Directed by: Gordon Wiles

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) investigates the strange death of a would-be heir who disappears during an ocean voyage.

Kitty Cameo: Much of the action takes place in a small, bizarre house built outside the mansion of the family whose fortune the murder victim claimed was their rightful inheritance. In one scene a young couple meet at the house and hear a loud crash from another room. When they investigate they find a black cat has knocked over a vase. The girl calls the cat by his name, Lucifer.

Later the nervous butler named Baxter (Herbert Mundin) is ordered to stay in the house with Chan. As he picks up some suitcases and sets them down, Lucifer hisses at him and then runs away.

At the end of the film, the killer is revealed and pulls a gun on everyone. Baxter backs away and accidentally steps on Lucifer, causing the cat to screech and run which distracts the killer. Fortunately it doesn’t appear that the actor actually stepped on the cat directly.

Final Mewsings: Cats would appreciate it if people would look where they’re going!

Many thanks to Nick Wale for letting us know about the cat in this film!

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