Black Magic

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Frances Chan, Mantan Moreland, and Sidney Toler in Black Magic (1944)

Charlie searches for a murderer amidst numerous ghosts conjured up by a strange variety of spiritualists and occultists.Charlie searches for a murderer amidst numerous ghosts conjured up by a strange variety of spiritualists and occultists.Charlie searches for a murderer amidst numerous ghosts conjured up by a strange variety of spiritualists and occultists.

Director
- Phil Rosen
Writers
- Earl Derr Biggers
- George Callahan
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

1.6K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Phil Rosen
Writers
- Earl Derr Biggers
- George Callahan
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos5

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Although Charlie Chan's daughters appeared with him in previous films (including Charlie Chan in Honolulu (1938) and Charlie Chan at the Circus (1936)), this is the only film in which a daughter (Frances) plays the assistant role usually filled by one of Chan's sons (Lee, Jimmy or Tommy).

Goofs
When Charlie first declares himself psychic to Sgt. Matthews, we can see the pole held by a stagehand that makes a white handkerchief flutter over Charlie's head.

Quotes
Police Sgt. Matthews: Charlie, about that bullet?
Charlie Chan: You can keep secret?
Police Sgt. Matthews: Of course!
Charlie Chan: So can I.

Connections
Edited into Who Dunit Theater: Charlie Chan Black Magic (2021)

User reviews44

Review

Featured review

6/10

More Comedy Than Mystery

This late-entry Charlie Chan movie gets marks simply for the entertainment, not for a deep-thinking suspenseful "whodunnit." It's just fun to watch with an always-smiling daughter (played by Frances Chen) replacing number-whatever-son and the eyes-popping-out-of-the-head Mantan Moreland adding humor, although of his humor is a bit stupid (and insulting to black folks, I'm sure). However, Moreland is a likable guy so it's hard to get annoyed at his silliness.

The story is a familiar one of the day, about the occult (seances) and, thankfully, another that exposes the mediums as crooks.

These Sidney Toler-Mantan Moreland collaborations, as opposed to the early Warner Oland/Charlie Chan movies, replied more on comedy and gimmicks rather than brains, and once you accept that, you just go along with an entertaining hour of lamebrain fun, especially when Chan starts to put people down with his sarcasm.