Years before a famous opera singer called Greville (Karloff) is thought to have died in a fire, but really he has spent his time in an asylum with no memory. That all changes though when he sees his former wife is in town performing at the theatre. He escapes and heads to the opera.
When the people responsible for the fire (his wife and her lover) are killed at the theatre, Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) is bought in to investigate. Naturally Greville is suspected but is all that it seems?
The theatre setting and costumes give the film a feeling of the macabre at times and Karloff of course helps with the air of menace he can provide. All the ingredients for a good (if not one of the best) Charlie Chan films are there. The in-joke about Frankenstein is hilarious.
