Dark Alibi (Mystery/Crime, 1946)

Dark Alibi (1946) is a mystery film with elements of crime, drama, and comedy, part of the Charlie Chan detective series. Directed by Phil Karlson and produced by Monogram Pictures, it’s a low-budget B-movie known for its fast-paced plot and controversial racial stereotypes typical of the era.
Plot:
Ex-convict Thomas Harley is wrongfully arrested for bank robbery and murder based on forged fingerprints found at the crime scene. His alibi—that he was lured to the Carey Theatrical Warehouse by a note from a former cellmate, Dave Wyatt, who’s been dead for eight years—is dismissed by police. Facing execution in nine days, Harley’s daughter, June, enlists private detective Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) to prove her father’s innocence. Chan, aided by his son Tommy (Benson Fong) and chauffeur Birmingham Brown (Mantan Moreland), uncovers a scheme where a gang forges fingerprints of ex-convicts to frame them for bank robberies. The investigation leads to a boarding house run by Mrs. Foss, where ex-cons often stay, and reveals the note was written on her typewriter. Chan discovers the forgers use prison fingerprint files to frame innocent men. As the clock ticks, Chan navigates clues involving a theatrical warehouse, a prison, and a shady character named Slade, who attempts an armed escape but dies in a shootout. Chan ultimately exposes the real culprits, saving Harley from execution. The film includes comedic interludes, notably the “indefinite talk” routine between Birmingham and his brother (Ben Carter), repeated three times for comic relief.

Cast:
Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan

Mantan Moreland as Birmingham Brown

Benson Fong as Tommy Chan

Teala Loring as June Harley

George Holmes as Hugh Kensey

Ben Carter as Benjamin Brown

Edna Holland as Mrs. Foss

Russell Hicks as Warden Cameron

Tim Ryan as Foggy

Janet Shaw as Miss Petrie

Anthony Warde as Slade