STATE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 208, 30 May 1936, Page 4

STATE THEATRE

“Charlie Chan at the Circus” “Charlie Chan,” the clever Chinese master detective, created by the pen of Earl Derr Biggers, has become almost as world renowned as Dr. Conan Doyle’s “Sherlock Holmes.” .That great actor, Warner Oland, has been responsible for “Charlie Chan” becoming so popular with moving-picture fans throughout the world, and he has never been seen to better advantage than in “Charlie Chan at the Circus,” which was introduced to the Wellington public at the State Theatre yesterday. In this thrilling mystery drama, Walter Oland appears as the friend of the proprietor of a big circus. And it is a big circus, as the complete resources of one of America’s biggest circuses, the Al. G. Barnes’s organisation, was drafted by 20th Century-Fox for the film. It is Charlie Chan's task to track down the mysterious killer of the circus proprietor, and the manner in which the clever Chinese sleuth at last unmasks the villain who has terrorised the whole circus company for months makes a gripping story. With few clues to work upon, and continuous attempts upon his life hindering his progress on the* case, Chan slowly weaves a web of evidence around the suspected party. To the amazement of the police and the circus performers, Chan uses one of the victims of the murderer as a decoy, and cleverly traps the suspected person into revealing his true identity. The solution of the crime brings happiness to the large circus Jroupe, who had been for long terrorised by the unknown criminal. The thrilling story is worked out during the performance of a large circus, which provides a first-class performance in itself. The killer makes use of a giant ape and a huge snake in his nefarious designs, and elephants, camels, lions, an<l tigers move across the screen. Warner Oland is nt his best as Charlie Chan, ami splend'd acting is done by the midgets, George and Olive Brasno, who prove •nemse'vcs accomplished comedians. The s’’ong supporting cast also includes Keys Luke, Francis Ford. Maxine Reinee. John McGuire, and Paul Stanton.