As a young man, I enjoyed watching old Charlie Chan movies on TV. There were 44 Chan films produced from 1931 to 1949, starring three different actors as Chan: Warner Oland (16 films from 1931 to 1937), Sidney Toler (22 films from 1939 to 1946), Roland Winters (6 films from 1947 to 1949). Years later I received a set of most of the Chan films on DVD as a Christmas present.

Objectively, these aren’t great films, but considering the technology of the time, they hold up pretty well, and I enjoy them. Here are my top 10 favorites, listed by year.

1. The Black Camel (1931) – This is the earliest surviving Chan film. Hollywood star Shelah Fane is filming a movie in Honolulu. She is thinking about marrying rich Alan Jaynes and consults a psychic (played by Bela Lugosi who also starred as Dracula in 1931). Shelah is murdered. Later an artist is murdered. Chan (Oland) eventually discovers that the butler did it — along with the maid. Very complicated plot. Some nice scenes in old Honolulu, where I lived a few decades later, from 1984 to 1997.

2. Charlie Chan in Egypt (1935) – Chan (Oland) goes to Egypt to investigate valuable relics that have been stolen from Professor Arnold’s archeological dig. The players/suspects are Arnold’s daughter Carol, son Barry, brother-in-law Professor Thurston, assistant Tom Evans, medical Dr. Racine, and pharmacist Daoud Atrash. Chan discovers Professor Arnold’s body in a mummy’s casket. Son Barry is killed by a diabolical booby-trapped violin. Chan deduces that Professor Arnold is the murderer.

3. Charlie Chan in Shanghai (1935) – Chan (Oland) and Number One Son Lee travel to Shanghai to investigate opium smuggling. There are a lot of people involved and they’re all suspicious in some way: dashing Philip Nash, his fiancee beautiful Diana Woodland, her father distinguished Sir Stanley Woodland, American FBI agent James Andrews, Andrews’ valet Forrest, and police commissioner Colonel Watkins. At a banquet, Sir Woodland is shot and killed by a diabolical booby-trapped box. In the end, it turns out that FBI agent Andrews is an imposter and part of the opium smuggling gang.

4. Charlie Chan at the Olympics (1937) – Chan (Oland) is investigating the theft of a military device. He learns the unknown thief is headed to Berlin just before the (actual) 1936 Olympics. Chan’s, son Lee who is a member of the U.S. swimming team, and a lot of suspects board a passenger ship and the Hindenberg dirigible and head to Germany. Suspects include Hopkins (the invention’s financial backer), Cartwright (the inventor), Dick Master (U.S. pole vaulter), sultry Yvonne Roland, arms dealer Arthur Hughes, Master’s girlfriend Betty, and diplomat Charles Zaraka. In Berlin, son Lee is kidnapped. Chan uncovers the truth that inventor Cartwright is the villain and saves Lee from death in the nick of time. Movie goers of the time could not have realized that the insane horrors of World War II were just months away.

5. Charlie Chan in Honolulu (1939) – As Chan (Toler) is headed to the hospital for the birth of his first grandchild, he is diverted to investigate a murder on a passenger-freighter ship that has just docked in Honolulu. Number Two Son Jimmy and Number Three Son Tommy sneak on board the ship to investigate. Jimmy is mistaken for the elder Chan. Suspects include Captain Johnson, passenger Judy Hayes, animal keeper Al Hogan, passenger Mrs. Wayne, psychiatrist Dr. Cardigan, criminal in custody Johnny McCoy, police detective Joe Arnold, and first mate George Randolph. Mrs. Wayne is murdered. Chan discovers that detective Arnold is an imposter who is helping McCoy escape but that the murderer is Captain Johnson who is after stolen money.

6. Charlie Chan in Panama (1940) – Chan (Toler) is undercover at the Panama Canal, a prime target for saboteurs. Son Number Two Jimmy helps Chan. A large group of suspects include spinster Miss Finch, U.S. Captain Lewis, U.S. intelligence agent Godley, author Clivedon Compton, suspicious scientist Rudolph Grosser, nightclub owner Emil Manolo, singer Kathi Lenesch, store owner Achmed Halide, and engineer Richard Cabot. Compton is murdered, then Manolo is murdered. Two nights later, all are trapped in a building at the locks, held hostage by Chan! He had deduced that huge explosives are set to go off at 10:00 at night to destroy the canal. To avoid the explosion, the saboteur, reveals herself to be the unlikely Miss Finch (but Chan had disabled the bomb). Again, viewers couldn’t have guessed that the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor just weeks after the move was released, propelling the U.S. entry into World War II, leading to the deaths of over 400,000 U.S. servicemen. Terrifying history.

7. Charlie Chan’s Murder Cruise (1940) – Chan (Toler) investigates the murder of visiting Scotland Yard inspector Duff in Honolulu. Duff was set to investigate an unknown murderer who is on board an around-the-world cruise. Chan boards the ship. Suspects include tour organizer Dr. Suderman, murder victim Kenyon’s nephew Dick, passenger Suzie Watson, secretary Paula Drake, playboy Frederick Ross, archeologist Professor Gordon, nervous Gerald Pendleton, and religious Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Walters. Pendleton is murdered. Chan deduces that playboy Ross is the murderer, but then Ross is murdered. In the end, Chan unmasks Professor Gordon as an imposter and the murderer, and determines that Ross was his unwilling accomplice.

8. Dead Men Tell (1941) – Chan (Toler) is called to a ship that is preparing to leave for the South Pacific to search for treasure. The group includes Captain Kane, sponsor old Miss Patience Nodbury, financial backer Steve Daniels, Chan’s son Jimmy, journalist Bill Lydig, coin collector Jed Thomasson, typist Kate Ransome, psychologist Dr. Anne Bonney, her patient Gene La Farge, and newlyweds Charles and Laura Thursday. Nodbury, who had the treasure map, is murdered. Then Lydig is murdered. Chan reveals that coin collector Thomasson is the murderer.

9. Charlie Chan in the Secret Service (1944) – At the height of World War II, Chan (Toler) is working for the Secret Service in Washington DC, and is investigating the murder of a scientist. A large group of people/suspects include Chan’s Number Three Son Tommy, Chan’s Number Two daughter Iris, police Sgt. Billings, Secret Service agents Jones and Lewis, socialite Mrs. Winters, her chauffeur Birmingham Brown, importer Louis Vega, his valet Peter Laska, exotic Inez Aranto, her wheelchair-bound brother Paul Aranto, annoying politician David Blake, and housekeeper Mrs. Hargue. Chan suspects Vega but Vega is murdered. Chan deduces socialite Mrs. Winters is actually a German spy who killed the scientist and also her partner Vega.

10. The Sky Dragon (1949) – Chan (Winters) and Number One Son Lee, are passengers aboard a commercial airliner. On board are pilots Tim Norton and Don Blake, couriers Ben Edwards and Ed Davidson, stewardesses Marie Burke and Jane Marshall, small-time criminal Andy Barrett, exotic dancer Wanda LaFern (great name!), and insurance inspector John Anderson. En route, everyone on board the plane is drugged unconscious, Courier Davidson is murdered, and $250,000 is missing. Later, after landing, Chan recreates the flight and unmasks insurance agent Anderson and stewardess Marie Burke as the culprits. Stewardess Jane Marshall is played by actress Noel Neill who later became famous by playing Lois Lane in the Superman TV show, from 1953-1958.