Chans serve the same niche as Fechit's "Snowshoes" character, but come off much better and are funny in the same way Lou Costello or Curly Howard are funny. But this does not harm the picture. Another one to see over and over again just for the atmosphere if nothing else.

Charlie Chan in Egypt: entertaining but uneven

[gsmuse · 6/10 · 2 June 2006]

The texture of this movie is as lumpy as the crunchiest peanut butter. The problem lies partly in the conventional 1930's Hollywood wisdom that audiences couldn't be trusted to sit through 60-70 minutes of suspense and sleuthing unless you provided comic relief. Too often, as here, the comic element was totally extraneous to the story. Enough has been said by other commentators about Stepin Fetchit's unwelcome presence. Stupid, lazy, and cowardly, his "coon" stereotype was the answer to a white supremacist's dream. More to the point, he isn't even very funny here. His character fits in with Warner Oland's Charlie Chan like oil and water. One anticipated comic scene in which the bazaar merchant shows SF the long-lost tomb of his "ancestors" fails to materialize. (If it was ever shot, it probably ended up on the cutting room floor.) Paul Porcasi's fastidiously polite Inspector Fouad also seems superfluous. One longs for the presence of Keye Luke in this movie, as the best humor in the Charlie Chan series always came out of Charlie's natural interaction with his sons.

The other problem with Charlie Chan in Egypt is thin plotting. Why should Professor Thurston need to kill his nephew Barry and attempt to kill his niece Carol with the mysterious drug "mapuchari" when he has already hidden away the treasures of the 21st Dynasty in a secret room? It seems that Charlie is not given enough clues to go on when he reveals Thurston as the murderer. Actually, the bulk of the evidence, such as it is, seems to point to the major-domo Edfu Ahmad, played by the sinister-looking Nigel de Brulier. As a direct descendant of the High Priest Amete, he has a vested interested in saving his tomb from desecration by foreigners. And what is a teenaged Rita Hayworth doing here as the servant girl Nayda, peeping through the shrubbery as Charlie investigates Barry's murder? Is she is league with Edfu Ahmad, or merely getting some screen exposure while adding her decorative presence to the proceedings? Also, the complicity of the chemist Daoud Atrash is not made clear. He claims ignorance of the drug mapuchari, but is he on the level? If Atrash didn't provide Thurston with the drug, who did? In the last analysis, this is not among the the strongest films in the Chan series due to its unevenness. This in spite of the truly eerie tomb setting, which recalls the chills we got in no less a picture than the original Boris Karloff classic The Mummy.

All Wrapped in white linen with a bullet in the chest

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 30 September 2012]

Although I had the murderer pretty well figured out way before the end, this Charlie Chan film is still a pretty good one with Warner Oland of Sweden giving a grand interpretation of the celebrated Chinese sleuth from Honolulu.

There are some superficial resemblances to the classic Boris Karloff feature The Mummy as the setting of this film is Egypt and an archaeological expedition. The death of Lord Carnarvon shortly after he opened King Tutankhamen's tomb was subject matter for many a story with an Egyptian setting. But while Karloff's The Mummy dealt with sinister supernatural forces from the ancient past, Charlie Chan In Egypt has some very human murderer with some very human motives.

Charlie Chan who has been hired by a French Museum to oversee their interests arrives in Egypt and the daughter of the expedition leader Pat Patterson gets Warner Oland to go out to the dig and find her father George Irving who hasn't been heard from in 3 months. He finds him all right, in the mummy's case all wrapped in white linen with a bullet in the chest. Later on Patterson's brother James Eagles is killed with a very clever device that emits poison gas.

Pat Patterson had a minor career in the Thirties and retired from the screen after she married Charles Boyer. In only her second film Rita Hayworth under her real name of Rita Cansino plays a mysterious Egyptian girl who adds a bit of decoration in a bit role. Nothing mysterious about Stepin Fetchit who sadly paraded his usual stereotype in his role as the camp errand runner.

I think you'll figure this one pretty early, but no reason you still won't enjoy Charlie Chan In Egypt.

A treasured artifact from the age of the ancient Americans

[Spondonman · 8/10 · 13 May 2007]

This has always been one of my favourite Warner Oland Chan's, made even more suitably murky and mysterious by the passage of time and the way it's been handled since it was made.

Charlie's in Egypt to track down the person responsible for leaking valuable ancient artifacts into European collections, finding murder as well. With some fantastic atmospheric sets as backdrop and a great cast he and the ever dependable Thomas Beck act as a team to get to the bottom of the mystery and nab the culprit. Every other post has highlighted the main problem with it: Stepin Fetchit. It's a shame they put him in but it's not a problem to me as I don't watch it for him shuffling and mumbling along but for the main story unfolding around the rest of the cast. His major scenes could easily be cut out or altered to save everyone's black and white blushes today - but where would you stop? Airbrush cigarettes, smoke and alcohol, cgi over carbon non-neutral cars or low efficiency lightbulbs, even change Oland to a white Swede and superimpose a black superhero in goodie Beck's place to engage a more proactive and socially inclusive demographic, erase mention of Egypt to try to disguise the colonial connotations etc? And of course if we went that far also add plenty of mindless graphic sex and violence because that's OK in todays crazy world; the Nazis would have simply burned all the prints of this and everything considered similar and revised the history books.

With all its faults I'm grateful for what we've got – some of the early Chan's are lost forever – at the very least for an insight into the human mental condition as it existed in Hollywood in 1935 but more for as it exists around the world today. If you really don't like it you could campaign for its destruction, but if you like watching pre WW2 b&w middle brow detective movies containing innumerable dead people like this like me watch it without angst as a good film.

Once Again, the Robbery of Egyptian Artifacts

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 26 December 2015]

Despite the ridiculous presence of Stepin Fetchit, who really contributes nothing but the most egregious of stereotyping, this is a pretty good mystery. Oh, he is quite successful at mumbling incomprehensibly and bringing a flashlight when one is needed. He lives in perpetual fear. Anyway, something is going on with Egyptian treasures that British imperialists are stealing from Egypt to take back to museums. During a discovery, an archaeologist drops dead. This leads to infighting among groups who obviously have made a major discovery and would like it for there own. Charlie Chan has come on the scene and has no idea at the outset that there is so much going on. There is a romantic angle with the young male lead getting in over his head. One interesting thing is the appearance of the beautiful young Rita Hayworth who does little more that look attractive. What is interesting to me is that there is a point where they start to blame Charlie for all the ills they are facing. He takes this in stride because, after all, he is a lesser being in the pecking order. The method of murder and the wrapping up of the case is quite satisfying.

The Good & Bad Of 'Charlie Chan In Egypt'

[ccthemovieman-1 · 5/10 · 24 August 2006]

I did not like this one on the first viewing, but I had a very bad tape which didn't help. With the DVD (part of recent Chan Collection that came out in 2006) I enjoyed this more, thanks, in part to have the option of English subtitles.

I still think this is a slightly sub-par Warner Oland-edition Charlie Chan, but only because I think so highly of the other films. It did have some excellent suspense and strange characters and is known because of the appearance of young Rita Cansino who would go on to star status as Rita Hayworth.

THE BAD - None of Charlie's kids are here to help him out, and that's a loss. Instead, for humor, we have Stepin Fetchit with his mumbling drawl and unfunny character (unlike Mantan Moreland in later Chans, even though both are horrible black stereotypes of the day.) Worse than the above, we have a shrill, hysterical female lead character , "Carol Arnold" (Pat Paterson) who got on my nerves, big-time! That's almost another stereotype of the period: women who fall apart easily and act like overemotional cripples. After a few of these outbursts, I just hit the mute button when she went into her act. She had a brother in here who was almost as bad except he had far fewer lines. Also in here was the typical thing you saw more of in the '30s than in modern films: stories that dealt with the occult and a lot of superstitions.

THE GOOD - The action was pretty good and this story gave us more of the weird suspects than what is normally provided. Not only weird people but strange scenes. Combine those with the usual Chan witticism's, profound statements and uncommon courtesy he gives everyone, and it's an entertaining film. I would never have recognized Hayworth if I hadn't been informed it was her. She played a dark-haired Egyptian woman. If you froze some frames and looked carefully enough, you could be convinced it was her, but it wasn't easy. She certainly wasn't the incredible beauty she would be in the next decade.

Highly Effective Mix of Horror and Mystery

[Michael_Elliott · 13 March 2008]

Charlie Chan in Egypt (1935)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

An archaeologist makes a major discovery when he finds a mummy's tomb but he hasn't much time to celebrate his finding because he's shortly after found dead. The locals believe that it's the curse of opening up the tomb but Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) believes something human was behind the murder.

CHARLIE CHAN IN Egypt is without question the highlight of the series as it contains the perfect mix of mystery and some pretty dark horror elements. It's funny to think that the mummy only appears in a couple scenes here yet you could make a strong argument that this here was much better than Universal's 1932 film as well as any of its sequels that would follow. Of course, this isn't a mummy movie per say because it's a mystery but there's no doubt that the horror elements here are used to perfection and in the end we're left with a very good and highly entertaining gem.

I think the strongest thing going for the film is its atmosphere created by director Louis King. The director had specialized in "B" and "C" movies throughout the silent era but this here was clearly the job of someone with talent who could show it when given the right material. The screenplay itself contains a very good story, some memorable characters and there's no question that it leaves you guessing as to who is doing the killings all the way to the end. Take the screenplay and mix it in with the atmosphere and you've got something quite special. Just take a look at how dark the entire movie is and how the director makes perfect use of the trapped doors and those glowing eyes from the mummy's tomb.

Another major plus are the performances with Oland once again delivering a great one in the role of Chan. By this time he obviously had the role down perfectly but it's worth praising him for not just sleep-walking through the film or phoning in the performance. Pat Paterson, Thomas Beck and James Eagles are all extremely good as well. A young Rita Hayworth adds some sexiness to the picture and Stepin Fetchit is here with his typical scared cat role.

CHARLIE CHAN IN Egypt is one of the better mysteries from the decade but you can also strongly argue that it contains some of the best horror elements as well. It's funny to think that Fox really wasn't all that impressive when it came to their horror films from this decade yet, in a mystery of all things, they deliver something this good.

The whole story

[loay_76 · 6/10 · 14 February 2006]

Charlie Chan in Egypt was the eighth installment in the popular "Charlie Chan" mystery series that ran throughout the 30's and 40's. Over the years, the series featured several future stars in bit parts and supporting roles, including Cesar Romero and Ray Milland. This one featured a 16-year old Rita as Nayda, a servant of the Arnold household.

When detective Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) arrives in Egypt to investigate the whereabouts of artifacts taken from the ancient tomb of Amete, he meets Carol Arnold (Pat Paterson). The daughter of an archaeologist, Professor Arnold (George Irving), she is distressed because her father appears to have disappeared on an expedition. Later, her worst fears are realized when Arnold's body is found hidden in a mummy case, with a bullet in his chest. Now it's up to Charlie Chan to unravel the mystery surrounding the murder. With help from Carol's archaeologist friend Tom Evans (Thomas Beck), Chan begins his investigation and finds that Professor Arnold was killed because he'd discovered the secret treasure of Amete's tomb. Chan finds there's even more than meets the eye to this case when Carol's brother, Barry (James Eagles) mysteriously dies.

When Tom also discovers the treasure, an attempt is made on his life. He is shot. Upon further investigation of Barry's death, Chan realizes he was murdered because he had knowledge of Amete's treasure as well. Finally, the murderer is caught in the act while trying to see to it that Tom doesn't recover from his bullet wound. Tom is the only person that can identify the killer, having seen him before the shot was fired. The murderer is immediately apprehended. Tom soon recovers and the mystery is solved, thanks to Charlie Chan.

Charlie Chan in Egypt is considered to be one of the best of the "Charlie Chan" series. In this her third film, sixteen-year old Rita is made to look older than her years. She wears one costume throughout the film and though her make-up is very thick, she looks quite lovely. She has a few lines which include brief dialog between she and the star of the film, Warner Oland. She also has a few close-ups, such as a scene where she watches Chan investigate Barry Arnold's death *** Lo'ay

"Insignificant molehill sometimes more important than conspicuous mountain."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 13 February 2005]

Charlie Chan arrives in Egypt at the bequest of the French Archaeological Society to investigate missing relics that have turned up in the hands of private collectors and rival museums. When he discovers the body of expedition leader Professor Arnold in a sarcophagus, the case turns into a murder mystery.

Charlie Chan in Egypt does not have as many suspects or red herrings as Warner Oland's two prior films, "London" and "Paris". Chan allies himself with archaeologist Tom Evans (Thomas Beck) to uncover a series of clues pointing to the real murderer, that being an Arnold associate who was in on the discovery of a secret treasure room in the tomb of Ahmedi. Setting a trap for the killer, the case is wrapped up rather cleanly at film's end with not much of a surprise as to the identity of the murderer.

The film is notable for an early appearance of future star Rita Hayworth, here billed under her real name of Rita Cansino; her character is a servant girl Nayda. Stepin Fetchit portrays a black servant named Snowshoes, in a role that is almost painful to watch. His dialog is unintelligible at times, and he gets pushed around verbally by members of the expedition, a racist role that would be widely denounced today.

For it's rather exotic locale, "Charlie Chan in Egypt" is not one of the better entries in the Chan series. For completists though, it's a must see, and a not too bad way to spend a quick hour of mystery entertainment.

Charlie Chan in Egypt (1935) ***

[JoeKarlosi · 7/10 · 26 July 2006]

This was one of the best of the early Warner Oland Chan films for me, though I'm partial to it because I love old horror movies and "Charlie Chan in Egypt" felt very much like an old mummy picture. In this one, the great detective travels to the historical pyramids to unravel the mystery behind a missing archaeologist and the treasure he unearthed from an ancient mummy's tomb. Very atmospheric and dark, with many strange events on display to perk up the interest.

It must be mentioned that the black "comical" actor Stepin Fetchit appears in this film, and back in the day he used to make a career of undermining black people. It's easy to see why some African American viewers might find his character offensive here. Even if you feel that there's a tendency for some modern-day viewers to over-react to political incorrectness in some films of those old days, it's hard not to take notice here and wince. Stepin plays a muttering servant called "Snowshoes" whose speech is difficult to understand and who is portrayed as utterly lazy, fearful and ignorant. His boss - who's the young hero of the film and whose side we're supposed to be on - constantly berates him and scolds him ("do as you're told!") and physically shoves him around.

"From life to death is reach of man."

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 17 February 2014]

A very good Charlie Chan movie marred by the unfortunate inclusion of the dated comic relief Stepin Fetchit ( "Mr. Tom won me in a card game"). Despite being introduced in the previous film, Keye Luke's "Number One Son" Lee doesn't appear here. The story sees Charlie coming to Egypt to investigate the theft of Egyptian relics and a missing archaeologist. Most notable today for the early appearance of a young Rita Hayworth (billed as Rita Cansino). This is generally considered to be one of the best of the Charlie Chan series. The mystery is nicely done. The Egyptian trappings provide for a nice horror-movie atmosphere. Lots of great Chan aphorisms that we all love. It's a good film for fans of old detective stories. Just be prepared to grit your teeth through the scenes involving Stepin Fetchit's character Snowshoes.

Almost One of the Best Charlie Chans

[JohnHowardReid · 9/10 · 14 July 2008]

"Waiting for tomorrow, waste of today!" and other Chan aphorisms account for just a small portion of the delightful entertainment afforded by this eleventh offering in the 47-picture series. But for one distressing lapse, it might even rank as the best. That lapse is Mr Stepin Fetchit, about whom the less said, the better. Fortunately, his role is small, although, alas, it's considerably larger than that enjoyed by the lovely Rita Hayworth who seems to have spent most of her Fox sojourn posing for charming stills. Her role in the actual movie is inconsequential although she does manage to exchange a few lines with Warner Oland. Otherwise, all she does is to hover in the background of a few scenes.

Oland, of course, is in top form, but so are the other players, and even more importantly the Robert Ellis-Helen Logan script comes across as a real winner. Although the identity of the killer will fail to stump many viewers, the puzzle is admirably contrived and the plot worked out with commendable pace, precision and power.

This is no "B" picture. The sets are stunning. Daniel Clark's noirishly atmospheric photography also deserves special mention and even the normally humdrum director, Louis King (brother of Henry King) has risen to the occasion.

Inferior Charlie Chan, it's boring

[ddave1952-609-939427 · 6/10 · 7 December 2017]

Not a good entry in the Charlie Chan, Warner Oland entries. I always liked it when Keye Luke is in the movie. He adds genuine humor being No. 1 son Lee. He is a great comic foil for his father, but he's a good detective too, slower then his pop however. Stephin Fetchit is an awful black stereotype that is not funny. His comic moments take away from the film. The plot is not hard to follow, but it's development and pace are slow beyond belief. As usual Warner Orland is the highlight of the film as Charlie Chan. But it almost seemed that Chan was bored with this mystery, and I was too. I've watched most of the Charlie Chan movies with Warner Oland, and this is the worst of them. Uninteresting characters, lame plot, unfunny, in overall it's boring. Avoid this one in the series, you aren't missing anything.

One of my least favorite films

[dbborroughs · 4/10 · 24 October 2009]

One of my least favorite Charlie Chan films seems slow and static. the film has the great detective in Egypt and getting involved in murder around an excavation. Part of the problem is that the film feels terribly set bound. I never felt that I wasn't anywhere other than in Hollywood with a cast that was just trying to be glitzy. Give Fox points for making a film that is very much A list, but take many points for what is really a dull by the book mystery. I know some people really like this film a great deal, but for me this is not one I rarely ever choose to see with any screenings always done as the result of watching a video tape where its between two other entries in the series I like. Worth seeing once for Chan fans, other wise I'd skip it.

Egyptian tomb part of a mystery.

[michaelRokeefe · 8/10 · 10 August 2010]

The honorable detective Charlie Chan(Warner Oland)finds himself at an excavation of an Egyptian tomb. Chan is working on the behalf of the French Historical Society in search of reasons why treasures from a once popular high priest is turning up in private collections. The archaeologist that made the discovery of the tomb, Professor Arnold(George Irving)has disappeared and found murdered. Arnold's family believes the crimes are part of a threatening curse. During Chan's investigation suspects are also murdered. Atmospheric mystery with some comic relief provided by the legendary Stepin Fetchit. Also in the cast: Jameson Thomas, Nigel De Brulier, Pat Paterson,Thomas Beck and a young and beautiful Rita Haworth. There is also another beauty in a minor role, Gloria Roy. This film can only boost Chan's fan base.

another good entry

[monsterlover58 · 6/10 · 25 January 2004]

Charlie Chan In Egypt is an entry that stands out for a few reasons.. It features very young Rita Hayworth {billed as Rita Cansino} It also has what probably would be a somewhat "racist" performance by Stepin Fetchit. Fetchit's character "Snowshoes" literally seems like he's on heroin throughout the film, yet is a pleasant source of "comedy relief" such as was Mantan Moreland in the later Monogram entrys..The story has a sort of horror flavor to it {Ala The Mummy} with an old egyptian tomb, death gas, lots of old relics, and all the trimmings that make for a great old "pyramid mystery".

Far from my favorite entry, It's still pretty darn good. Unfortunatly It's never been made commercially availible..so unless Fox decides to liscense It out for dvd distribution You'll have a somewhat hard time obtaining a copy..but if you can It's worth a watch!!

Influential But Problematic Film In The Chan Series

[gftbiloxi · 5/10 · 6 April 2005]

Filmed in 1935, CHARLIE CHAN IN Egypt is the eighth film in the 20th Century Fox series. It is also a pivotal film in the series--and at the same time one of the most problematic.

A French museum has funded an archaeological expedition with the clear understanding that all finds are to become property of the museum. The expedition is successful, uncovering the tomb of a high priest named Ahmeti. But when items that should be delivered to the museum begin to show up on the international market, the museum dispatches Charlie Chan... and murder is there to meet him.

Earlier Chan films were grounded in reality; no matter how odd in plot or detail, they had a certain sense of possibility. Egypt, however, introduces a note of fantasy. The exotic nature of the setting is heightened in the sets and costumes; Egyptian gods and goddesses and the findings from the tomb offer a touch of the occult as well. And the plot requires the use of two drugs that do not seem to have any real-life counterpart, most notably the marijuana-like "mapuchari." These ideas would prove extremely influential for later Chan films, and mysticism, the supernatural, the occult, and "mystery" drugs would become a common feature of many future films in the series.

At the same time, Egypt is problematic due to the presence of actor Lincoln Perry--better known to audiences by the stage name Stepin Fetchit. An African-American, Perry developed the character in the 1920s; it became an audience favorite in the 1930s, and he would play the character throughout the decade and well into the 1940s, making (and due to gambling problems, loosing) a fortune in the process. Seen today, however, Stepin Fetchit tends to leave viewers utterly aghast. The character is incredibly stereotypical: a lazy, cowardly, foot-dragging, speech-slurring, and very stupid black man.

In many respects, Stepin Fetchit is an example of "dialect comedy" that was popular in America for some one hundred years or more, and as a specific character he might be considered a holdover from the minstrel tradition, which remained popular in the United States right up until World War II. Even so, and in spite of the fact that the character was both created and performed by a black man, it was essentially racist humor, and no amount of context can ever make it wholly acceptable. There are occasional moments in the film in which Perry's artistry is very evident--but this, if anything, makes the performance all the more disconcerting.

Still, and perhaps as much because of Perry's performance as anything else, CHARLIE CHAN IN Egypt is a fascinating little film. It offers an unexpected view of what most audiences considered acceptable in 1935, it has considerable style, and it also has a very young Rita Hayworth (appearing under her real name as Rita Cansino) in the small role of an Egyptian servant. Even at this early date the director and cinematographers seemed to recognize her potential, and she is allowed more close-ups than a bit player ought to have!

Given the issues surrounding this film, I find it hard to recommend to any one other than Chan film fans. Unfortunately, even they will have a hard time finding it; it is not presently available on VHS or DVD, and accusations of racism make it particularly difficult to find on television.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Definitely From the Vault

[BaronBl00d · 4 March 2002]

The film opens with Charlie Chan flying in a plane in a close-up. He soon lands in the ancient land of Egypt where he has been sent to see what is happening with a group of British archaeologists working for the museum paying him. It seems some of the rare finds from its digs are being sold around the world whilst everything has been promised to the museum. This film was made in 1935 and is definitely somewhat creaky. Warner Oland, as always, does an admirable job as Chan. The rest of the cast is rather lacklustre, however. Stepin Fetchit plays a servant that walks real slow and mumbles incoherently. His presence in the film, apart from surely being racist and stereotyped, is suppose to be funny but is almost painful to endure. The plot is slow going as well, with some long stretches of in-action(hard to believe for a film that is just a little over an hour). The film does have some wonderful set pieces and ably created a mood for a dark, foreboding world of mummies and the like. A young servant girl is played by then starlet Rita Hayworth. Not a bad film but for me definitely a lesser installment in the Chan series.