The government is testing a prototype remote controlled plane off the coast of Honolulu when a saboteur kills the pilot and steals the robot controller. While on a fishing trip, super sleuth Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) stumbles upon the wreckage of the plane and follows the clues to Germany, which just so happens to be where his son Lee (Keye Luke) is training for the Olympics. When Chan discovers the remote, he steals it to gain leverage on the criminals, but they retaliate by kidnapping Lee. Chan then must make a desperate play to save his son, nab the villains, and recover the device.
Warner Oland gives yet another spry performance as Charlie Chan in his thirteenth appearance in the role. His dispensing of fortune cookie wisdom is as funny as ever (“Husband… like toupee on bald head… used as cover!”) and once again has a nice rapport with Luke as his “Number One Son”. Luke also gets some good moments as he tries to crack the case on his own while aboard a cruise ship with the rest of the Olympic team. Oland scores some laughs too during his interactions with his younger son (Layne Tom, Jr.) who fancies himself a super sleuth in the making. I also liked his scenes with his German counterpart (Frederick Vogeding), a committed police inspector who helps Chan on the case.
The case is rather nifty, and the pacing is agreeable enough. Although for a movie called Charlie Chan at the Olympics, it does take him almost a full hour to get there. The stock footage from the Olympic Games is well-utilized though and it fits rather seamlessly with the rest of the action. The plot is really secondary as the movie is at its best when it explores Chan’s relationship with his sons. (It’s also notable for having Chan ride on the Hindenberg shortly before it exploded in real life.)
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