(by mlraymond on 15 December 2007)

A marvelously spooky beginning, with a shadowy figure in black, stealthily approaching a mansion in the fog, sets the tone for this odd, but entertaining Charlie Chan adventure. A secretive butler, a sarcastic lab assistant, various disgruntled relatives, and unknown suspects are all candidates for the murder of a scientist working on a secret formula for the war effort.
Charlie is called in to investigate and finds himself in a house full of strange devices and stranger characters. Well meaning assistance is provided by nervous chauffeur Birmingham and son Eddie Chan, the formal, intellectual member of the family. The slow talking but sharp witted Sheriff Mack is played delightfully by well known character actor Alan Bridge, who engages in friendly banter with Charlie and is only too glad to let him do most of the investigating.
There are some clever twists and unexpected angles that make the increasingly improbable story a lot of fun, even if it gets a little far fetched at the end.The film is no masterpiece, but is thoroughly entertaining, with a kind of naive charm so often found in old movies.