It was the eleventh film to feature Sidney Toler as the title character, and the last made by 20th Century Fox.

In addition to Paul Manderley and his wife (who may be insane and not responsible for her actions) other suspects include: The clues include: Aiding and hindering Chan's investigation is his Number Two son Jimmy, who is on leave with the U.S. Army, and decides to get involved to help his father solve the case, much to the senior Chan's annoyance.

Chan decides that there are two different conspiracies afoot, one involving two faked deaths to convince Mr. Manderley to institutionalize his wife, and "leave in sorrow", giving crooked attorney Walter Hartford control of the estate.

Chan decides that Mrs. Manderley's step-brother, thought deceased, has returned to the house in another identity...and unmasks and arrests him.

After being pushed down a long flight of stairs by the killer, he is trapped inside the badly bent suit.