Timed Mine

Lore & Background

The film is set at the Golden Eye Mine in Arizona. Mr. Manning, the mine's owner, persuades Charlie Chan to help him. To avoid alerting Manning's murderous enemies, Chan registers as a guest at a nearby dude ranch along with his number two son, Tommy, and his black chauffeur, Birmingham Brown. There he meets San Francisco police lieutenant Mike Ruark, posing as drunken fellow guest "Vincent O'Brien" to investigate why the mine has suddenly become valuable. When Chan goes to see Manning, he finds that he has supposedly fallen down a mineshaft, leaving him in a coma. While there, he is recognized by assayer Talbot Bartlett, who knows him from a previous case. Later, Chan guesses that prospector Pete is stealing ore from the mine. Pete agrees to guide Chan, Tommy, and Birmingham to the mine through his secret passageway. However, when they arrive, Tommy and Birmingham find Pete's body. Chan eventually surmises that much cheaper Mexican gold is being smuggled into the United States and sold at a huge profit. The detective exposes the ringleader and his confederates.

In Their Own Story

Mr. Manning, owner of the Golden Eye Mine in Arizona, persuades Charlie Chan to help him. To avoid alerting Manning's murderous enemies, Chan registers as a guest at a nearby dude ranch along with his number two son, Tommy, and his black chauffeur, Birmingham Brown. There he meets San Francisco police lieutenant Mike Ruark, posing as drunken fellow guest "Vincent O'Brien" to investigate why the mine has suddenly become valuable. When Chan goes to see Manning, he finds that he has supposedly fallen down a mineshaft, leaving him in a coma. While there, he is recognized by assayer Talbot Bartlett, who knows him from a previous case. Later, Chan guesses that prospector Pete is stealing ore from the mine. Pete agrees to guide Chan, Tommy, and Birmingham to the mine through his secret passageway. However, when they arrive, Tommy and Birmingham find Pete's body. Chan eventually surmises that much cheaper Mexican gold is being smuggled into the United States and sold at a huge profit. The detective exposes the ringleader and his confederates.

Reader's Guide

The film was made in seven days. The Exhibitor gave The Golden Eye good marks: "This entry in the Charlie Chan series has a western setting, and what with mystery, murder, and gold smuggling combined, it makes for one of the better episodes in the Oriental sleuth's cinematic career. Mantan Moreland provides his usual effective type of comedy relief." On the other hand, trade publisher Pete Harrison disliked the mixture of the various story elements, and graded the film "no better and no worse than the others in the series. Those who are the least bit discriminating will probably find it pretty tiring, for the far-fetched story winds its way through a maze of so many clues that not even a mastermind will have the patience to figure it out." While some presume the film to be in the public domain, due to the omission of a valid copyright notice on original-release prints, The Golden Eye was indeed registered for copyright by Monogram Pictures on August 22, 1948 (certificate number LP1857).

Did You Know?

• The film's working title was The Mystery of the Golden Eye.
• The Golden Eye was made in seven days.
• The film was registered for copyright by Monogram Pictures on August 22, 1948 (certificate number LP1857).
• Roland Winters played Charlie Chan for the fourth time in this film.
• Mantan Moreland provided comedy relief as Birmingham Brown, the black chauffeur.