The Trap (1946)
Overview
When a troupe of showgirls with their impresario and press agent vacation at a Malibu Beach resort, two of them are garroted. Charlie takes on the case assisted by Number Two Son Jimmy and faithful chauffeur Birmingham Brown.
Cast
Sidney Toler
Charlie Chan
Mantan Moreland
Birmingham Brown
Victor Sen Yung
Jimmy Chan
Tanis Chandler
Adelaide Brandt
Larry J. Blake
Rick Daniels
Kirk Alyn
Sgt. Reynolds
Anne Nagel
Marcia
Helen Gerald
Ruby
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CinemaSerf
A rather underwhelming outing for Sidney Toler as our famous sleuth tying to get to the bottom of a series of grisly murders at a Malibu beach house. Ably, sometimes comically, aided by number two son "Jimmy" and stalwart chauffeur "Birmingham Brown" he investigates amongst a troupe of, frankly annoying, scantily clad showgirls who spend much of their time screaming and/or giggling hysterically. The performances are staged to within an inch of their lives; the script though speedily delivered is stilted and the photography seems confused between detective yarn and B-movie beauty pageant. By this stage, the 71 year old star was struggling with intestinal cancer - he visibly struggles at times and perhaps that excuses the rather amateur finish of this production.
