In this film Chan is investigating deaths related to an Egyptian archeological expedition and treasure discovered. It has an almost horror film feel about it.
My principle reason for commenting on this film, however, is the portrayal of the character Snowshoes by Stepin Fetchit. It was difficult for me to bear watching the demeaning way in which this African-American actor played the role. His speech was mumbled and difficult to understand. The character was lazy and hesitant and childlike.
Worse than that, though, was the way he was treated by his white employer. He was constantly being spoken to harshly, degraded, and even physically pushed around in the most matter-of-fact manner.
It's hard to understand seventy years on how such content could have been tolerated at that time. I found it very disturbing to see an African-American actor portraying his race in such a derogatory manner.
For more on this and other films, visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDB)
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