Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum

For a most brutal murder,

instigated by robbery

a murder where of you,

Stephen McBirney...

stand convicted after

a fair trial by jury

it is the judgment of this court...

that you are hereby sentenced

to the punishment of death...

to be executed upon you

at Sing Sing Prison...

during the week of December ninth.

December ninth.

Thanks, Judge.

I won't have to do

any Christmas shopping.

And thank you, Mr. Chan,

for what His Honor just handed me.

Your evidence sticks me

in the death house.

And I won't forget it

while I'm alive.

Come on, Mac.

Threats won't help your appeal.

[Spectators Chattering]

Well, Charlie,

you put him where he belongs.

- I hope you don't let his threats keep you awake.

- On contrary.

Conviction of most dangerous

public enemy...

bring more peaceful sleep.

[Gunshots]

- [Judge] What's that shooting?

- McBirney!

Grabbed a deputy's gun

shooting his way out.

[Gunshot]

[Gunfire Continues]

[Ship Horns Blowing In Distance]

- We gonna stay here all night?

- Take it easy.

[Man]

Bus leaving right away.

Next stop Chinatown.

Come on, everybody. Step smart.

Bus leaving right away.

Next stop Chinatown:

The mysterious Orient in the heart of New York.

- Shake a leg, folks. Step right this way, folks.

- [Engine Idling]

Step fast and you'll see Chinatown

before she goes to bed.

Let's go, Bill.

[Ship Horns Blowing]

[Woman Screams]

You've got an awful nerve asking me to marry you

in that Chamber of Horrors.

[Chuckles]

What do you think marriage is anyway?

- Where's Doc Cream?

- Can't you read? We're closed for the night.

- You can't come in.

- Yeah, yeah, I know. But where is he?

He's busy.

Says he don't wanna be bothered.

That's only a dummy, you dummy.

Come on.

[Whispering]

You can't go in there.

Watch this carefully.

This is a difficult

but brilliant move.

You can't beat it.

[Machinery Creaking]

Why, that's splendid.

Superb.

I was not prepared for that.

But watch this one.

Hey, is he playing chess

with that dummy, or am I crazy?

[Creaking]

Why, that's checkmate.

You've got me.

Mac.

Hello, Doc.

What's the idea?

Oh, a little lesson in strategy.

I was coaching my protge.

So you're the works.

A mechanical woman.

Gentlemen, my assistant

Miss Latimer.

I'm glad to know ya, babe.

Why, Lily, my dear,

don't you recognize Steve McBirney?

He's been with us for years.

The little boy

from New York's Hell's Kitchen...

who went out West

and made good in Chicago.

Gee, Mac, it's you.

And Butcher Dagan.

He wasn't that beautiful

when they fished him outta Lake Michigan

with the 13 bullets

you pumped into him.

Hope you never double-cross me, Doc.

- Well, Mac, I'm no fool.

- That's what I hear.

Well, you got a great racket

a wax museum on top

of the sweetest hideout the mob's ever had.

No wonder the cops never bother you.

[Laughing]

You know, Grenock,

that doc is smart.

He makes faces behind their backs.

- Do you ever see the faces he makes?

- Oh, this wax stuff is okay.

No, no.

Before he operated on the law...

he was the best facial surgeon

in the country.

- A face doctor?

- Sure.

Well, Doc, it's my turn now.

Change this map.

Fix it so no cop will ever know me.

Well, that would be easy, Mac.

But why not come back in a month

when this getaway has blown over?

Oh, no.

You start the job now, tonight.

Lily, you'd better go downstairs

and prepare things for an operation.

Hey, what's her angle?

- She's my assistant in surgery too.

- Oh.

Uh, follow me.

Of course, you realize

that you'll have to hang out here...

for two or three weeks

after the surgery.

Well, swell.

I can use the rest.

You know them, Joe?

That was Steve McBirney just come in. He

[Chuckling]

Joe. I'm forgettin'.

Why-Why, Steve's your pal.

Sure. Didn't he knock off Butcher Dagan

for framin' you?

I remember.

That's what I call a real pal, Joe.

So this is the Chamber of Horrors?

Spooky joint.

I'd sure hate to be found dead in it.

[Chuckles]

Is this where you operate, Doc?

Oh, no.

Just an exhibit in there.

[Cream]

That's a genuine electric chair.

Still in use two years ago.

109 murderers met death on it.

Well, I had a date with his brother,

thanks to Charlie Chan.

Hey, Mac, get a load

the real thing.

Careful.

That's the switchboard for the museum.

It serves as atmosphere here.

But it's practical.

Say, Doc, you're the one practical thing

around here for me.

I want the best face

you ever made

just so's I can walk up

to Chan and say...

"Hiya, Charlie,"

before I let him have it.

- Yeah. And won't that copper be surprised?

- [Laughs]

Charlie, do you mean to tell me

you've never been surprised in your life?

Only one occasion, Inspector

- when honorable wife announce

arrival of 13th offspring.

- [Chuckles]

Always prefer to utilize

element of surprise...

never to be victim.

Well, I wish I could say that.

Haven't gotten over McBirney's

little courtroom surprise yet.

Three weeks ago yesterday.

He must have gotten out of town,

or we'd have him.

Only very foolish mouse

make nest in cat's ear.

Hello, Pop, Inspector.

Hope I'm not interrupting.

- Hello, Mary. Who let you in?

- AskJimmy. He's our scout leader.

Mary Bolton reporter and pest,

Daily Record.

- How do you do, Mr. Chan?

- Hiya, Doctor.

Inspector.

Charlie, this is Dr. Cream

of the Cream Crime Museum.

I'm very happy to meet you,

Mr. Chan.

- Oh, Inspector, this is Dr. Bun.

- Von Brom!

Herr Doctor Otto Von Brom.

Formerly with the Berlin Police Department.

Today I specialize

in the psychocriminology.

Well, as one cop to another, Doctor,

what's that?

Detective who uses microscope

instead of common sense.

Please, allow parent

to make Confucius saying.

So, Mr. Chan, you do not believe...

in the scientific methods

for apprehending criminals, eh?

Any powder that kills flea

is good powder.

Now, can law student

explain crime of playing hooky?

Well, I didn't mean

to cut classes, Pop.

But they Miss Bolton and Dr. Cream

came up to college with a great idea.

Pop, you're going into radio on the Crime League

broadcast from the Museum of Crime.

This is all Dr. Cream's idea,

and a swell yarn for me.

But you confer first

with chip off old chopstick?

Only because I remembered where to find Jimmy

when we couldn't locate you today.

You see, each week,

we have a famous detective...

who tries to unravel

some old, unsolved crime.

On tonight's broadcast,

we had hoped that you and Dr. Von Brom...

might throw some new light

on the Rocke case.

Yeah. Isn't that a swell idea?

Let honor of advertising museum

go to scientific detective.

Tomorrow, parent depart

for Honolulu.

Tonight, same prefer good dinner

to ancient crime.

Excuse, please.

But, Mr. Chan.

This is your favorite unsolved crime.

Do you recognize this man?

Likeness ofJoseph Rocke.

Innocent man hang for crime

he did not commit.

Real murderer never caught.

This is an insult to my ability.

Once before,

you made such a statement.

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