Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum

Chan's testimony sentences McBirney to death. McBirney escapes custody and heads to the hidden Mob hideout inside the wax museum. The move sets the stage for a revenge plot.

Cream, a crooked facial surgeon, operates on McBirney and alters his appearance. The transformation helps him blend in and avoid recognition among the crowd. The disguise is part of Cream's larger criminal scheme.

Cream arranges a radio broadcast that lures Chan to spar over an old case with Dr. Otto Von Brom. The setup traps Chan while the others pull strings behind the scenes. The lure increases the danger surrounding everyone gathered there.

During the broadcast, Von Brom testifies that Joe Rocke had been executed. Chan grows convinced that Rocke was innocent and that the whole scene is a setup. His suspicions set the stage for uncovering the truth later that night.

Chan's son Jimmy slips into the museum to investigate without his father's knowledge. He moves through the shadows, gathering information and potentially exposing the conspiracy. His presence adds another layer of tension to Cream's plan.

Carter Lane arrives, representing Mrs. Joe Rocke, and barges into the gathering. Mrs. Rocke's client also slips inside, complicating the dynamics and raising the stakes for everyone involved. The legal angle intensifies the pressure around the truth.

The principals gather around a table to reenact a scene from the Rocke case for the broadcast. Cream ensures Chan is seated where an electrocution appears imminent, heightening the sense of peril. Von Brom even insists on changing seats, adding to the confusion.

Watchman Willie Fern is tricked into throwing the switch, plunging the room into darkness. Von Brom dies not from electricity, but from a concealed instrument as Lily Latimer, Cream's assistant, had cut the wire to keep the secret function hidden. The crime scene hints at a carefully orchestrated setup.

Chan discovers a small puncture wound in Von Brom's neck and a bamboo blowgun dart. The evidence points away from an electrocution and toward a killer who used a concealed method. This narrows the field to a small list of suspects among the museum crowd.

Chan becomes certain that 'Butcher' Dagan framed Rocke and killed Von Brom as well. Cream's prior operation on Dagan explains why his identity is obscured among the gathered crowd. The unraveling conspiracy points toward Dagan as the mastermind.

Dagan carries out the killing of McBirney during the chaos and makes an attempt on Chan's life. The danger escalates as the true culprit stays concealed within the crowd due to Cream's manipulations. Chan tightens his pursuit despite the fear.

Chan unmasks and captures Dagan, bringing him to justice. The revelation is aided by evidence of Dagan's altered appearance from Cream's surgery, which had hidden his identity. With the culprit in custody, the case is resolved.