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Comedy thriller

Charlie Chan in Panama (1940): Cast & Plot

Charlie Chan in Panama (1940) movie poster

Charlie Chan in Panama is a 1940 comedy thriller directed by Norman Foster, starring Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan, Victor Sen Yung and Lionel Atwill. It runs 1 hour 6 minutes.

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Read the plot summary
Charlie Chan in Panama (1940) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 6m (66 min)
Director
Norman Foster
Genres
Comedy , Thriller , Crime , Mystery
Original language
English
Studio
20th Century Fox
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Charlie Chan in Panama About?

The premise of Charlie Chan in Panama without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

When a Navy fleet risks being stranded after Atlantic maneuvers, Charlie Chan assumes the identity of a U.S. government employee to uncover and stop an espionage scheme aimed at blowing up a section of the Panama Canal. His clever ruse prevents the canal’s destruction and saves the ships bound for the Pacific.

Charlie Chan in Panama Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • nitroglycerin
  • charlie chan character
  • four word title
  • 1940s
  • man in a bathtub
  • panama canal zone
  • hiding under bed
  • man wears a fez
  • rat
  • animal in a cage
  • man in a bath
  • diving into the ocean
+38 more
  • female singer
  • man wears a white suit
  • battleship launchs a seaplane
  • floor show
  • consolidated pby catalina
  • math teacher
  • poisoned cigarette
  • bare chested male
  • naval fleet
  • ballistics match
  • hand drawn map
  • falling down stairs
  • dead body in a closet
  • phone line cut
  • eaves dropping
  • discovering a dead body
  • time bomb
  • locked in a mausoleum
  • bound and gagged
  • jar of tobacco
  • canal lock
  • nitroglycerine
  • cemetery
  • caucasian actor plays an asian character
  • panama canal
  • saboteur
  • panama
  • espionage
  • tomb
  • laboratory
  • cabaret
  • monkey
  • cigarette smoking
  • poison
  • father son relationship
  • tobacconist
  • spy
  • sabotage
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Cast & crew

Charlie Chan in Panama Cast & Characters

Sidney Toler leads the cast as Charlie Chan, with Victor Sen Yung as Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung) and Lionel Atwill as Cliveden Compton. Directed by Norman Foster; 33 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Charlie Chan in Panama

· 29 more
Show all 33 cast members
From the director

More from Norman Foster

More films directed by Norman Foster: The Deathhead Virgin, The Green Hornet, Brighty of the Grand Canyon and Indian Paint.

Full filmography
Plot

Charlie Chan in Panama Plot Summary

What happens in Charlie Chan in Panama from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 10 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Charlie Chan, Sidney Toler, is drawn into a tense race in Panama City as a shadowy spy named Reiner plans to sabotage the Panama Canal and strand a Navy fleet moving toward the Pacific after maneuvers in the Atlantic. The looming danger rises as a seaplane bound for Balboa drops off a fresh wave of suspects, including novelist Cliveden Compton, [Lionel Atwill], Miss Sarah Finch, [Mary Nash], Dr. Rudolph Grosser, [Lionel Royce], Manolo, [Jack La Rue], Kathi Lenesch, [Jean Rogers], Achmed Halide, [Frank Puglia], Richard Cabot, [Kane Richmond], and government agent Godley, [Addison Richards]. The stage is set for a high-stakes confrontation in a city brimming with secrets.

Full summary

The whole story of Charlie Chan in Panama, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Charlie Chan in Panama?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which actor portrayed Charlie Chan in this 1940 film?
Cars

Cars in Charlie Chan in Panama

3 cars on screen, including the unknown and the unknown.

  • unknown in Charlie Chan in Panama unknown Minor role
  • unknown in Charlie Chan in Panama unknown Minor role
  • unknown in Charlie Chan in Panama unknown Background role
Details

Charlie Chan in Panama Also Known As

5 alternative titles, including “Charlie Chan au Panama” and “Charlie Chan a Panama”.

Also known as
  • Charlie Chan au Panama
  • Charlie Chan a Panama
  • 陈查理在巴拿马
  • Charlie Chan no Panamá
  • Чарли Чен в Панаме

Seen Charlie Chan in Panama?
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Movies Like Charlie Chan in Panama

Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Charlie Chan in the Secret Service, Charlie Chan in Honolulu and Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat.

FAQ

Charlie Chan in Panama FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Charlie Chan in Panama, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Charlie Chan in Panama?

Charlie Chan in Panama runs 1 hour 6 minutes (66 minutes).

When was Charlie Chan in Panama released?

Charlie Chan in Panama was released on March 1, 1940.

Who directed Charlie Chan in Panama?

Charlie Chan in Panama was directed by Norman Foster.

More films by Norman Foster

Who is in the cast of Charlie Chan in Panama?

Charlie Chan in Panama stars Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan, Victor Sen Yung as Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung) and Lionel Atwill as Cliveden Compton, among 33 credited actors.

Does Charlie Chan in Panama have a post-credit scene?

No. Charlie Chan in Panama has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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