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Reviewed by Dot Emm
After The House Without A Key, perhaps the best of the Charlie Chan books, with an excellent mystery not too much marred by coincidence, and a very human Chan.
The Young Man
Jim Bradshaw - he's a publicity writer for the Tourist Board, and knows Chan is going to be in the spotlight on this case
The Young Woman
Julie O'Neill - secretary to Shelah Fane, she hides a secret of her own.
The Victim
Shelah Fane - actress. Her beauty is fading, and so is her career. Why does she refuse to marry the millionaire who loves her?
The Suspects
Tarneverro - a fortunte teller, he wields tremendous power over the women of Hollywood
Alan Jaynes - a wealthy owner of diamond mines in South Africa, he is not used to being refused
Diana Dixon - actress, and all actresses play roles on or off the stage
Val Martino - the director of Shelah's latest picture
Huntley Van Horn - Shelah's leading man, in the picture. Did he wish it in real life as well?
Rita Ballou - an ex-actress, the riches her husband provide her don't make her happy
Wilkie Ballou - owner of a sugar plantation, and jealous of his wife
Bob Fyfe - Shelah Fane's first and only husband. She used him until her career took off, and then cast him aside.
The Servants
Anna - Shelah's maid.
Jessop - Shelah's butler. He doesn't like Julie O'Neill.
Wu Kno-ching - Shelah's Chinese cook. He does not have the patience one would expect from him.
The Police
Inspector Charlie Chan
Kashimo - his incompetent Japanese assistant
| Opening lines
The Pacific is the loneliest of oceans, and travellers across that rolling desert begin to feel that their ship is lost in an eternity of sky and water. But if they are journeying from the atolls of the South Seas to the California coast, they come quite suddenly upon a half-way house. So those aboard the Oceanic had come upon it shortly after dawn this silent July morning. Brown misty peaks rose from the ocean floor, incredible, unreal. But they grew more probable with each momentt of approach, until finally the watchers at the rail were thrilled to distinguish the bright green island of Oahu, streaked with darker folds where lurk the valley rains.
The Oceanic swung about to the channel entrance. There stood Diamond Head, like a great lion - if you want the time-worn simile - crouched to spring. A crouching lion, yes; the figure is plausible up to that point; but as for springing - well, there has never been the slightest chance of that. Diamond Head is a kamaaina of the islands, and has long ago sensed the futility of acting on impulse - of acting, as a matter of fact, at all.
A woman traveler stood by the starboard rail on the boat deck, gazing at the curved beach of Waikiki and, up ahead, the white walls of Honolulu half hidden in the foliage beyond the Aloha Tower. A handsome woman in her early thirties, she had been a source of unending interest to her fellow passengers throughout that hot momontonous voyage from Tahiti. No matter in what remote corner of the world you have been hiding, you would have recognized her at once, for she was Shelah Fane of the pictures, and hers was a fame equal to that of any president or king.
''A great piece of property,'' film salesmen had called her for eight years or more, but now they had begun to shake their heads. ''Not so good. She's slipping.'' Golden lads and lasses must, like chimney-sweeper,s come to dust, which is something the film stars think about when they can not sleep at nights. Shelah had not been sleeping well of late, and her eyes, as they rested on peaceful Tantalus with its halo of fleecy cloud, were sad and a little wistful.
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After spending several weeks on location in Tahiti making a film, Shelah Fane and crew are returning to Hawaii where they will finish the film, and where Shelah will take a much needed vacation. Alan Jaynes, a millionaire, wants her to take a permanent vacation, and marry him. He wants her answer before he has to sail on the boat when it continues its journey at midnight.
Waiting for Shelah at the dock are her secretary, Julie O'Neill, and the powerful Hollywood fortune teller Tarneverro, who has journeyed to Hawaii at her request. But her need is much more than to ask him if she should marry Alan Jaynes. Three years ago, she was involved in the mystery of the unsolved murder of actor Denny Mayo....Tarneverro stares at her with hypnotic eyes: ''Shall I tell you - or will you tell me?''
Tarneverro has met Charlie Chan and requests that police officer to hold himself ready. ''I may call you tonight with important news about an unsolved crime.'' But when they journey together to the home of Shelah Fane, it's in the hope of solving a new crime - Shelah Fane has been murdered, stabbed through the heart.
Tarneverro feels himself responsible.
| ''This morning, you spoke of Denny Mayo, who was found dead in his home in Los Angeles some three years ago. The police have been at sea on the case from the start. But Shelah Fane - she knew who murdered Denny Mayo. She was in Mayo's house, paying a harmless call, on the night of the murder. The door-bell rang, and she foolishly hid in another room. She saw the thing done. All this she confessed to me this morning. What is more, she told me that Denny Mayo's murderer is at this moment in Honolulu.''
Chan's eyes gleamed in the dark. ''She told you his name?''
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No, of course she didn't. She was going to tell him, that night, but now she is dead.
This case becomes personal to Charlie, very quickly. Shelah Fane had left a letter to be given to Tarneverro, but before Charlie can read it the lights go out, he is struck on the cheek, and the letter stolen. Charlie feels that he has lost face. Moreover, the millionaires in the room don't like being told what to do by a Chinese.
| ''Mr. Ballou, yours is a familiar face, so I will start in your vicinity. Will you kindly state position in this house of yourself and Mrs. Ballou?''
The millionaire looked at him with all the arrogance of the white man who has lived for a long time among what he considers inferior races. ''Why should I do that?'' he inquired carelessly.
''Murder has been committed,'' replied Charlie sternly. ''I recognize your high position on this island, but you are not above question. Will you deign to reply, please?''
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Even the British butler feels himself superior.
| ''I was engaged with my duties, sir, in the dining room and kitchen. I may add that it has been a rather trying evening, in my department. The Chinese cook has exhibited all the worst qualities of a heathen race - I'm sure I beg your pardon.''
''A heathen race,'' repeated Charlie gravely, ''that was busy inventing the art of printing at moment when gentlemen in Great Britain were still beating one another over head with spiked clubs. Pray excuse this brief reference to history. The cook has been in uproar?''
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But finally Charlie takes command:
| ''An outrage!'' cried Ballou. ''I'll have your badge for this!''
Charlie rewarded him with a maddening smile. ''That may happen - tomorrow. But looking only at tonight, I am placed in charge of this case, and I say - you will remain here until I tell you to depart.''
Jaynes pushed forward. ''I have important business on the mainland, and I intend to sail at midnight. It is now long past ten. I warn you that you must call out your entire force if you propose to keep me here-''
''That can also be done,'' Charlie said amiably.
''Good lord!'' The Britisher looked helplessly at Wilkie Ballou. ''What kind of place is this? Why don't they send a white man out here?''
A rare light flared suddenly in Chyarlie's eyes. ''The man who is about to cross a stream should not revile the crocodile's mother.'' he said in icy tones.
''What do you mean by that?'' Jaynes asked.
''I mean you are not yet safely on farther bank.''
''You know damn well I've got an alibi!'' cried the Britisher angrily.
Chn's little eyes surveyed him from head to foot. ''I am not so sure I do,'' he remarked calmly.
''You yourself said you had fixed the time of this affair-''
''How sad,'' cut in Charlie, ''that we pass through this life, making so many errors as we go. Me, I am stupid blunderer. Your alibi, Mr. Jaynes, has been punctured like bubble with a pin.''
''What!'' cried Jaynes.
Van Horn and Martino stirred with sudden interest.
''Back off and cool down,'' Chan continued. And accepting my advice, speak no more of alibis. You have already said too much.''
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Author Earl Derr Biggers knows quite a bit about Hollywood. He'd written a film novelization (Love Insurance, 1915), his short story ''Idle Hands'' had been made into a 1922 movie called The Ruling Passion starring George Arliss, and his spectacularly successful book cum play Seven Keys to Baldpate had first been made into a movie in 1926. The House Without A Key had been made into a movie only a year after its publication in book form, and each of the succeeding books also achieved that honor.
In The Black Camel, Biggers pretty much skewers the film industry. When the director of Shelah Fane's latest picture hears the news of her murder, his reaction is quite casual:
| ''Too bad,'' he said evenly. He was thoughtful. ''Well, there goes six months hard work. That picture's ruined. I'll never find anyone to double for her, I've tried it-''
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Charlie Chan also has an opportunity to show his most human side:
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On the wrong trail, eh? He hadn't cared for the way in which Hettick had said that. The men at the station had been in a rather unfriendly mood since Charlie's return from the mainland. They had expected to find him in a haughty and triumphant state of mind since his exploits there, and the fact that he had shown no trace whatever of such an attitude, had done nothing to lessen their envy. He had been forced to endure many joking remarks that held an undercurrent of hostilty.
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And as the eldest of his many children clamor at him to solve the murder of this film star:
| He went out and got into his car, and as he drove down the hill he though about his children. He had always been proud of the fact that they were all American citizens. But, perhaps because of this very fact, they seemed to be growing away from him - the gulf widened daily. They made no effort to remember the precepts and the odes; they spoke the English language in a manner that grated on Charlie's sensitive ear.
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A highly recommended journey into the past.
Explanation of title: ''Death is the black camel that kneels unbid at every gate,'' states Charlie Chan when he hears the news of the death of Shelah Fane.
Go to next book review in series, Charlie Chan Carries On, 1930
This review uploaded January 5, 2003.
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