Prior to having his cover blown midway through the film by overzealous Number #2 Son Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung), Sidney Toler masquerades as Panama Hat shop owner Fu Yuen, approached by U.S. government agent Godley (Addison Richards) on the trail of an enigmatic spy known only as Ryner. When Godley dies in Fu Yuen/Chan's hat shop after inhaling a poisoned cigarette, the stage is set for a fairly entertaining mystery, more of an espionage thriller than a murder who-done-it, although the body count does reach three before it's all over.
Lionel Atwill provides an enigmatic presence as English novelist Cliveden Compton, though I feel he was better suited to portray Dr. Rudolph Grosser (Lionel Royce), a Viennese scientist and expert on tropical diseases and plague, who is later discovered by son Jimmy to be harboring "Twenty Rats Bubonic Infected 7/12". Compton becomes victim number two in the story, shot by the same gun that the murderer intended to use on Chan himself until Jimmy's baseball throwing right arm properly found it's mark.
The colorful cast also includes cabaret owner Manolo (Jack La Rue), Chicago school teacher Miss Finch (Mary Nash), cabaret singer with a secret Kathi Lenesch (Jean Rogers), and Richard Cabot (Kane Richmond), superintendent for the Miraflores Power Contol.
With the clock ticking, Chan and son are pressured to locate an explosive device that threatens the Panama Canal Zone planted by agent Ryner. The hunt eventually brings them to a cemetery and tomb of the still very much alive Egyptian tobacco shop owner Achmed Halide (Frank Puglia). In a clever ruse, agent Ryner still under wraps, has the Chan party and himself (herself?) trapped in the tomb while accomplice Manolo plants the device right in the Power Control complex. Shortly after, Chan does a little trapping of his own, as he seals the suspects in the same room with the bomb, until Ryner identifies himself (herself?) attempting to get away.
Charlie Chan in Panama rates highly in the Chan series with it's exotic locale, lush sets and atmospheric scenes. Though some of the story aspects are retreads we've seen before and after (handgun appears from behind a screen, lights out scene to cover confusion), it's still done well enough to be entertaining. And the payoff is just clever enough without seeming forced, the revelation of agent Ryner who gives away his (her?) identity with one word - "nitroglycerine".
Lionel Atwill provides an enigmatic presence as English novelist Cliveden Compton, though I feel he was better suited to portray Dr. Rudolph Grosser (Lionel Royce), a Viennese scientist and expert on tropical diseases and plague, who is later discovered by son Jimmy to be harboring "Twenty Rats Bubonic Infected 7/12". Compton becomes victim number two in the story, shot by the same gun that the murderer intended to use on Chan himself until Jimmy's baseball throwing right arm properly found it's mark.
The colorful cast also includes cabaret owner Manolo (Jack La Rue), Chicago school teacher Miss Finch (Mary Nash), cabaret singer with a secret Kathi Lenesch (Jean Rogers), and Richard Cabot (Kane Richmond), superintendent for the Miraflores Power Contol.
With the clock ticking, Chan and son are pressured to locate an explosive device that threatens the Panama Canal Zone planted by agent Ryner. The hunt eventually brings them to a cemetery and tomb of the still very much alive Egyptian tobacco shop owner Achmed Halide (Frank Puglia). In a clever ruse, agent Ryner still under wraps, has the Chan party and himself (herself?) trapped in the tomb while accomplice Manolo plants the device right in the Power Control complex. Shortly after, Chan does a little trapping of his own, as he seals the suspects in the same room with the bomb, until Ryner identifies himself (herself?) attempting to get away.
Charlie Chan in Panama rates highly in the Chan series with it's exotic locale, lush sets and atmospheric scenes. Though some of the story aspects are retreads we've seen before and after (handgun appears from behind a screen, lights out scene to cover confusion), it's still done well enough to be entertaining. And the payoff is just clever enough without seeming forced, the revelation of agent Ryner who gives away his (her?) identity with one word - "nitroglycerine".