Fortunately, director Harry Lachman's interest in the Charlie Chan series was revived by "Dead Men Tell". Lachman had considerable input into designing the elaborate sets. Alas, although his work is wonderfully eerie, not a great deal of it is actually visible on the screen because, when actual filming began, he encouraged photographer Charles G. Clarke to shoot the picture mostly with spooky close-ups. However, it must be admitted that this ploy is highly successful and that all the players acquit themselves well.In fact, there are fans who regard this entry with all its noir effects and intriguing plot, as actually the very best of the whole series.

Directed by Harry Lachman this is another entry in the Sidney Toler series of Charlie Chan films concerning a divided treasure map, a planned trip to a remote island, a ghost of a pirate and a couple of murders solved of course by Charlie Chan with the doubtful help of his number two son, Jimmy. The story is not much really, the usual red herrings, but it satisfies. What is really good are the excellent detailed sets and the atmospheric black and white photography. Some of the framing is gorgeous to look at, thanks to Charles G. Clarke, cinematographer. Sidney Toler is fine as always as the quotable Chan and Sen Yung as son Jimmy has an active time in support. The running gag of him falling into water amused me. The rest of the cast are adequate. It does definitely benefit from having the easily recognisable Milton Parsons as Gene LaFarge, whose unique voice and features add greatly to the entertainment.Another solid movie in the series.

A ship is going on a trip to find a treasure. A lady had a treasure map, cut it in four pieces and sent them to 3 different people invited to this treasure hunt trip. Later she dies on the ship frightened to death by someone she thinks is from the pirates curse. Chan's son sneaks on the boat he wants to go on this treasure hunt. Later his father comes looking for him. Chan's son is supposed to call the police about the death of the woman on the ship,he tells a reporter to do it who does not.He then goes into a bar looking for someone with a wooden leg and trips over a guy with a wooden leg. Chan's son is so funny he gets into all kinds of trouble thinking he is so smart. He ends up in the water a lot. He blind folds himself and tell a man he can walk a straight line anywhere. Not nothing the man takes the chain off of a plank and Jimmy Chan walks straight almost to the end of the plank above the water. When he takes the blindfold off he gets scared by what he sees and falls in the water.Someone on board is scaring the others pretending to be Black Hook, a pirate with a hook for a hand and a wooden leg who left scratch marks on the door with his hook where the woman died. Strange music starts playing when danger is expected. People start getting killed and someone is trying to collect all the pieces of the treasure map.George Reeves/Superman is in this young and handsome. There is also a thin man who looks nuts and comes on board with a doctor to get rid of some of his fears. His name is Milton Parsons and he plays Gene LaFarge. He is also funnyNice mystery most of the passengers have a reason to knock everybody off.

There is murder on board a ship that is taking its customers to an island where there is a 60,000,000 dollar treasure (or so we're told). The map has been divided into fourths to be distributed once they reach the island. Jimmy Chan stows away (what else is new) and while there an old lady is murdered (she has one of the pieces) by someone dressed as a pirate. Meanwhile, Charlie Chan comes aboard, looking for his number two son. As it turns out there are all sorts of people who could be responsible, including the captain of the ship who hates people and would rather have nothing to do with them. Jimmy, who is in this episode too much, starts investigating. He ends up dropping the water on at least four occasions. He muddles up the case again. This is fun because of the locale. There are numerous misleading clues. By the way, George Reeves appears in this one. He is the one who starred in "The Adventures of Superman" back in the fifties. This is a decent mystery.