Charlie Chan in Dark Alibi

This was actually pretty serviceable in a strange way. Short and legitimately amusing. Toler is really kind of grotesque in the way he plays Chan, but much better are the scenes with his son and chauffeur.

A good study in the Chan family dynamics, and a surprisingly good mystery with a lot of twists with some great comic relief. Yes, we get a scene where Birmingham freaks out because of skeletons, but it's handled with a lot more panache than usual, as well as a few scenes with a truly funny conversation that goes nowhere and everywhere at the same time. I'm also thrilled to finally see that 'cute white couple in trouble' trope these films hide in the background subverted for once.

Been a while since I saw a Charlie Chan mystery and I was more than pleased with Dark Alibi (1946). Along with getting a half-decent mystery, we get bits from Mantan Moreland & Ben Carter's vaudeville shtick, with Chan's current son, Benson Fong, which number I don't know, joining in on with some fun slapstick. That they are in prison with a bunch of dubious characters help the setting making this one of my favorite Monogram Chan's