Writing

Charles S. Belden

Born — Died

1904-04-21 — 1954-11-03

Place of birth

Montclair, New Jersey, USA

Known for

Writing

Credits

30 titles

Charles Spencer Belden (April 21, 1904 – November 3, 1954) was an American screenwriter and journalist, known for writing screenplays to several Charlie Chan films in the 1930s, notably Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936). His 1932 short story "The Wax Works" served as the basis for the 1933 film Mystery of the Wax Museum. He was married to stage actress Beth Milton in the early 1930s and to actress Joan Marsh who had starred in Charlie Chan on Broadway (1937), from 1938 to 1943. He was born in Montclair, New Jersey, and died in the Motion Picture Country Hospital, Los Angeles, at the age of 50. Description above from the Wikipedia article Charles S. Belden  licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list …

Known for

Behind the camera

Mr. Moto's Gamble poster
6.4

Celebrated as supersleuth, Mr. Moto comes out fighting when a brutal boxing match turns into cold-blooded murder! Assisted by detective-in-training Lee Chan, Moto sets out to track down the killer based on a single ominous clue: a poisoned boxing glove! But when Moto's hunch points to a corrupt gambling syndicate, he's forced to wager his very life to unmask the culprit—or go down for the count...permanently!

Mr. Moto's Gamble

1938

Charlie Chan at the Opera poster
6.8

A dangerous amnesiac escapes from an asylum, hides in the opera house, and is suspected of getting revenge on those who tried to murder him 13 years ago.

Charlie Chan at the Opera

1936

Torchy Blane... Playing with Dynamite poster
6.8

Torchy Blane and Steve McBride try to nab a gangster by tracking his moll.

Torchy Blane... Playing with Dynamite

1939

Charlie Chan in Honolulu poster
6.5

While Charlie is distracted with the birth of his first grandchild, son Jimmy impersonates his father in order to investigate a murder aboard a freighter in the harbor.

Charlie Chan in Honolulu

1938

The Strange Mr. Gregory poster
5.5

The title character, played by Edmund Lowe, is a famous magician who fakes his own death -- then reappears as his nonexistent twin brother. It's all part of Gregory's master scheme to pin his "murder" on innocent John Randall, the husband of Ellen, the woman Gregory loves.

The Strange Mr. Gregory

1945

Tear Gas Squad poster
5.2

A brash night club singer becomes a cop to impress a woman.

Tear Gas Squad

1940

Port of Lost Dreams poster
7.3

A gangster's girlfriend on the run from the police, who suspect her of helping her boyfriend commit a robbery, holes up in a waterfront bar. She stows away on a fishing boat headed out to sea, and winds up falling in love with and marrying one of the fishermen, but doesn't tell him about her past. However, a year after they're married and have a child, her ex-boyfriend gets out of jail and comes looking for her.

Port of Lost Dreams

1934

Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo poster
6.3

Although Charlie and Lee are in Monaco for an art exhibit, they become caught up in a feud between rival financiers which involves the Chan's in a web of blackmail and murder.

Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo

1937

Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo poster
6.3

Although Charlie and Lee are in Monaco for an art exhibit, they become caught up in a feud between rival financiers which involves the Chan's in a web of blackmail and murder.

Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo

1937

Silent Conflict poster
6.0

One of Hoppy's Bar 20 ranch hands is tricked into participating in nefarious activities after being subjected to hypnosis.

Silent Conflict

1948

Bullet Scars poster
6.5

Dr. Steven Bishop is taken to the hideout of Frank Dillon and his gang to treat the wounded Joe Madison. Joe's nurse sister Nora Madison is also taken. Dillon tells Bishop that if Joe dies, he will be killed, but Bishop knows he will be either way. Joe dies, but Nora and Steve conceal it from Dillon and send a plea for help in a prescription that Bishop writes in Latin.

Bullet Scars

1942

The Marauders poster
7.0

Hoppy, California and Lucky take refuge from a storm inside a supposedly abandoned church outside a ghost town, only to meet a young woman and her mother there, then find themselves surrounded by a gang of "workmen" intent on tearing down the church if they have to kill the five to do it.

The Marauders

1947

Fugitive Road poster
6.0

An Austrian officer must face up to the good and evil aspects of his own personality as he becomes involved in a war.

Fugitive Road

1934

Kid Nightingale poster
6.4

A waiter who sings gets in a fight with rude customers and overpowers them. A boxing promoter sees this and transforms him into "Kid Nightingale," marketing him as a boxer who sings.

Kid Nightingale

1939

Borrowed Trouble poster
6.7

Finishing a trail drive, Hoppy and the boys head to town and immediately get caught up in the conflict between school teacher Miss Abott and next door saloon owner Mawson. When Miss Abott disappears, Hoppy gets a clue to her location and rescues her from Mawson's cabin. It looks like Mawson is the man he wants, but Hoppy finds an item that indicates otherwise.

Borrowed Trouble

1948

A Fool's Advice poster
6.7

An elevator operator invents a machine that he believes can help to defeat a corrupt politician in the city's upcoming mayoral election.

A Fool's Advice

1932

Beauty and the Bandit poster
6.3

In Old California, a young Frenchman transporting a chest full of silver travels by stagecoach to San Marino, to complete a complex business deal. The stagecoach is ambushed by a band of men whose leader, a mysterious bandido known as Cisco (Gilbert Roland), claims the silver is money that was extorted over a period of years from the poor people of California. The bandits take the money and escape, but Cisco stays behind with the Frenchman -- who, it turns out, is actually a lovely mademoiselle, Jeanne DuBois (Ramsay Ames). She follows him to the bandit's lair, where Cisco tells her he intends to return the stolen money to the poor people. The two rivals are irresistibly drawn to each other, however, and as a token of love Cisco offers to return the money to Jeanne instead. Now she must decide whether to complete her business deal, or to comply with Cisco's wishes and redistribute the wealth.

Beauty and the Bandit

1946

Double Deal poster
6.3

An oil engineer surrounded by foul play helps an heiress bring in a well.

Double Deal

1950

The World Accuses poster
6.5

When a middle aged woman accepts a job at a day care center she comes across the child she gave up early in life.

The World Accuses

1934

On Dress Parade poster
6.6

The final feature in the "Dead End Kids" film series finds a youth trying to adjust to life at a military school.

On Dress Parade

1939

Sons of Steel poster
7.0

Chadburne Steel is run by two brothers, old men. They each have different plans for their sons. Curtis (Holmes Herbert) has put Ronald (William Blakewell) through college in style...

Sons of Steel

1934

The Ghost Walks poster
5.5

A ghostly and deadly dinner party, which at first turns out to be an elaborate staging of a new play for the benefit of a Broadway producer, becomes a true mystery when the players start to go missing.

The Ghost Walks

1934

A Shot in the Dark poster
6.0

An amateur sleuth solves three murders at his son's New England college.

A Shot in the Dark

1935

The Widow from Monte Carlo poster
5.8

In this romantic comedy, an aspiring socialite heads for a vacation in Monte Carlo where she befriends a wealthy widowed duchess and then begins blackmailing her after she steals a scandalous letter.

The Widow from Monte Carlo

1935

Million Dollar Weekend poster
5.0

A stock broker embezzles a million bucks and plans to take off to Shanghai. A number of obstacles stands in his path, however.

Million Dollar Weekend

1948

The Gay Cavalier poster
10.0

The Cisco Kid (Gilbert Roland) sets out on a double mission of rescuing a girl from forsaking her true love by marrying a supposedly wealthy suitor to save the old family hacienda, and he is also after the outlaws that robbed a stage carrying gold for the Mission. His task is made easier once he learns that the "wealthy" suitor (Tristram Coffin) is also the man behind the gold robbers.

The Gay Cavalier

1946

Fifteen Wives poster
3.0

Shortly after his arrival from South America to New York, Steven Humbolt is found dead in his apartment at the Savoia Hotel. Inspector Decker Dawes investigates the case and although the cause of death is described as apoplexy, Dawes is convinced it as murder, especially after he learns that Humbolt had been married fifteen times.

Fifteen Wives

1934

Symphony of Living poster
6.5

Just before Adolph Greig's solo violin performance at the Cosmopolitan Orchestra, his right hand is injured and his dream, shattered. His flighty children turn their backs on him and he collapses in the street. However, an opportunity arises for him to tutor a young violin prodigy.

Symphony of Living

1935

South of Monterey poster
8.0

The Cisco Kid (Gilbert Roland) hears of a land-swindling scheme devised by the police Commandante (Martin Garralaga) and the tax collector (Harry Woods) in a small western town. Cisco's efforts against the plot cause the thieves to fall out, and Cisco is able to return the land to the rightful owners.

South of Monterey

1946

April in Portugal poster
9.0

Beautiful Jocelyn Lane goes sightseeing in Portugal accompanied by bandleader George Melachrino and his orchestra. Featuring Portugal's top singing star Amália Rodrigues and the world-famous Tagide Club Dancers of Lisbon.

April in Portugal

1956