Tonight's Monday Evening Chat/Film Viewing: "The Black Camel"
Merry Christmas, and I hope that Santa Claus gave us all what we wished for this year!
We are at an intermission between our just-completed trip through the Charlie Chan film series and the beginning of our next journey. Tonight, our “bonus” before we embark on our 2012 tour will be in the form of a birthday celebration for Detective Chang Apana of the Honolulu Police, without whom, Charlie Chan would probably not have graced the pages of books ot seen the light of the silver screen. So, please join us for our Monday Evening Chat and Film Viewing as we watch and discuss “The Black Camel,” starring Warner Oland, in a film that was shot in great part on location in and around Chang Apana’s Honolulu. In fact, the “two Chans,” Apana and Oland met during the filming of this picture! This was the second film in the Charlie Chan film series, and is the oldest surviving entry. The first film to truly feature Charlie Chan, “Charlie Chan Carries On,” was a big hit, and had played in Honolulu just a few months before shooting began in that city. As Charlie Chan solves the mystery of just who was it who killed Shelah Fane, and why, we commemorate the birthday of Detective Chang Apana…
Our Chat Room is located HERE at our Charlie Chan Family Home. Please use any of the “Chat Room” links to join us. We begin with arrivals and greetings at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and we roll our personal copies of our film exactly 30 minutes later.
Even if you cannot access a copy of the above-noted film, please do join us anyway, as you will NOT be left out of our ongoing chat and festivities. (Many of our films may be found available for viewing online through such outlets as You Tube, etc.) Also, as is our custom, newcomers are offered the seat of honor at our humble table.
"Thank you so much," and let’s meet for yet another fun Monday evening as we gather to watch “The Black Camel.”
(PLEASE NOTE: If you would like to receive weekly email announcements regarding our Monday Evening Chats, as well as receive high-quality scanned movie still images (one per week) from our films of the week, please email us at: charliechanfamily@yahoo.com.)
Re: Tonight's Monday Evening Chat/Film Viewing: "The Black Camel"
Dear Rush,
Thank you for scheduling "The Black Camel" (1931) as part of a birthday celebration for the late, great Honolulu police detective Chang Apana.
As we are aware, it was during the filming of this picture that Apana and Oland met and posed for the famous photograph posted on this website.
Even though Apana does not appear in "The Black Camel," his presence is felt.
While in Honolulu, a New York Times reporter captured Apana's visit to "The Black Camel" movie set in Waikiki. In the 7/21/31 artcle, the writer mentions that Apana enjoyed Warner Oland's portrayal of his fictional counterpart, Charlie Chan.
In my humble opinion, if it won't for Chang Apana working as a detective with the Honolulu Police Department during the times of Earl Derr Biggers' vacations to Honolulu, our Charlie Chan would be a different character than he is today.
To the family, friends, and fans of detective Chang Apana, congratulations on the anniversary of the birthday of one of Honolulu's most colorful characters.
Aloha,
Steve Fredrick
Steve's Tours and Films
Including the Charlie Chan Mystery Tour
Re: Tonight's Monday Evening Chat/Film Viewing: "The Black Camel"
Dear Steve,
Thank you. And for those who don't know it, you are our Chang Apana expert, to be sure, and your Chan Mystery Tour is a treasure for anyone visiting Honolulu who wishes to retrace the steps of that venerable and storied detective! It is pretty certain, as you say, that without Detective Chang Apana, Charlie Chan would not have been the Chan that we have known for so many decades.
If anyone missed our sharing of "The Black Camel" last night, we will be "re-running" it later in January as our 2012 Charlie Chan Tour gets rolling.
