DOCKS OF NEW ORLEANS. Monogram Pictures, 1948. Roland Winters (Charlie Chan), Virginia Dale, Mantan Moreland, John Gallaudet, Victor Sen Yung. Based on charcaters created by Earl Derr Biggers. Director: Derwin Abrahams.

   A chemical manufacturer hires Charlie Chan to help investigate the trouble he’s gotten into after agreeing to handle a mysterious overseas assignment, then dies under strange circumstances before their appointment the next morning.

   The is some semblance of a locked room mystery here, but I don’t think it occurred to anybody involved. Happy to say, I figured out who the killer was and how he did it, even before Charlie’s number two son starts up rousing rendition of “Chop Chop Boogie.”