Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat

The second and best of director Phil Rosen's six Charlie Chan pictures has more than a whiff of The Maltese Falcon about it, as the key to the case lies in a prized statue. Aided again by "Number Three Son", Benson Fong, Sidney Toler uncovers the dealings of a diamond smuggling racket, whose ringleader should be readily apparent, despite the deliberately obfuscating pace. However, the involvement of a gloved criminologist (whose book on a dormant murder initiates a killing spree) and a pair of identical twins residing in a fun-house at the end of a pier gives the story a unique twist.