"Charlie Chan" (Warner Oland) is about to take his extended family to the circus when he is co-opted into an investigation into some threatening letters being received by the owner. Before he can get his feet under the desk, though, his client is bumped off and he must now find a murderer amongst the company (and their beasties). It's a better story, this one - plenty going on; some interesting characters and quite a bit of pace to aid the manhunt. Son "Lee" (Keye Luke) features too, rather amusingly fascinated by the glamorous contortionist and the cigar smoking miniature couple of George Brasno ("Tim") and his wife Olive ("Tiny") add some lively charm to the thing too. The conclusion is oddly unsurprising, but still quite clever. It is also quite interesting to reflect , as we watch this, that there was a time when the visiting circus was must-see family entertainment with a whole, and curious, gamut of acts and animals that survived hand-to-mouth whilst enthralling large crowds with their lion taming and high acrobatics.
