AllMovie

Most of the Monogram Charlie Chan movies have poor critical reputations, but The Shanghai Cobra is a notable exception. With a complex mystery involving the deaths of three employees of a bank -- all from cobra venom -- and a master criminal on the run, and their possible connection to a priceless government radium supply, the movie never lets up the pace, from the eerily atmospheric opening to the rapid-fire, almost cliff hanger-style action in the denouement. Along the way are some interesting blind alleys, a few relatively unobtrusive comic moments involving Chan's assistants, his number-three son (Benson Fong) and chauffeur (Mantan Moreland), and some amazing little twists, including deadly twists on a then-current technology (that one would describe as interactive) and an unusually physically demanding series of threats for Sidney Toler's Chan to overcome in an action-filled climax. Additionally, the movie benefits from a colorful cast of supporting players, including James Flavin, Gene Roth, Roy Gordon, George Chandler, Paul Newlan, and Cyril Delevanti, many of whom are uncredited but totally worth watching.