"Charlie Chan at the Opera" is one of the best of the Charlie Chan series. The 1936 film starred Warner Oland as Chan, Boris Karloff as Gravelle, and Keye Luke as Lee Chan. For this film, Oscar Levant wrote a short opera, "Carnival." It's a very "Phantom of the Opera" type story, with Karloff playing a baritone who 7 years previously was locked in the opera house while it was on fire, in an attempt to kill him by his wife, Lili Rochelle, and her lover, Barelli (Gregory Gaye). He survives, but with amnesia, and is sent to a mental hospital. He is, however, believed dead.
One day he sees a newspaper article about Lili (Margaret Irving) singing in town and some of his memory returns. He escapes and goes to the opera house, intending to get revenge. He overpowers Barelli and puts on his costume, which includes a mask. Later, both Lili and Barelli are found stabbed...it's up to Chan to find out if Gravelle is truly the killer.
The sets for this film were originally used for the Tyrone Power-Loretta Young film "Cafe Metropole," and the costume worn by Gravelle was worn by Lawrence Tibbett in the film "Metropolitan." The question came up as to whether Karloff, who could sing, was actually dubbed as it is claimed, or whether he did his own singing. Someone on the board made the point, since he could sing, why go and pay someone to dub? Well, put it this way - Dana Andrews was trained as an opera singer and doesn't do his own singing in State Fair.
Karloff was most definitely dubbed - he may have been a good baritone but the dubbed voice was a dramatic operatic baritone. If Karloff could have sung like that, he would have been an opera singer.
Really fun and enjoyable, with the wise-cracking William Demarest giving good support. Oland was a delightful Charlie Chan, full of energy and a twinkle in his eye. Highly recommended.
One day he sees a newspaper article about Lili (Margaret Irving) singing in town and some of his memory returns. He escapes and goes to the opera house, intending to get revenge. He overpowers Barelli and puts on his costume, which includes a mask. Later, both Lili and Barelli are found stabbed...it's up to Chan to find out if Gravelle is truly the killer.
The sets for this film were originally used for the Tyrone Power-Loretta Young film "Cafe Metropole," and the costume worn by Gravelle was worn by Lawrence Tibbett in the film "Metropolitan." The question came up as to whether Karloff, who could sing, was actually dubbed as it is claimed, or whether he did his own singing. Someone on the board made the point, since he could sing, why go and pay someone to dub? Well, put it this way - Dana Andrews was trained as an opera singer and doesn't do his own singing in State Fair.
Karloff was most definitely dubbed - he may have been a good baritone but the dubbed voice was a dramatic operatic baritone. If Karloff could have sung like that, he would have been an opera singer.
Really fun and enjoyable, with the wise-cracking William Demarest giving good support. Oland was a delightful Charlie Chan, full of energy and a twinkle in his eye. Highly recommended.