|
|
Post by Ish Kabbible on May 1, 2014 9:15:43 GMT -5
I do feel like i ran a marathon In 42 days i have watched 40 Charlie Chan films-all for the first time.For the vast majority of the run,I was looking forward to getting home and watching a Chan flick.Running from 65 to 75 minutes,they were quick,witty,entertaining,well acted,intelligent films.After 1 or 2 Toler versions they were as good as ever.But then came that damn thing known as WWII. No more international settings.And then no more Fox studios.The Monograms were initially tough to get used to but you could find enough within and be entertained. However that last week I spent with Roland Winters was a real struggle.I would have quit if I didn't see the light at the end of the tunnel I know those last few films will disappear from memory ,leaving me with a warm feeling for the Chan oeuvre. The Breakdown: 27 from Fox Studios,16 from Monogram.!4 with Warner Oland.23 from Sidney Toler.6 from Roland Winters Of course Charlie Chan was not quite through.In 1956/57 TV had J.Carrol Naish take his turn with The New Adventures of Charlie Chan for 39 episodes.In 1971 The Return of Charlie Chan was filmed starring Ross Martin. It sat on the shelves until 1979.In the meantime,Hanna-Barbera produced the Saturday morning animated Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan.Then in 1981 Peter Ustinov appeared on screen with his Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen. Charlie had some radio series as well.The Adventures of Charlie Chan aired in 1944/45 and again in 1947/48 A daily and sunday newspaper strip illustrated by Alfred Andriola ran from Oct 1938 to May 1942.WWII killed it as well Charlie had 4 comic book series.Prize Comics was first in 1948 with 5 issues.Charlton produced 4 issues in 1955.DC tied into the TV series in 1958 with 6 issues. Dell came out with 2 in 1965.Gold Key produced some based on the animated show as well I would love to read anyone's critique's on all these other Chan versions as they remember them. And I heartily recommend this fantastic website for everything you would want to know about Charlie. They have long runs of the newspaper strip online.Monday nights they run a Chan film and have group discussions. A top-rated Chan websiteAs for me,Bobby Darin sums it up |
|
|
|
Post by Hoosier X on May 1, 2014 10:50:34 GMT -5
 I knew Bela Lugosi was in The Black Camel but I didn't know Sally Eilers was in it. She's another one of those obscure actresses - like Joan Woodbury - that I try to keep track of and see some of her movies every once in a while. She was in an airplane movie called Without Orders, she's a stewardess and one pilot is knocked unconscious and the other goes crazy and jumps out with the only parachute so Sally has to land the plane on a frozen lake during the worst snowstorm in 20 years! AAAAAAAH! I'll have to watch The Black Camel soon. Maybe today. |
|
|
|
Post by Ish Kabbible on May 1, 2014 10:59:40 GMT -5
You never fail to amaze with your refrences to obscure actors and actresses. Glad to see you on these boards
|
|
|
|
Post by Hoosier X on May 1, 2014 11:45:29 GMT -5
You never fail to amaze with your refrences to obscure actors and actresses. Glad to see you on these boards Without Orders also has the totally amazing Robert Armstrong (legendary as Carl Denham in the 1933 King Kong) and Ward Bond, famous for backing up John Wayne in about a billion movies.
I've never seen all of Without Orders. I was watching it on TCM and a friend called me and so I missed a big chunk of the middle. But, man, that ending! Without Orders is highly recommended. (I wonder if it's on YouTube?)
|
|
|
|
Post by Cherokee Jack on May 3, 2014 16:06:02 GMT -5
Not really about Charlie Chan, but something of interest I saw today may be of interest to the followers of this thread. Turned on the tv, and the credits for WAGON TRAIN were on. There was an actor by the name of Mr. Moto in them. Here's his IMDB link: www.imdb.com/name/nm0412538/?ref_=fn_nm_nm_1 |
|
|
|
Post by Hoosier X on May 4, 2014 12:36:10 GMT -5
Good news for Charlie Chan fans. TCM is having some odd movie marathon where all the movies have "scarlet" in the title. And that includes "The Scarlet Clue" on Tuesday afternoon!
Ish didn't think much of it, but I've always liked it. Probably my favorite Sydney Toler Chan movie, but I haven't seen all of them.
|
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,871
|
Post by shaxper on Jul 29, 2014 13:11:13 GMT -5
Charlie Chan in films has an interesting history. First appearing in 1926 as silent 10-chapter serials and portrayed by Japanese or Korean actors. These film failed at the box office. Then 20th Century Fox cast Swedish actor Warner Oland and with the inclusion of sound the films clicked. The Black Camel was the 2nd Oland Chan film. The 1st,3rd,4th and 5th seem to be lost forever due to warehouse fires,deterioration and neglect The Black Camel was shot on location in Honolulu and was about the mystery behind a Hollywood movie star's death. I got a kick out of Chan's bumbling assistant,Kashimo, who from time to time,would come running up from out of nowhere shouting Clue..Clue.. and give Chan some useless piece of info. Then Charlie would send him away on some impossible task. And of course one of the hallmarks of the Charlie Chan character was his wise sayings. Such as when a person tells Charlie his theory is full of holes and won't hold water, Charlie retorts "Sponge full of holes.Holds water" or "Secret to this case harder to determine than alley cat's grandfather" The Black Camel alas has too many characters to make an effective murder mystery. The movie ends with Kashimo once again running up to the camera brathlessly shouting "Clue..Clue..' and Charlie saying "Too late-Save for next case" It's my goal to eventually see all surviving Bela Lugosi films. I will have to add this to the list. |
|
|
|
Post by Ish Kabbible on Dec 2, 2014 12:06:51 GMT -5
Forgive the resurrection but I have an interresting Chan anecdote
In 1938 the Chan film, Charlie Chan At The Ringside was ready for production. The Chan series was a huge money maker for 20th Century Fox and the star, Warner Oland was an extremely popular actor. But Warner's alchoholic problems were getting worse and now his wife was filing for divorce. Warner had troubles remembering his lines and would blame his screw-ups on anything around him-cameramen,lighting men,the wind etc. He was now very difficult to work with, a lot of production time was being wasted and he was showing up late as well
Warner was making 3 Chan movies a year, each one taking about a month to complete. 2 days into The Ringside film, Warner didn't show up. Via his agent, Warner demanded that the film set be removed from Stage 6 to a different stage. He claimed Stage 6 was unsafe and was adament not to return until his demand was met. It would be very costly for 20th Century to move all the sets to a new soundstage and asked the actor's union to mediate. But Warner refused to budge and idle cast and crew was costing 20th Century tens of thousands per day. Finally 20th Century gave in and told Warner to report to Stage 7 the next day.
However all 20th Century Fox did was change the signs on the door and the great detective Chan was none the wiser
Warner was back to work for 2 more days. In the afternoon, Warner claimed he was thirsty and went to get some water.He disappeared and never returned. A week later, the studio found out he had checked himself into a hospital to re-hab. It would be a long process with no timetable on when he would be available again. The studio felt it would be a publicity disaster if they announced a new actor to replace Chan due to Warner being sick. They briefly considered a Son Of Chan series starring Keye Luke. However they thought their immediate best recourse was to change the script of Charlie Chan At The Ringside into Mr Moto's Gamble. The same cast,sets,most dialogue and as many already filmed scenes were kept.
Warner was released from the hospital finally just when the Moto film hit the theaters.Warner decided he needed to travel back home to Sweden and family for a few months to complete his recovery and then return to Hollywood. It was at his mother's home that he contracted bronchial pneumonia and suddenly died in August of 1938.
All of this was detailed within the 20 minute doc included on the Mr Moto's Gamble DVD
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2014 1:04:21 GMT -5
I'm a Charlie Chan Movie Lover too ... and give me a week and I will share some of my favorites as well. I loved Warner Oland and I have seen the movies that appeared on TCM a while back. I did not realize that you have a thread devoted to him. How wonderful it is!
|
|
|
|
Post by Hoosier X on Nov 16, 2015 17:26:46 GMT -5
Charlie Chan in Honolulu (1938) One year since the last Chan film,6 months since the death of Warner Oland, Charlie returns now played by Sidney Toler. As Charlie waits for news about the impending birth of his first grandchild, a murder occurs on a freighter off the coast of Honolulu. Charlie is sent to investigate,aided by his son James (#2) and Tommy (#5). Oh brother,what a difference from previous films. The good-extended scenes with the entire Chan family. Also George Zucco as a doctor who keeps preserved brains in his luggage.The disappointing-Sidney Toler. Maybe he'll get better as he continues to play the part or I'll get used to his version,but what I see here is a caucasian actor in heavy makeup and unnatural vocal delivery. Plus Keye Luke decided not to continue his role as Lee Chan with Oland's death, so actor Victor Sen Yung takes his place as the irritating Tommy assisting his father.The bad-The humour here is really dialed up. There is a ship's mate who carries on like a 4th rate Lou Costello. There's zoo animals as part of the ship's cargo as an excuse for scenes with monkeys and lions. And Sidney Toler has a weird grin and bad teeth I read the series does improve a bit as the new cast gets comfortable. For my sake I hope thats true The DVD includes an 18 minute featurette on Reinventing Chan, a 4 minute featurette on the life of Sidney Toler and a re-creation of a lost Chan film "Charlie Chan's Courage" via readings of the screenplay and photos Warner Oland is Charlie Chan the way Sean Connery is James Bond. But I've gotten used to Sydney Toler over the years. I enjoy the Toler films as much as the Oland films, but in a different way. I found the Monogram films especially to be hilarious and entertaining. I saw Charlie Chan in Honolulu this morning. I never saw it before, so I was really glad I watched it. You seldom see so much of Chan's private life. (His daughter is giving birth to his first grandchild while he is away solving a murder, but there several scenes at home and at the hospital. I think there should have been a murder at the hospital and the whole movie should have taken place there!) I liked it a lot more than Ish did, but I can't really argue with his reasoning. I have a high tolerance for silly stuff in genre films. All that stuff he doesn't like, I found pretty amusing - the zoo animals, Oscar the lion, the goofy guy watching the animals. I especially liked George Zucco as the weird scientist traveling with a brain being kept alive in a glass globe attached to an apparatus. Sydney Toler's Chan has a mean streak. Something about the make-up causes his teeth to look mean a lot of the time. He says some of the same lines as Oland, but the look on his face adds a sort of "you big dumbass!" quality to every quip he says to whichever son is helping (and Birmingham Brown when he comes along) whereas it's a lot more good-natured when Warner Oland says it. |
|
|
|
Post by Ish Kabbible on Nov 16, 2015 17:34:11 GMT -5
Charlie Chan in Honolulu (1938) One year since the last Chan film,6 months since the death of Warner Oland, Charlie returns now played by Sidney Toler. As Charlie waits for news about the impending birth of his first grandchild, a murder occurs on a freighter off the coast of Honolulu. Charlie is sent to investigate,aided by his son James (#2) and Tommy (#5). Oh brother,what a difference from previous films. The good-extended scenes with the entire Chan family. Also George Zucco as a doctor who keeps preserved brains in his luggage.The disappointing-Sidney Toler. Maybe he'll get better as he continues to play the part or I'll get used to his version,but what I see here is a caucasian actor in heavy makeup and unnatural vocal delivery. Plus Keye Luke decided not to continue his role as Lee Chan with Oland's death, so actor Victor Sen Yung takes his place as the irritating Tommy assisting his father.The bad-The humour here is really dialed up. There is a ship's mate who carries on like a 4th rate Lou Costello. There's zoo animals as part of the ship's cargo as an excuse for scenes with monkeys and lions. And Sidney Toler has a weird grin and bad teeth I read the series does improve a bit as the new cast gets comfortable. For my sake I hope thats true The DVD includes an 18 minute featurette on Reinventing Chan, a 4 minute featurette on the life of Sidney Toler and a re-creation of a lost Chan film "Charlie Chan's Courage" via readings of the screenplay and photos Warner Oland is Charlie Chan the way Sean Connery is James Bond. But I've gotten used to Sydney Toler over the years. I enjoy the Toler films as much as the Oland films, but in a different way. I found the Monogram films especially to be hilarious and entertaining. I saw Charlie Chan in Honolulu this morning. I never saw it before, so I was really glad I watched it. You seldom see so much of Chan's private life. (His daughter is giving birth to his first grandchild while he is away solving a murder, but there several scenes at home and at the hospital. I think there should have been a murder at the hospital and the whole movie should have taken place there!) I liked it a lot more than Ish did, but I can't really argue with his reasoning. I have a high tolerance for silly stuff in genre films. All that stuff he doesn't like, I found pretty amusing - the zoo animals, Oscar the lion, the goofy guy watching the animals. I especially liked George Zucco as the weird scientist traveling with a brain being kept alive in a glass globe attached to an apparatus. Sydney Toler's Chan has a mean streak. Something about the make-up causes his teeth to look mean a lot of the time. He says some of the same lines as Oland, but the look on his face adds a sort of "you big dumbass!" quality to every quip he says to whichever son is helping (and Birmingham Brown when he comes along) whereas it's a lot more good-natured when Warner Oland says it. Thanks for breathing life back into this old behemoth. Please take into account that I never watched Charlie Chan movies before this massive endeavor. Were I now to go back and rewatch these films, I'm sure I would be a bit kinder to the early Sidney Toler ones. It was (to put it in comic book terms) like Jack Kirby leaving a series he was working on for a long time and Johnny Romita stepping in. Romita is fine, you would adjust to him pretty soon, it would just take a little time And you are correct, I really liked Sidney's mean streak concerning his son. Makes him very human |
|
|
|
Post by Hoosier X on Nov 16, 2015 17:36:57 GMT -5
It's my goal to eventually see all surviving Bela Lugosi films. I will have to add this to the list. I have been keeping my eye open for obscure Bela Lugosi movies for almost 30 years. I added The Black Camel a year ago and I saw The Midnight Girl a few months ago. ( The Midnight Girl is the only silent Bela Lugosi film I've ever seen.) They were both on YouTube. I was looking at the Lugosi filmography on IMDB and I couldn't remember whether or not I've seen Genius at Work. It sounds so familiar, but maybe I read an article about it in Cult Movie magazine or Filmfax! At this point, I'm counting it as a film I didn't see. But in order to help in the future, I made a list on IMDB to help me keep track of Lugosi's movies. What's so great about Bela Lugosi |
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,871
|
Post by shaxper on Nov 16, 2015 20:19:38 GMT -5
It's my goal to eventually see all surviving Bela Lugosi films. I will have to add this to the list. I have been keeping my eye open for obscure Bela Lugosi movies for almost 30 years. I added The Black Camel a year ago and I saw The Midnight Girl a few months ago. ( The Midnight Girl is the only silent Bela Lugosi film I've ever seen.) They were both on YouTube. I was looking at the Lugosi filmography on IMDB and I couldn't remember whether or not I've seen Genius at Work. It sounds so familiar, but maybe I read an article about it in Cult Movie magazine or Filmfax! At this point, I'm counting it as a film I didn't see. But in order to help in the future, I made a list on IMDB to help me keep track of Lugosi's movies. What's so great about Bela LugosiI tried to watch Daughter of the Night last month. I do not recommend it  |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2015 20:44:40 GMT -5
Films of Warner Oland
The ones highlighted in Bold are the Charlie Chan played by Warner Oland that I've seen.
Charlie Chan Carries On (1931)
The Black Camel (1931)
Charlie Chan's Chance (1932)
Charlie Chan's Greatest Case (1933)
Charlie Chan's Courage (1934)
Charlie Chan in London (1934)
Charlie Chan in Paris (1935)
Charlie Chan in Egypt (1935)
Charlie Chan in Shanghai (1935)
Charlie Chan's Secret (1936)
Charlie Chan at the Circus (1936)
Charlie Chan at the Race Track (1936)
Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936)
Charlie Chan at the Olympics (1937)
Charlie Chan on Broadway (1937)
Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo (1937)
My Top 5
1) Chance in 1932, I consider the performance of H.B. Warner as Inspector Fife memorable. Marian Nixon as Shirley Marlowe was excellent too; Warner was superb in this movie.
2) Circus in 1936, Keye Luke was great in this movie so was Maxine Reiner as Marie Norman
3) Opera in 1936 Boris Karloff and Keye Luke was in this movie and they were superb and Warner was excellent as usual.
4) Egypt in 1935 Great Adventure and also starred Rita Hayworth in a very young role - Excellent Photography as Well.
5) Monte Carlo in 1937 Keye Luke and Virginia Fields - Virginia was excellent as Evelyn Grey
The two movies in Blue that I will see next month in Victoria Canada of where a dear friend of mine will be showing them to me at his home.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ish Kabbible on Nov 16, 2015 22:02:16 GMT -5
Films of Warner OlandThe ones highlighted in Bold are the Charlie Chan played by Warner Oland that I've seen. Charlie Chan Carries On (1931) The Black Camel (1931) Charlie Chan's Chance (1932) Charlie Chan's Greatest Case (1933)Charlie Chan's Courage (1934)
Charlie Chan in London (1934) Charlie Chan in Paris (1935) Charlie Chan in Egypt (1935) Charlie Chan in Shanghai (1935) Charlie Chan's Secret (1936) Charlie Chan at the Circus (1936) Charlie Chan at the Race Track (1936) Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936) Charlie Chan at the Olympics (1937) Charlie Chan on Broadway (1937) Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo (1937) My Top 5 1) Chance in 1932, I consider the performance of H.B. Warner as Inspector Fife memorable. Marian Nixon as Shirley Marlowe was excellent too; Warner was superb in this movie. 2) Circus in 1936, Keye Luke was great in this movie so was Maxine Reiner as Marie Norman 3) Opera in 1936 Boris Karloff and Keye Luke was in this movie and they were superb and Warner was excellent as usual. 4) Egypt in 1935 Great Adventure and also starred Rita Hayworth in a very young role - Excellent Photography as Well. 5) Monte Carlo in 1937 Keye Luke and Virginia Fields - Virginia was excellent as Evelyn Grey The two movies in Blue that I will see next month in Victoria Canada of where a dear friend of mine will be showing them to me at his home. So how did you see Charlie Chan's Greatest Case and Charlie Chan's Chance when they are both lost films and no existing prints were ever found? |
|
