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We begin our Charlie Chan Film Tour 2017 with "Behind That Curtain"

FROM CHARLIE CHAN: “Begin at best place - beginning.”

Happy New Year to all, as we stand at the starting point of our Charlie Chan Film Tour 2017!

Tonight we kick off our journey through the entire Charlie Chan film series with a look at the oldest surviving “Charlie Chan” movie, “Behind That Curtain” from 1929. As had been the case in the prior silent Chan films, Charlie Chan is still seen as something of an afterthought, with the action given to those who, in the original stories by Earl Derr Biggers, were but supporting characters. This was to soon change, of course!

As is our custom, we begin arriving at 7:30 Eastern Time, we will be sharing, before our featured presentation, an “extra.”

OUR PRESENTATIONS:
1. “The Landini Murder Case” (part 9 – The Premature Corpse) radio program (Runtime: 14:40)
2. “Behind That Curtain” (1929; Runtime: 91 minutes)

FILM SUMMARY: Eve Mannering, daughter of a wealthy Englishman, marries Eric Durand, a fortune hunter, who kills the investigator hired by Eve's father to examine his past. Upon discovering the plot, Eve leaves him and joins an old family friend on a desert expedition from India to Persia. Later, fearing that she will implicate him in her affairs, Eve deserts him and travels to San Francisco.

NOTES: The novel “Behind That Curtain,” by Earl Derr Biggers, was originally published serially in The Saturday Evening Post between March 31 and May 5, 1928. “Behind That Curtain,” a film in which Charlie Chan appears only at the climactic moments at the close of the picture, was later remade as Charlie Chan's Chance (1932). Edward L. Park, who appears as Charlie Chan in this film, was the father of Bo Ling (Bernice L. Park), who appears in two films in the Chan series: “The Black Camel” and “Charlie Chan in Shanghai.” Also, this film offers a glimpse at a very early talking picture role of Boris Karloff.

TIME: We begin with arrivals and greetings at 7:30 EASTERN TIME. Then, we share our “extra,” which will be followed at exactly 8:15 when we roll our featured movie: “Behind That Curtain.”

LOCATION: Our Charlie Chan Family Chat Room, which is accessed at http://www.charliechan.info/id17.html.

IF YOU LACK A COPY OF OUR FILM: Often our features can be found available online. GOOD NEWS! Foot those lacking a copy, our feature for this week is presently available online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWKDQkRjOC8. Our “extra” can be found at: http://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com/crime/charlie-chan/charlie-chan-09-landini

NEXT WEEK: Please plan on joining us as we watch the Spanish language version of “Charlie Chan Carries On” (“Eran Trece”), with Manuel Arbo as Charlie Chan in this Fox Film production.

PLEASE plan on joining us as we begin this year’s journey through the entire Charlie Chan film series!

Sincerely,
Rush Glick